BYU Adds Business Italian and Arabic Classes

PROVO, Utah — Feb 17, 2004 — Quanto costa inserire pubblicità nel giornale? Learning how much an advertisement costs in a foreign language is only the beginning of what students can experience in business Italian and Arabic classes, now offered for the first time through the Global Management Center at BYU.

Added for the Winter 2004 semester, business Italian and Arabic join nine other business Language classes, more than any other Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) in the United States.

“This class will be helpful for students who want to feel comfortable using Arabic in a business setting or environment and will basically get the students acquainted with the business culture in the Arab world,” says Ayoub Sunna, the business Arabic instructor.

The newly added classes will follow formats similar to business Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Students learn vocabulary, cultural issues and other skills enabling them to be more competitive and confident in an international market.

The Marriott School of Management has offered foreign language business courses since 1992, but this is the first time Business Arabic and Italian have been taught.

For Marriott School students interested in international business, these courses contribute to the completion of requirements for the Global Management Certificate offered through the GMC.

The Global Management Center is part of the Marriott School of Management. The center elevates international business within the school by internationalizing faculty, students and curriculum at BYU. It also facilitates global outreach with other universities, colleges and businesses in the region. Nearly 15 percent of Marriott School students come from outside the United States and most of the faculty and students have lived abroad. Some 80 percent of students are bilingual, and more than 25 percent speak three or more languages fluently.