The need for language learning and cultural competence among non-Middle Easterners working in the Middle East
As mentioned in the “where we’ve been” section, Brennen first traveled to the Middle East in the Spring of the year 2000. Standing at the baggage carousel just minutes after arriving in Cairo, Brennen “accidentally” learned his first Arabic word, “thank you.” As an Egyptian man missed his bag on the carousel, Brennen grabbed it for him, and the main replied: “Shokron!” Later on that journey, Brennen remembers trying to find his seat number on a bus, and an American young lady who knew Arabic helped him read the Arabic numbers to find his seat.
When Brennen traveled to Jordan and Iraq in 2003, he witnessed many of his fellow Americans speaking Arabic fluently and it was really amazing. They used their language skills not only to order food and take taxis but also to have very helpful and even meaningful conversations with Middle Eastern people.
When Brennen moved to Dohuk, Iraq in 2005, once again, he met several North Americans like himself who were fluent in Kurdish. These people’s language skills seemed to be not just an advantage, but “essential” to life and work among the Kurdish people.
In 2006, when Brennen moved to Baghdad, again, he found that his supervisors and several coworkers there were fluent in Arabic. Language ability was something that proved to be helpful on a daily basis for all things meaningful (enjoying an evening meal with neighbors) and practical (communicating with the men who have arrived to fix your refrigerator).
In these early years, as Brennen asked where and how these workers learned language, many of the Arabic speakers said they had studied at the Kelsey Arabic Program in Amman, Jordan. As Brennen continued on with his work in Iraq, he purchased a couple of Arabic language learning books, but he knew if he could get to the Kelsey Arabic Program, he could learn to a level of fluency like the others he had seen.
Finally, in 2010, Brennen had saved up enough money to leave his State Department job and move to Amman to study Arabic. Sure enough, just like the many others he had seen, after two years of full-time language study, Brennen was able to speak, read, and write Arabic. This Arabic language education is something for which Brennen is very grateful.
Despite the blessing Arabic skills are to those who learn the language, in recent years it has become clear that many organizations are not prioritizing language learning among their workers. They lean heavily on English-speakers in the Middle East as they seek to “move quickly” in order to get their jobs done.
As an organization, MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION provides academic support (direction, instruction, encouragement, and accountability) to people wanting to learn Arabic. Learning any new language as an adult is tremendously hard work. MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION provides guidance on language school choices, learning strategies, and long-term plans for those interested in learning Arabic. Of course, language learning is part-and-parcel to cultural competence. In addition to language, MIDDLE EAST CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FOUNDATION offers comprehensive cultural competence strategies to individuals and other organizations that are looking to be a blessing to all peoples of the Middle East.