Launching Into the Unknown

Conversation was the most common pastime. Gossip filled much of the visit. It was not unusual for a female to be asked the price of her shoes or how much rent she paid, or where she found some rare commodity. I, of course, presented a whole new avenue of investigation, once I had enough language to understand the questions and form answers!

That was where my Sudanese high school friend became helpful. Amani spoke more English than I could speak Arabic, so she translated for me and helped me enjoy getting acquainted with her family. After they got to know me, they tried to marry me off to various male relatives. Sometimes we watched television, but I never understood what was being said. The people speak colloquial Arabic, but read all books and media communication in literary Arabic. Additionally, the Qur’an is in classical Arabic. These three “Arabics” are listed as different languages in linguistic classifications because they have different word orders, vocabulary, and sound systems. It makes learning the language more challenging.

One of my most memorable visits with Amani was when she took me to visit her school, which was within walking distance of my house. She attended an all girls’ school and there were about sixty students in her class. The teacher took my presence in stride, continuing with the lesson as if I were not there. I remember she read out of a textbook, stopping occasionally to explain the meaning of a word. Of course, the book was written in literary Arabic while the girls spoke colloquial Arabic. Thus, they would not necessarily understand or know all the words either. The teacher wrote the new word on the chalkboard. The girls copied down as much of the information as possible in small exercise books. When it came time for exams, they had to memorize everything they could and later recall it verbatim for the test.