Information for term Arabic Language & Moroccan Culture
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenAn ideal backdrop for top-flight language acquisition and a journey into the rich Moroccan culture.
Join the daily swirl of life in Rabat, the cosmopolitan capital that’s home to diplomats, students and multilingual professionals. It’s the ideal backdrop for your daily Arabic language instruction (in both Darija and Modern Standard Arabic), and explorations into the rich traditions of Moroccan culture.
Drink mint tea, eat traditional sweets, and take in sweeping ocean views in cafes near the 12th-century Kasbah. Converse with merchants while browsing in the old-world Medina. Back home with your Moroccan homestay, you’ll practice your Arabic skills as you prepare and share traditional meals and enjoy authentic everyday life.
Through CIEE activities, you’ll connect with Moroccan artists, musicians, and fellow students. Each day, in different ways, you’ll discover the enduring strengths of this open and progressive society that’s been a crossroads for African, Middle Eastern, and European civilizations for centuries.
Follow our Travels:
The Take-Aways
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LANGUAGE & CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
Call Rabat home for 4 weeks and come back with increased language proficiency in colloquial Darija and Modern Standard Arabic, and a greater understanding of the Moroccan way of life. Bring home life stories to remember your cultural experiences.
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COLLEGE CREDITS
Earn 4 college credits to either apply toward your future college degree, or to use to demonstrate your ability to do college-level work, or test out of a language level in college!
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LIFELONG SKILLS AND FRIENDSHIPS
After just 4 weeks away, you'll build self-confidence, gain a broader world view, improve your interpersonal communication skills and make lifelong friends from all across the U.S.
Location & Culture
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The Destination
Rabat offers a unique combination of modern and traditional architecture, lovely gardens, and green spaces.
No North African city is more welcoming and hospitable than Rabat. Less crowded and more relaxed than neighboring destinations, it is known for its open, progressive society and prime location on the Atlantic coast.
Arabic and French are the main languages you’ll hear on the streets with an English-speaking youth. From ancient markets to French Colonial architecture to opulent foreign embassies, the city has a unique mix of colorful styles and cultures. Palm trees line boulevards and lush gardens make the city pleasantly livable.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Rabat.
Daily Life
Click to OpenDaily Life
Every day brings new discoveries and fun, but you can always count on a perfect balance between interactive instruction, excursions and free time! Here's what to expect on a typical day:
- 7:00 am: Get up and have breakfast at your homestay
- 8:00 am: Commute to CIEE for your language class, using public transportation
- 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Interactive language class in small groups, with a local teacher
- 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm: Practice in the streets what you just learned in class, through short activities and challenges led by your program leader in small groups
- 12:45 pm - 1:30pm: Find a fun spot to grab lunch with your friends (your program tuition includes a stipend for lunches).
- 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm: Gather back at CIEE to go on today's cultural activity or excursion.
- 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Each activity or excursion is designed to echo what you learned in class that morning.
- 5:00 pm - 7:00pm: Free time! Hang out with your friends and shop. Commute home.
- 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Recount your day at dinner and try to use your new vocabulary!
- 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Wrap up your day with jotting down some notes in your reflection journal and get your homework done before the next day. Usually just readings and personal research for your weekly project.
- 10:00 pm: Lights out!
Learn more about daily life on a high school study abroad program by reading our blog posts below.
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Carefully screened homestay in Rabat
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24/7 Support from your CIEE program leader and in-country CIEE staff members
Program Blogs
Click to OpenProgram Blogs
Activities
Click to OpenSample Activities
Get excited about all the things you could do during your time abroad. Here are a few sample activities and excursions:
- Visit historic landmarks like Roman ruins or the medieval fortress citadel, with Andalusian gardens and amazing ocean views.
- Explore treasures of Morocco’s ancient heritage at the National Archaeology Museum.
- View striking visual displays at the Museum Mohamed VI of Modern and Contemporary Art, Morocco’s first public institution dedicated entirely to contemporary arts.
- Learn the intricate art of Arabic calligraphy.
- Get glammed up for a Moroccan party with traditional dress, dance, and henna art. Visit the Hassan II Mosque, one of the tallest minarets in the world and the only mosque in Morocco open to visitors.
- Prepare authentic local dishes during a Moroccan cooking class.
- Artisan workshops in the traditional medina where you will learn the art of carpet-weaving, mosaics and pottery
- Go kayaking at a local beach with Moroccan high school students
- Expand your horizons on visits to Tangier where you will also see the explore the cave on the most Northern point of Africaand see the horizon of Spain from the Straight of Gibralter
- Go on a day trip to the famous city of Meknes to see the religious sites and old medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Marvel at the the Roman city of Vouliblis where you will take in the difference between rural and urban Moroccan customs.
- Prepare authentic local dishes during a Moroccan cooking class.
- Go kayaking at a local beach
- Expand your horizons on visits to Tangier.
- Go on an overnight excursion to the famous city of Marrakesh. Marvel at the snake charmers and artisan crafts in Marrakesh’s bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa square, attend an interactive session with locals in the winding souks of the old medina.
- Prepare authentic local dishes during a Moroccan cooking class.
- Go kayaking at a local beach
- Expand your horizons on visits to Tangier.
- Go on an overnight excursion to the famous city of Marrakesh. Marvel at the snake charmers and artisan crafts in Marrakesh’s bustling Jemaa el-Fnaa square, attend an interactive session with locals in the winding souks of the old medina.
Please note this list of activities is based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to both adapt to local circumstances, covid-related measures and restrictions and participant feedback. Our goal when revising itineraries is always to enhance your experience. Every activity is designed to provide you with a deep immersion in your topic, local culture and sights. Get ready for maximum fun!
Dates & Fees
Click to OpenDates & Fees
Eligibility
- All language proficiency levels accepted.
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
Application Fee
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. More details about tuition inclusions can be found here.
Optional College Credit Fee
$150 Learn more
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session I 2023 4 weeks | Apr 2, 2023 | Jun 11, 2023 | Jul 8, 2023 |
$6,150 |
| Summer Session II 2023 4 weeks | May 16, 2023 | Jul 9, 2023 | Aug 5, 2023 |
$6,150 |
Looking for funding?
Our Staff
Click to OpenOur Staff
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Madiha Chafik
Director
Madiha received her master’s degree in international education and development from George Washington University and her bachelor’s degree in international relations from Boston University.
Ready to change your life?
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