Arabic
Deakin University offers a seven-week intensive Arabic language and culture program under the auspices of an agreement between de Bourguiba Institut des Langues Vivante, Tunis al Manar University, Tunisia, and the Faculty of Arts and Education. The in-country program is conducted between late-November and late-January at de Bourguiba Institut des Langues Vivante.
Units offered are at the second and third year levels (AIB205 and AIB306). Deakin University students receive two credit points for successful completion of these units.
Students from other universities should discuss the issue of accreditation with their respective home institutions.
To view a slide-show of photos from the previous program, please click here.
To view the PowerPoint presentation from the Information Session, which was conducted on Tuesday 10 August, please click here.
To listen to the iLecture recording of the Information Session, please click here.
Overview
Tunisia is a North African country, bordering the Mediterranean Sea betweem Algeria and Libya. The capital city is Tunis. The population is a little over ten million, with a relatively young median age of 27.8 years.
Arabic is the official language, while French is also used in the business world.
Ethnic groups which make up Tunisia include Arabs 98%, European 1% and other 1%.
98% of the population is Muslim.
The climate is temperate in the north, with mild rainy winters and hot, dry summers; desert in the south.
The north of Tunisia is mountainous, while there are hot, dry central plains. The semi-arid south merges into the Sahara Desert.
Class structure
The teaching program is six weeks in duration, and classes are conducted five days per week; Monday to Friday. The academic program, which includes language instruction in modern, standard Arabic, as well as the Tunisian dialect, is structured over an average of five contact hours per day.
The program is designed to further develop students' conversational skills, as well as their written, reading and comprehension skills.
Frequency and length of assignments vary depending on the level the student is enrolled in.
Additionally, a cultural program includes the following activities, which are designed to complement the academic program and enrich the overall educational experience:
- calligraphy;
- folk dance;
- Tunisian cuisine; and
- film projection.
Guided excursions
A number of guided half-day, day and overnight excursions take place during the program. These include:
- Medina;
- Barado Museum;
- Carthage;
- Sidi Bou Said;
- Cape Bon Peninsula (day);
- Sahel of Tunisia (weekend);
- North Tunisia (weekend); and
- South Tunisia (4 day weekend).
All overnight excursions include twin share accommodation in 4-star hotels, and all meals and entry fees are included.
For further details on the guided excursions, please click here.
To view details of the full academic and cultural program, please click here for the English version and here for the Arabic version.
Accommodation
Students are accommodated with local host families, and are provided with a private bedroom with furniture and bedding.
Students also receive breakfast and dinner each day.
Please click here to view the host family application form.
Travel grants and scholarships
The Faculty of Arts and Education offers three travel grants to assist students participating in the in-country program with travel costs. The Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry also offer twelve travel grants.
All grants are valued at $1000, and are competitively-based.
For further details, please click here.
For UniSA students, your home University is also committed to providing financial assistance to students undertaking study overseas.
Value: $800 to $2,400 (dependent on selected country)
For more information contact:
UniSA International
Tel: (08) 8302 0627 or (08) 8302 0159
Email: Student.Exchange@unisa.edu.au
Flights
Students are expected to arrange their own travel to Tunisia, and MUST arrive no later than Sunday 28 November. Students will be met at the airport upon arrival by their host families.
Costs
The in-country program units, AIB205 and AIB306, attract normal tuition fees.
For Commonwealth-supported students, this appears on the student's HECS statement.
International and domestic fee-paying students receive an invoice on StudentConnect for payment.
Students must also make a payment to Deakin University, totalling $1800AUD, which covers the following costs:
- accommodation for the duration of the program, including breakfast and dinner (cheaper rate available if twin-share);
- travel insurance (for the duration of the program only);
- cultural program and extra-curricular activities;
- guided half-day and overnight excursions, including all meals and entry fees;
- airport transfer upon arrival and departure;
- city orientation (banks, public transport, etc);
- course materials; and
- group Christmas dinner.
Please note the program fee is determined by the exchange rate, therefore students need to be aware that if the exchange rate goes up/down, they will be either asked to make an additional payment, or alternatively receive a refund at the time of making the final payment.
A deposit of $500AUD is payable by the application deadline of Friday 3 September, 2010. Students are asked to make all payments through the Cashiers Office (Burwood campus, Building B), quoting Item Number M807, which is a dedicated account for the Arabic in-country program.
The remaining balance is due by Friday 29 October, 2010. If a student withdraws after this date, all fees will be reimbursed, minus the $500 deposit.
Further information
For further information regarding academic matters, please contact:
Mr Hakeem Kasem (Program Director)
Tel (03) 9244 3915 or hisha@deakin.edu.au
For further information regarding administrative matters, including enrolment, travel, payments, etc, contact the Faculty's Experiential Learning Officer.
