It's a given I'll have to learn to teach English as a foreign language and become certified in that area, too. At first I thought, “how hard can this be?” but I soon learned it's not as easy as it would appear. I grew up having to learn the parts of speech and diagram sentences, and I was so glad when I got out of seventh grade because I knew I'd never have to do it again. Well, that's one of the many lies I accidentally told myself along life's little journey, and I do need to relearn all the stuff I've forgotten. Ouch!
Arabic lessons will also be in my future - if I can demonstrate a certain amount of proficiency, then chances are good I'll be sent to Jordan. The other country in the region that's a possibility is Morocco, but they speak more French than Arabic, which is mainly used as the language of the Qu'ran. I suspect in this day and age, it has been translated into a North African French dialect and is commonly read in their native tongue. It seems the only ones who read the Qu'ran in Arabic are the native Arabic speakers, and in the case of non-Arabic native speakers, Qu'ranic students and scholars.
I'm also seeing volunteering amongst the Arab populations in the area for a good reference. If you have some experience with blending into the population you want to serve, to me it seems like volunteering is a great way to learn first hand. Who knows if I'll be accepted as my experience has been the Arab community in Dallas are quite closed to outsiders. This is strange considering when I was in Jordan, everyone was very friendly to me.
There are several directions I can go in to make myself more attractive to receive an invitation from Jordanian officials, and as the picture clears, I will know what I need to do. If you're looking at the Peace Corps and you want to pick a specific country, make sure you tailor your skills to it before you start the process. If you turn down an invitation from another country, the Peace Corps will not extend to you a second invitation. You've got one chance - make it count!
If you don't like trying to find all the segments of this series, you can locate the links to them here and they will return you the exact spot on the appropriate site.
