This Summer I had the opportunity to learn Modern Standard Arabic and Darija for 6 weeks in Marrakech, Morocco through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). When I first came into the program, I was warned about the initial discomfort and culture shock I might feel. Even so, this journey had a far more profound impact on my personal character and outlook than I was expecting.

In Marrakech, every Arabic conversation I held was an opportunity to practice the art of diplomacy. It didn’t matter if I was saying a simple greeting to my host sister or ardently bargaining for a lower price in the souks. Language became more than a way to communicate. It was also a manner of emotional understanding and necessary to create lasting connections.

Arabic is an extremely difficult language that requires you to differentiate between vastly similar sounds and words. The nuance within it made it essential for me to approach every conversation and interaction with a willingness to learn and make mistakes even beyond the classroom.

In fact, the most impactful moments of my trip were derived from my interactions with the people around me. The bonds I formed in Marrakech are irreplaceable and proved to me that in order to truly connect with someone, you have to understand their perspective and the manner in which they view the world.

With that, fluency in Arabic (or any language for that matter), isn’t just learning the most vocabulary lists or grammar rules, it’s achieved through the interactions you have with the people around you. Through this program, I was taught about the applications linguistic diplomacy can have in my own life.