About Us

The Arabic and Asian Language Office (AALO) was created in 2007 to meet the growing demand for classes in Arabic, Chinese and Japanese and to serve the goals set forth by the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M University. The increasing demand for Arabic, Chinese and Japanese at Texas A&M University reflects the trend in foreign language enrollment nationwide.

According to a 2006 Language Enrollment Survey conducted by the Modern Language Association, the largest increases in foreign language enrollment in the US have been in Arabic and Chinese. In 2006, Arabic almost doubled its enrollment, reaching 23,974 (an increase by 126.5% from 2002). Similarly, Chinese witnessed an impressive expansion in student enrollment, gaining 17,429 between 2002 and 2006 (an increase by 51.0%). Japanese also showed strong and steady increases in 2006 (an increase by 27.5%).

At AALO, we recognize that gaining proficiency in Arabic, Chinese and Japanese is more than just learning new vocabulary and grammar; it is also about understanding the rich cultures and history expressed through these languages. It is, therefore, our goal to equip Texas A&M students with the linguistic and cultural competence necessary to communicate successfully and effectively with speakers of Arabic, Chinese and Japanese.

In addition to offering classes at the beginning, intermediate and advanced levels, AALO will be offering study abroad opportunities starting the summer of 2009 in order to enrich student learning experience while helping them attain higher proficiency in the language they chose to learn.

We hope you will find our website informative and helpful. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions about our programs, events or other matters pertaining to teaching and learning Arabic, Chinese and Japanese at Texas A&M.