While courses in Spanish, French and German are still the most popular foreign language courses among college students, a new study shows languages that aren't as common are gaining popularity.
A recent study from the Modern Language Association of America found Arabic has entered into the top 10 languages taught in post-secondary institutions for the first time in history.
In 2006, 23,974 students in the United States enrolled in Arabic language courses, a 127 percent jump since 2002.
The University of Nebraska at Omaha now offers an Arabic language program and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers two Arabic courses.
Thomas Gouttierre, the dean of international studies and the director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at UNO, said the university had wanted to offer Arabic and other non-traditional languages for a while.
This fall, funding from the Fulbright Program allowed UNO to start offering Arabic courses.
"It proved to be as popular as we thought it might be," Gouttierre said.
Gouttierre welcomed the findings of the language association's study.
"I think it's a healthy thing and I hope it continues to be reflective of reality in Nebraska as well," he said.
Gouttierre said he hopes UNO can fund the courses next year.
UNL's Department of Classics and Religious Studies has offered two Arabic courses since 2005 - UNL does not offer a full Arabic program because of a lack of resources.
Simon Wood, an assistant professor of classics and religious studies, teaches first and second semester Arabic at UNL.
The Department of Modern Languages and the classics and religious studies department have filed a proposal that would change classes from religious studies to official Arabic courses.
"There's a lot of interest in topics relating to the Middle East, including Arabic, and so we feel it's important to offer as much Arabic as we can," Wood said.
"We're conscious that other institutions are offering Arabic or increasing their courses in Arabic, and we want Nebraska to be competitive," he said.
Ameenah Yasin, a senior psychology major, and Rachel Williams, a senior political science major, are two Muslim students in Wood's class. They took Arabic in order to better understand their religion and culture.
"Our religion is in Arabic, we pray in Arabic," Williams said.
"Now we want to know what we're saying and what the true meaning is," Yasin said.
Wood said UNL will continue to offer the two semesters of Arabic, and he added if the proposal to shift Arabic into the modern languages department is approved, UNL may be able to create a more comprehensive Arabic program in the future.
"What's going on here is that perhaps at long, long last we are learning that in order for our businesses to compete in a global marketplace and our government to be more effective in the conducting of diplomacy, we're becoming more aware that it's important that we know foreign languages more than we have in the past," Gouttierre said.
jennagibson@dailynebraskan.com
