From the fountain pen to the olive branch: At our Arabic Language Center, every journey begins with the stroke of a fountain pen where students learn letters, sounds, and the foundations of Arabic linguistics and ends with the olive branch, a symbol of Arabic heritage, where the language blossoms into culture.
We offer Modern Standard Arabic and Levantine dialect courses for non-native and heritage learners, from novice to distinguished levels.
Our center is led by Ghassan Zakaria, who was named Faculty of the Year by the College of Arts and Letters at SDSU in 2013. A decade later, in 2023, he received the college’s highest honor, the Excellence in Teaching Award, and was also recognized as the Most Influential Faculty Member by the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts at SDSU.