This school plans to introduce two new Arabic classes for the 2024-25 school year, Arabic I and Language for Heritage Speakers of Arabic, as a part of the course expansion where 24 new classes will be offered at the start of next school year.

For Karen Sourial, native Arabic speaker and junior, the Arabic language is an important way she keeps in touch with her Egyptian culture.

“(I use Arabic) usually when I’m in church, with my family and sometimes with my friends when we’re just joking around and talking,” Sourial said. 

Sourial is one of many students in CHS who speak Arabic. According to dataUSA, Arabic is one of the most spoken non-English languages in Indiana households, with almost 13,000 different households in the state speaking the language. Andrea Yocum, World language department chairperson and teacher, pointed to the prevalence of Arabic speakers in CHS as a reason for the introduction of Arabic to this school’s world language offerings.

Yocum said the Arabic course offering is a way for CHS to modernize the world language department. Yocum also said people within this school use the language every day.

“(The World language department) decided Arabic would be a good step forward to modernize the department, and to add a language which is not just important for diplomacy, but also just day to day use in the community,” Yocum said. 

“Over the past several years we’ve had a lot of students and members of the Carmel community who have expressed an interest in Arabic being added (to the World language department),” Yocum said.

Asmaa Omar, Arabic speaker and senior, said she is glad CHS is expanding its World language department and she would have taken Arabic if she was not graduating at the end of this year.

“I’m really happy Carmel is introducing Arabic as a language,” Omar said. “I’m just sad I’m a senior and I’m not able to take it. I think it’s great for (the under-classmen at CHS) though.”

Sourial said Arabic’s addition to the World language department is a welcomed change for many Arab people within this school.

“I have a lot of friends who have hoped for an Arabic class,” Sourial said. 

Omar said she agrees with Sourial, and many Arab students have been campaigning for Arabic’s introduction to CHS.

“I remember in my freshman year getting sent a petition to have Arabic as a language offering and I signed it,” Omar said.

Rafan Tajwer, Urdu speaker and sophomore, said he has considered taking Arabic. He said knowing Urdu helps him connect with his Pakistani culture, and Arabic can have the same effect for Arab students.

“(Urdu) acts as a sort of vessel between me here (in the United States) and my culture in Pakistan,” Tajwer said. “Also with envoyages to Pakistan, (Urdu) certainly helps a lot with establishing family relations. (The language) just helps me feel connected and not like an outsider.”

Tajwer said he has considered learning Arabic, due to the language’s importance in both his faith and the CHS community.

“(Learning a new language is) good to connect people overall, whether it’s global or with people in your own neighborhood in America who may not speak the best English,” Tajwer said. “Also, Arabic is certainly emphasized as a language (Muslims) should learn and (I’ve put) pressure on myself to learn (Arabic).”

Omar said Arabic helps her communicate with her family in Kuwait and other members of her community.

“(Arabic helps me) speak to my aunts and uncles and grandparents,” she said. “You can just communicate with more people.”

While Sourial said she is happy with the introduction of Arabic, Tajwer said the school should consider adding additional language offerings too.

“The introduction of (languages such as) Hindi would be a really good idea since many people do speak (Hindi in Carmel), ” Tajwer said. “(Hindi is) certainly a major world language that many people speak and would be valuable for people (to learn) in the future.”

While Yocum said adding another foreign language course in the coming years is possible, the World language department is primarily focused on the introduction of Arabic.

“I think it’s to be determined (whether another new language will be added),” Yocum said. “We’re focusing on and honing in on Arabic. I’m sure there will be other courses we consider for next year, but (right now) we’re excited about having (Arabic), and I think the Carmel community is also excited about it as well.”

While Tajwer said he will not take Arabic at the school, he said he still hopes to learn Arabic and other major world languages. He said these languages can help him become more of a global citizen.

“I want to be a big traveler when I’m older,” he said. “I want to see many, many places, and I think that learning major languages could certainly help in that endeavor.”

Sourial said learning Arabic is helpful to better understand the modern world, and she is glad she knows the language.

“More (important events) are happening in Arabic-speaking countries,” Sourial said.  “So it is just nice to know a different language.”