Arabic House

Living at the house entails signing a language pledge similar to that of Middlebury’s summer Language School. This pledge obliges the student to speak only Arabic while in the house. The house is a place where students of Arabic can come together with the resident native-speaking teaching assistant. It is a learning center not only for the residents but also for the rest of the Arabic students who drop in on occasion to practice their language skills and get help with homework. The house features a kitchen and a common room.

Events

Throughout the year we host events that bring people together to celebrate the Arabic language and culture. Here is an example of a years worth of Arabic events from 2025-2026

• Moroccan Teatime: Students engaged with traditional tea culture and kept up their spoken Arabic skills

• Screening of Arabic Documentary: watching an experimental film using video, sound, installation, photography, performance, and data

• Apple Picking: visiting an orchard to learn harvesting and fruit vocabulary in Arabic

• Arab restaurant: excursion to eat at an authentic Arabic restaurant and explored eating culture and customs

• Henna night: learning about the Arab art and to practice on themselves and others.

• Making Arabic Coffee: brewing and serving coffee, talking about the importance of hospitality in various Arab cultures

• Moroccan Cooking Class: making Moroccan appetizers and learning their slight variations with Levantine cuisine

• Ramadan Lantern Crafting: celebrating Ramadan traditions through visual arts and cultural storytelling, as well as writing Eid wishes

• Study Abroad Dialogue: recently abroad students came together to share their experiences with cultural immersion in Rabat and Amman

• Arabic House Iftar: cooking and participating in the post-fast meal and learning about Ramadan cuisine

• Eid al-Fitr Celebration: celebrating the end of Ramadan with sweets, henna, and cultural celebration

• Arabic Karaoke Night: combining music, vocabulary, and pronunciation to perform Arabic songs

• Embroidery Workshop:  traditional Tatreez cross-stitching practice, seeing both traditional patterns as well as making new patterns

• Soccer Game: playing a game of soccer and learning about the importance of soccer in Arabic culture

• End of Year Celebration: gathering to celebrate a year together and enjoying a picnic

Apply

If you are interested in applying to live in the Arabic House next year (2026-2027), please email the following information to the Arabic House Faculty Coordinator, Professor Dima Ayoub (dayoub@middlebury.edu):

1. Name and class year;
2. Student identification number;
3. Semester(s) you wish to live in the Arabic House (Fall, J-term, Spring);
4. Arabic courses you’ve taken or planned on taking at Middlebury College, or if none, your experience with Arabic outside the college. 

If you would like more general information on residing in an interest house, please see Residential Life’s housing overview.