Missoula schools to add Arabic to class list

Associated Press ^ | September 16, 2009

[george76]

A federal education grant will soon be used to introduce Arabic language and culture into Missoula high schools.

The five-year, $764,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education comes to Missoula schools with the help of University of Montana.

[Abathar]

“No no no little Mary, it’s pronounced “INFADEL!”, you have to say it with meaning while you start cutting the neck...”

[The Old Hoosier]

I'm all about learning Arabic and other major world languages, but shouldn't we be making sure these kids can write and speak English before we start spending money this way?

[Artemis Webb]

Missoula?
Montana?

How the hell many Arabs are in Missoula Montana?

[KarlInOhio]

I wonder if they'll be as culturally authentic as when our German class put on some Wehrmacht uniforms and blitzkrieged the French class. < /joke about the invasion, not a joke on the worry that an Arabic class would quickly become Islamic indoctrination >

[mnehring]

How the hell many Arabs are in Missoula Montana?

Maybe we are looking at it wrong.. how many ROTC programs are there in Missoula and how many colleges in the area does the CIA and NSA recruit from?

[dfwgator]

I thought Frank Zappa was thinking of moving to Montana at one time.

[The Anti-One]

I'm all about learning Arabic and other major world languages, but shouldn't we be making sure these kids can write and speak English before we start spending money this way?

While you make a very valid point the real issue here is one cannot teach the Arabic language without teaching the religion of Islam. The two are as interwoven as your blood vessels are to your flesh.

[mcshot]

Soon to be Mosquetana if they’re not vigilant.

[ClearCase_guy]

Well, if I were personally bankrupt, and if I had a massive debt that would take generations to pay off, the first thing I would do, would be to spend almost $1M on Arabic language lessons.

[NativeNewYorker]

$764,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education

Yeah. I work half a friggin' year, so I can send money to Washington, so they can send it to MONTANA to teach kids how to speak Arabic. This makes a lot of sense. /sarc

[El Sordo]

A good language to learn.

Once you learn the alphabet, you can get past the script’s intimidation factor pretty quick.

But the lack of vowels can still be a killer.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

How about teaching them first how to spell their own name and add 2+2?.....

[brytlea]

I really do think there shouldn’t be a federal Dept of Ed. If people in Missoula want to teach their kids Martian, whatever, but they should fund it themselves.

[coon2000]

We do need more real Americans who can read and speak this language, so we can know for certain what they are really saying. I used to date a blonde haired blue eyed beauty from Peru who obviously spoke fluent Spanish. One time, we were on an elevator with some Mexican looking guys who started talking in mexicaneese, my girlfriend turned around and proceeded to read them the riot act in their native tongue. The look on their faces was hilarious! I could not get mad at them because I agreed with everything they said when she told me what they said.

[paulycy]

I thought Frank Zappa was thinking of moving to Montana at one time.

Gonna be a dental floss tycoon.

[Lazamataz]

Jimmy Carter suspects racism is what is driving this.

[El Sordo]

“While you make a very valid point the real issue here is one cannot teach the Arabic language without teaching the religion of Islam. The two are as interwoven as your blood vessels are to your flesh. “

Incorrect. You can learn Modern Standard Arabic without ever touching the Koran or a Koranic phrase.

You may as well claim that a person cannot learn Hebrew without teaching them Judaism.

[Squantos]

Bous Zipy !

Kil zegy !

The first words of arabic I learned !........:o)

[MindBender26]

One teacher, $60K a year, 5 years, = $300,000

Where does the other $464,000 go?