If travel is not on your ‘to-do' list this summer, you might want to check out what your city has to offer in order to make the most of the approaching holiday time by doing something resourceful. This is also the time when several academic institutions, language centers, etc. offer summer courses and packages to suit virtually every age group and interest. This year a variety of courses are on offer, English and Arabic programs clearly being the most popular choice and widely in demand. For those looking to learn some Arabic during the summer break, the Extension Program Department of Effat University is offering an Arabic language program for non-native speakers, which is scheduled between June 27-July 22. “The program has three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced, and is especially for those who come to Saudi Arabia for some time and would like to learn the Arabic language from native Arabic speakers, and experience the overall Saudi Arabian culture,” said Dr. Eman Mohamed, Chair of the Extension Program Department of the university. In a country where women are increasingly participating in all walks of life and are duly encouraged to do so, it comes as little surprise that many centers are now offering programs that seek to hone the business skills of women. Effat University's Extension Programs Department is also offering courses and workshops for the community. It has a range of courses in corporate communication lined up for women. In August, ‘English for business' and ‘Technical business writing' programs are being started that will “help women get a feel for the practical aspects of work. The duration of the program is 60 hours. Companies can also enroll their staff in groups,” said Dr. Mohamed. IT courses are much in demand as a little knowledge in IT can provide someone with an edge in any field of work. The Extension Department has a lineup of IT courses, such as, ICDL (International Computer Driving License), a 7-week IT program in both Arabic and English; CISCO programs in professional networking, which has four levels (CCNA 1, 2, 3 and 4, of which CCNA1 will be offered in August); and IT essentials – level 1 and 2, a 7-week course starting in August. All programs cost SR2,000-SR2,250. An initiative of a different kind is the department's ‘Women in Technology' Program (WIT) for underprivileged women. “This training aims to prepare women for work in the marketplace by training them in basic IT and required professional development skills,” said Dr. Mohamed. The duration of the program is three months (130 hours). A new session started recently, and the next is scheduled for July 4. “It is reasonably priced at SR500 and the medium of the program is Arabic. Various important skills, such as, leadership qualities, decision-making, basic business writing, blogging, etc., are at the heart of the training,” said Dr. Mohamed. The programs are also conducted all round the year. “A plus point is that we have flexible study hours,” she added. She said that all programs are internationally certified and that only 15-20 students are taken per session in order to ensure high quality. English language centers here are gearing up to meet the rising demand among Saudis for English programs, and are also in a bid to counter the dramatic increase in the number of Saudis going abroad to study English as a second language. An official at the British Council estimated that the number of students from the Kingdom, between 17-18 years of age, who travel to the United Kingdom for summer courses in English has increased to at least 8,000 in recent years. An English training center that has seen an increase in its student numbers during the summer, offers ‘Super Intensive' English courses. “There is over a 100 percent growth in the number of students during the summer vacations,” said Anthony Baker, its director. The center is offering two programs this summer: an Intensive English program for 13-year-olds and above and the children's (ages 6-9 years) program, priced at SR2,100 and SR900 respectively. Baker explained that the combination of comprehensive programs and native speaking language teachers will help students develop their fluency in English “by applying what is learned to meaningful, practical situations.” “By providing thematic programs, recreational trips, and activities helping them to improve their English, the students' summer can be livened up and made productive at the same time,” said Baker. The British Council has various 5-6 week courses in General English and English for Business programs in June, July and August. There are seven different courses for those above the age of 16, each of which is on offer for a price of about SR2,000. Another hot favorite among students are TOEFL preparation courses. “The courses will prepare students for the new, more demanding version of the test and these classes are intensive to ensure success,” said an English instructor Muadth Al-Amreekee, who is conducting special summer TOEFL courses ‘on demand' in Riyadh. “Strategies for approaching TOEFL tasks and testing on the computer will also be taught. Students will be able to increase their test score to a level that is accepted for entrance to most English speaking universities, significantly improve their confidence as a speaker and writer of academic English, and build their functional and everyday academic vocabulary up to university level,” he said. Al-Amreekee, however, advised students whose English is weak not to take these courses until “their English has improved sufficiently.” In the two-month TOEFL iBT preparation course, “the class meets five days per week and each day we prepare for one of the four activities covered in the test (reading, writing, listening, and speaking). On alternating Wednesdays, we either take practice tests or go over strategy,” said Al-Amreekee. There are other programs, such as, a month-long evening ‘TOEFL Overview Course' and a Kingdom-wide month long ‘Super Intensive Weekend Crash Course' for busy students and out-of-town visitors, the registrations for which begin June 20. As for the little ones, another institute in Jeddah has announced its Summer Camp for kids between 5 to 9 years of age. The camp will have two daily sessions – in the morning and the afternoon – and is themed ‘Discover The World'. Here children will learn about cultures in different countries, their different languages, arts, and heritage. “On the individual level, we aim to enhance every child's feeling of self-confidence along with a positive attitude toward others, based on understanding, accepting and appreciating their differences whether pertaining to color, race, mental or physical abilities,” said Mirna Yamout, deputy director of the center. She said the children meet daily in groups supervised by teachers and assistants. They move between various sessions and activities, such as, art, swimming, cultural games and trips. “The whole setting is a family atmosphere which is educational, friendly, pleasant and lively and is in line with our motto to respect every individual child and bring out the best in him,” said Yamout. Special summer programs for girls are also popular with many families. The institute is running a ‘Girls Summer Program' for girls between 11 and 15 years old. “There are a bunch of courses, such as, English language, French, accessories making, recycling, computer and photography,” she said. Because some children may be reluctant to take traditional classroom type lessons during the summer, children's arts classes find many takers. One such center is launching a ‘Dino Art' program, which “is an art and handicraft program designed to stimulate the creativity of young learners where they will learn not only drawing skills but also paper craft, fabric painting and “magic” as well as learning how to use different types of art media,” said Alia Yakoob, marketing manager of the group. The activities include watching meaningful movies and then holding discussions on them. Another program, UCMAS or Universal Concept of Mental Arithmetic System, seeks to make children learn mental arithmetic calculations and perform activities that will exercise their minds. “The summer program enables youngsters to appreciate the importance of time management and it features strong principles which are embedded in fun activities. Children can have fun and make good use of their free time,” said Yakoob.
