Al-Waha International School
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(, "The Oasis") is an immersion-based Arabic-language camp for students between the ages of 7 and 18 associated with
Concordia Language Villages Concordia Language Villages (CLV), previously the International Language Villages, is a world-language and culture education program. Since beginning in 1961, it has grown to offer summer camp in 15 modern languages and school-year weekend progra ...
. It was established in 2006 with the help from a grant from the
U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
but maintains no lasting connection with the United States government.


Daily life

At Al-Wāḥa, Arabic language and culture are taught through Arabic games, arts and crafts, dances, sports, songs, and culturally authentic foods. Each day is focused around a theme, which include countries, holidays, literature, and art. Additionally, all daily activities are named in the Arabic language and all signs are given in the
Arabic script The Arabic script is the writing system used for Arabic and several other languages of Asia and Africa. It is the second-most widely used writing system in the world by number of countries using it or a script directly derived from it, and the ...
. Al-Waha provides instruction to children of all ages through a variety of sessions. Single-week programs are designed for school groups, two separate two-week programs focus on younger villagers and then older villagers in turn, and a four-week credit program for high school students immerses them even in more rigorous classes. Credit villagers spend as many hours learning Arabic in a month through the immersion settings (classroom time, activities conducted in the language, meals and more) as they would in a full school year of study. The site also offers a day camp for younger learners; this is a week in which children arrive mid-morning to participate in activities with the other villagers.


Modern Standard Arabic and dialects at Al-Wāḥa

The main language used in the camp is Modern Standard Arabic, a formal standard literary variety of Arabic. Due to the
diglossic In linguistics, diglossia () is a situation in which two dialects or languages are used (in fairly strict compartmentalization) by a single language community. In addition to the community's everyday or vernacular language variety (labeled "L ...
situation in the Arab world, this variety of Arabic is rarely used in informal situations outside the camp. To expose students to Arabic dialects, the camp performs skits and sing in dialects. Additionally, dialect speakers often intermingle their native dialects with Modern Standard Arabic. Counselors and students who are heritage speakers come from countries such as Egypt,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
and Lebanon, in addition to the United States, which exposes all students to new dialects.


Locations

Al-Wāḥa originally started at Camp Trowbridge, a
Camp Fire A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campfires ...
owned summer camp located along Trowbridge Lake in
Otter Tail County Otter Tail County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, its population was 60,081. Its county seat is Fergus Falls. Otter Tail County comprises the Fergus Falls micropolitan statistical area. With 1,048 lakes in it ...
near Vergas, Minnesota. Camp Trowbridge had previously been used by Waldsee, the
German language German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...
camp and Lesnoe Ozero, the
Russian language Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...
camp. The camp property officially closed in 2011 and the site has since been razed for lake homes. In 2010, the Al-Wāḥa relocated to Turtle River Lake in Bemidji at the site of the Norwegian camp
Skogfjorden Skogfjorden is a Norwegian language village and campsite affiliated with the Concordia Language Villages. It is located at the Concordia site at Turtle River Lake near Bemidji, Minnesota, United States. Skogfjorden is a village for language immer ...
.


Relation to United States State Department

Preparations for Al-Wāḥa began a year and a half before its opening, with the help of national prominent experts in the Arabic language. Its curriculum was being developed independently before receiving a $250,000 grant from the
U.S. State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
to fund the camp. This grant, part of the
National Security Language Initiative The National Security Language Initiative (NSLI) is a program introduced by United States President George W. Bush on January 5, 2006 at the U.S. University President's Summit to develop the foreign language skills of American students, especially ...
, is the first grant that
Concordia Language Villages Concordia Language Villages (CLV), previously the International Language Villages, is a world-language and culture education program. Since beginning in 1961, it has grown to offer summer camp in 15 modern languages and school-year weekend progra ...
has received for its villages. A spokesperson for the State Department's
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the United States Department of State fosters mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries around the world. It is responsible for the Un ...
noted that the government does not plan to track students who attend al-Wāḥa.


References

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External links


Concordia Language Villages Arabic program site
Concordia Language Villages Language camps 2006 establishments in Minnesota