Study Abroad in Jordan: Intensive Arabic Language & Culture Studies in Irbid – City & Daily Life

Irbid, Jordan

Irbid, Jordan’s second largest city, is a dream location for Arabic language learners. The city is one part metropolis (with a population of over 600,000) and one part college town, with a youth-centered nightlife and myriad university resources to boot. Students are quick to make Jordanian friends, and many find that impromptu conversations with shopkeepers are a great way to practice language skills.

Unlike the capital city of Amman, Irbid remains out of the tourist limelight. The city has been less affected by urbanization than Amman, and its beauty has earned it the nickname “Bride of the North.” With excellent and inexpensive public transportation, students have easy access to renowned sites like Amman’s Umayyad Palace or the Ajloun Castle. But after a day of exploration, returning back to Irbid, with its small town provincial feel, is always a comfortable pleasure.

Safety in Jordan

In accordance with its Safety Policy, CET monitors the situation in the Middle East closely via reports from on-site staff, experts on the region including CET Advisory Board members, reputable news sources, and the US Department of State. Such monitoring led CET to relocate the Summer and Fall 2011 Syria programs to Jordan.

If you have concerns about safety, please contact CET. We’re here to help.

Yarmouk University

CET Jordan is based at Yarmouk University (YU) in Irbid. Yarmouk is a large university with excellent resources, particularly for language learners. The University’s Language Center is well known in the field of Arabic language pedagogy. Instructors have experience teaching American students and use the most recent methodologies in the field. Students enjoy YU’s modern campus facilities, complete with an advanced research library, sports facilities and wi-fi.

Jordan Housing & Meals

CET Jordan students reside in apartments walking distance from campus. Two CET students share each apartment with one Jordanian student. Apartments offer fully equipped kitchens, televisions (great for Arabic practice) and washing machines.

While apartments are not wired for internet access, the campus area is laden with internet cafés—in fact, the street across from YU is reputed for holding the world’s record for the most internet cafés on one street!

For meals, some students cook for themselves. Others explore the campus area’s many inexpensive restaurants and eateries.

Jordan Language Partners & Roommates

Language Partners

Each CET student is partnered with an Arabic language partner from Yarmouk University. Language partners—part tutors, part friends—meet weekly with CET students. They help with homework, review tricky lessons and run through language exercises.

Roommates

CET students share their apartments with Jordanian roommates. Roommates are selected by CET for their enthusiasm and commitment to the Arabic-only language pledge. Many students and roommates become fast friends and explore Irbid together—strolling through markets, seeking out new cafés and always making time for movie night.