Although they were planned long before the Sept. 11 attacks last year, two new ISU language courses do have a strong emphasis on building intercultural communication, the head of Iowa State’s foreign languages department said.

Students with a desire to learn how to speak Arabic and Swahili are invited to enroll in courses, said Dawn Bratsch-Prince, head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature.

“The study of foreign languages offers a different way of seeing the world, expressing reality, and relating things,” she said.

Bratsch-Prince said both courses are open to any Ames resident or ISU student, faculty or staff member.

“It will be an introduction to the Arabic language, the writing system and an insight on the Arabic culture,” said Jean-Pierre Taoutel, lecturer in foreign languages and instructor for the Arabic course.

Taoutel said he’s happy to introduce Americans to the positive contributions of Arabic culture – a topic, he said, most Americans have never learned about before.

“They don’t know the impact of the Arabic culture and what it has brought to other civilizations,” he said.

“For example, this culture invented the idea of universities and hospitals and helped develop the field of medicine.”

Some aspects of Western civilization have been influenced by Arabic culture in ways most people aren’t conscious of, Taoutel said.

“Even in literature, you just have to read `The 1,001 Nights’ and you’ll see the impact,” he said. “If you look at Walt Disney movies . you’ll realize how many stories are very close to this original text.”

He said he’s expecting students to inquire about the political issues today that involve Arabic culture and would be happy to answer any questions about them.

James Mutiti, a visiting linguistics professor from Egerton University in Kenya, will be part of the effort to bring Swahili to Iowa.

Mutiti said in countries on the African continent, hundreds of different languages and dialects are spoken. Swahili, however, is an African international language that crosses cultural borders.

“Swahili is a big part of interpersonal communication,” Mutiti said. “Africans are very friendly and, to an African, every person is his or her `brother’s keeper.’ We’re always talking about each other.”

He said Swahili could be a useful language to learn for Iowans who wish to travel.

“We have very many Iowan students visiting Africa in study-abroad programs,” Mutiti said. “When they learn the language, they’ll find that life in the academic environment becomes very easy for them. It’s a great advantage for interacting with their colleagues and with local Kenyan environments.”

Even if his students don’t plan on hopping the next plane to Africa, Mutiti said the cultural insights they’ll learn will be useful in their day-to-day lives.

“They’ll be at a better place in the global perspective,” he said.

The cost for each course will be $170, Bratsch-Prince said. Interested people can call the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at 294-4046.

Both courses will last about two months and each will run from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

The Arabic course will be held Mondays and Wednesdays from Sept. 30 to Nov. 20, while the Swahili course will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 21.