Classroom Language

Here in Muscat, you can get by without knowing any Arabic. Omanis and ex-pats alike communicate in English and the signs around the city are also in English.

I've mentioned before that students who come from Muscat generally have excellent speaking skills. The three girls pictured above are Muneera, Hanan and Asma from from my top level class. They can speak and understand English fluently (a blessing in disguise as you have to adapt your lessons to keep them interested pretty much all the time).

Students from the more remote villages are not exposed to English at all which, coupled with a slack attitude to study, can make life pretty difficult in the classroom.

The students at the Oman Tourism College (where I teach) are, regardless of ability, taught in English one hundred percent of the time. This is great for me obviously as it saves me the trouble of learning the extremely difficult Arabic language.

What I do try to do though is pick up little bits here and there to help me in the classroom. I do this by listening out, and at times, asking the students for some advice.

Here are a few choice phrases I've picked up (written phonetically):

Iss-kit-eee!
Shut up! (An essential teaching phrase).

Mab-rook!
Congratulations! (For when correct answers are given).

Wesh-eel-mush-killa?
What's the matter? (Girls have a tendency to sulk).

Laysh-tit-keh-lum?
Why are you talking? (For use when they talk over me).

Tit-keh-lum-in-glay-see?
Do you speak English? (For when they babble away in Arabic).

Kahar!
Give me strength! (Delivered whilst banging head off board).

Fee-amal-inkoom-tit-hass-anno!
There's hope for you yet! (When an spark of genius comes out of nowhere).

Hell-tik-thzib-alleya?
Are you lying to me? (Yes, probably).

The last one is brilliant to use in pretty much any given situation. If it's delivered with my hand on my heart, the students, for some reason (they think Allah is watching, probably) just can't tell a lie!

Why are you late?
The bus teacher. It problem.
Hell-tik-thzib-alleya?
Okay teacher, sorry, I sleep too much.

Who did you copy for the last assignment?
I not copy teacher.
Hell-tik-thzib-alleya?
Okay teacher, sorry, sorry, I copy, I sorry.

Teacher, toilet.
Give me your mobile phone first.
No have mobile phone teacher.
Hell-tik-thzib alleya?
Okay teacher, here my phone.

If it's thing Omanis love more than sleep, it's watching a foreigner make a little effort with their language and by delivering enough lines at the right moment whilst feigning understanding with knowing looks when they talk in Arabic, I have convinced half the college that I'm fluent in Arabic!

I'm nowhere close, but it keeps the students on their toes if they think I am!