I will never forget that first drive from Muscat airport to Manah, where we were to spend seven amazing and unforgettable weeks studying Arabic at the Sultan Qaboos College for Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers as part of the British Omani Language Scheme, through the stunning mountains, palm trees and vast landscapes which characterise Oman. Manah itself was the perfect oasis of calm for our Arabic study: a small town enjoying a view of the mountains with friendly residents who would regularly wave and greet us as we passed.
We stayed in a lovely, newly-built residence in Manah which had all the required facilities, good food and, most importantly, very friendly and accommodating staff who helped us feel at home. After class, we would spend time playing table tennis with the other students, chatting to the residence supervisors in Arabic and drinking Omani coffee while completing our homework tasks.
The teaching in the college was excellent. I was very glad that we had to sit several placement tests, as we were then placed in stimulating classes matching our level. Our four hours of class a day involved various exercises and activities covering several aspects of the Arabic language, ranging from grammar and analysing literature to creating environmental campaigns and writing formal letters. I particularly enjoyed learning to write short poems and stories, which is something I never got the opportunity to do at university. The teachers were very approachable, made sure to create a comfortable atmosphere in class and were always ready to adopt any suggestions we had. My Arabic certainly improved!
In the evenings we often had sessions with Omani language partners, allowing us to practise our Arabic conversation skills and learn a few phrases of Omani dialect. I had a lot of fun with my language partner who I would now call a friend, and we often ended up sharing a laugh while trying to explain cultural differences.
The weekends were also never spent idle, and the college organised a number of wonderful excursions for us. One of my favourite memories in Oman was a trip to the Sharqiya region. After an adventurous day driving around the desert in jeeps, we gathered in a big tent and danced and sang to a mixture of traditional Omani songs, Arabic pop songs and Western music late into the night. The following day we headed for the coast, where we had the incredible opportunity to witness giant sea turtles arrive on the beach and lay their eggs on the sand before returning to the sea.
Everything was very well-organised and designed to give us the best possible introduction to Omani life, culture and language. I feel so incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity and would like to thank the British Omani Society, Sultan Qaboos College and everyone else who helped make this experience possible. Last, but not least, this scheme gave me the opportunity to meet like-minded Arabic students and create lasting friendships.
Felicity participated in the 2018 Summer Language Programme in Oman.
