Q1. Welcome! Can you please introduce yourself and your academic background?

My name is Said Hannouchi, and I hold a doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Arabic Studies and Second Language Acquisition.

Q2. This Fall, you’ll be teaching ARABIC 422. Can you tell us more about this course?

This Fall semester, I am offering ARABIC 422: “Medical Arabic” as a new course in the MES department. Medical Arabic is a specialized language course that is designed for pre-medical and pre-health students who want to develop practical communication skills for healthcare settings. The course emphasizes real-life interactions between healthcare providers and Arabic-speaking patients using Levantine Arabic.

Q3. Can you explain how your research interests relate to this course?

My research interest focuses on developing the learners’ intercultural communicative competence, and this course directly supports that goal by preparing students to communicate effectively and appropriately with Arabic-speaking patients in healthcare settings.

Q4. What materials or literature are you most excited to engage with?

The course will be conducted in Levantine Arabic. Students will engage with patient dialogues, medical vocabulary, role-play scenarios, case studies, and culturally relevant texts and videos that help students develop both language skills and intercultural communicative competence. In addition, guest speakers from various healthcare professionals will be invited to share their clinical experiences, including insights into caring for Arabic-speaking patients.

Q5. For any students who are interested in taking your course but may be hesitant to engage with a new subject, why do you think they should enroll? What will they gain from this course?

By taking this course, students will gain medical vocabulary, stronger communication skills, and greater confidence in working with Arabic-speaking patients. They will learn how to ask basic questions, discuss symptoms and medical histories, explain procedures, and interact with patients in a culturally respectful and compassionate manner.

While this course will be conducted in Levantine Arabic, students who are comfortable with a different Arabic dialect will be able to speak and complete their classroom assignments in the dialect they are comfortable with.

Most importantly, this course can strengthen students’ professional profile, showcasing their investment in developing competencies that are directly relevant to patient care, especially when paired with clinical volunteering and community outreach. Medical Arabic can also provide compelling examples for students to discuss in their personal statements and during medical school interviews.

Q6. Is there anything else students should know about this course or your teaching style before the Fall?

I encourage students to reach out to me with any questions they may have about the course or the materials we will be covering.

Questions?

For inquiries regarding enrollment in this course, please contact the MES Curriculum Coordinator (mes-curriculumassistant@umich.edu) or stop by our office at 4111 South Thayer. More information about this course can be found on the LSA Course Guide or by reaching out to Professor Hannouchi (saidhann@umich.edu) directly.