Nick Parkinson is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts, with a concurrent Diploma in Languages (Arabic).

I knew I wanted to study more than one language in my Bachelor of Arts, but I knew this would be hard if I also wanted to fill my degree with politics. The Diploma in Languages allowed me to study two languages while still having lots of flexibility.

Arabic, spoken by over 420 million people, is the language of Islam, one of the major world religions. It represented the perfect window into a world I knew little about. Additionally, the Arab world’s increasing importance in Australia’s foreign policy meant that Arabic worked perfectly alongside my major in Politics and International Studies.

Two elements of studying the Diploma have really stood out to me. The first is the staff at the Asia Institute. Arabic is taught by passionate teachers who have lots of experience. From professional radio journalists, to former diplomats, the Arabic staff really motivate us as students.

The second aspect of the Diploma that I’ve loved is the class sizes. Classes are small, and so we all know each other.

I knew nothing about Arabic or Arab cultures before studying this subject. I’ve absorbed so much information through the language, from the Five Pillars of Islam to the geography of the Arab world.