Christine Eckhardt '05

"Considering the number of Arabic sounds that come from the back of the mouth or through the nose, we could spend the year practicing them and nothing else," said Headmaster Eric Widmer, one of fifteen students in the Academy's first Arabic class. Maha Frieh, a new member of the faculty, teaches the introductory course.

Arabic classes are still a rarity in American schools; some of the nation's leading colleges, such as Williams, do not even offer Arabic courses. As Deerfield debated the possibility of an Arabic program, Mr. Widmer asserted that a lack of knowledge concerning the Arabic language contributes to some of the problems in the Middle East. The usefulness of a language in students' lives is a significant factor in determining whether or not an academic program will be added to the curriculum. "Knowing the language lets you understand the culture, so you know what you are talking about when you refer to the Middle East," said Ms. Frieh.

"I took Arabic because I thought it would educate me more about the culture and eastern attitudes," said Sara McLeish '05. Other students cite their parents' influence and curiosity about the language as their primary reasons for enrolling in the class. As a part-time faculty member, Ms. Frieh commutes to Deerfield from her home in Amherst. Prior to her four years in the United States, Ms. Frieh lived in Cairo, where Arabic was her first language. Contrary to the popular western custom of addressing teachers by their last name, she encourages all of her students to call her Maha, as in Arab cultures first names are considered more important than last names.

Although Ms. Frieh has previously taught English and worked as a translator, she has never taught an Arabic class before. Her greatest challenges involve teaching the students an entirely different alphabet written from right to left and numerous sounds in the Arabic language absent from the English and Romance languages. However, after only three weeks, her class has started writing the alphabet and pronouncing Arabic greetings and common phrases.

Mr. Widmer, who has studied a number of languages, including Chinese, claims that Arabic is the most difficult language he has encountered, but considers it "a good experience to wrestle with a different text."

In reference to the class' unusual feature- the Headmaster's presence as a student- many of the students admit that "it is strange to hear Mr. Widmer ask, 'when do we get our tests back?" Some students have felt more pressure to perform, while others have seized opportunities to complete homework assignments with the Headmaster. Saira Ahmed '05, said, "Having Mr. Widmer in the class is great. He's just as enthusiastic as the rest of us, with his textbook and notebook and all, maybe even more so."

Depending on the level of future student interest, Deerfield hopes to continue the Arabic program. Stephen Murray, the Academic Dean, said, "With fourteen students, there should be a good crop of kids coming back for Arabic II. As for expanding to include the third and fourth year, I would be eager to allow that to happen."