ANN ARBOR—The increased involvement by American businesses in the Arabic-speaking world has also increased the demand for business professionals to become more fluent in written and spoken Arabic and to become more familiar with the culture of the Middle East.

Conjugating verbs or memorizing a stilted vocabulary won’t help negotiate the most advantageous contract or help the traveler obtain the hotel room with the best view, says Raji Rammuny, professor of Arabic in the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan. Rammuny is meeting the demand created by increased business dealings and travel in the Arabic world with his “1996 Special Intensive Arabic Program,” an eight-week course, July 1-Aug. 20, geared for professionals, students and community members who want to learn Arabic for professional and practical purposes.

This course fits well with the U. S. government’s plan to enhance and expand global education and internationalization of knowledge and to improve business and government operations in the Arab world.

The compressed program meets 20 hours each week for a total of eight credits—equivalent to a one-year course. While students meet daily in the classroom, the course focuses on language functions pertinent to travel and business transactions by using authentic dialogues and texts supported by audio and video cassettes, oral and written practice through group interactions and role playing. It’s not sufficient to know just enough Arabic to hail a cab or order from a restaurant menu. Today’s professionals and travelers also need to know business customs and practices, how to design and place commercial advertisements in an Arabic country, business correspondence and negotiations, and how to prepare and read commercial and economic reports in Arabic. Students who successfully complete Rammuny’s course are able to perform well in a variety of situations, both in social and business situations.

And those cultural differences between the Middle East and Midwest, Rammuny’s course delves into that aspect, too, aspects that could mean the difference between success and failure in negotiating a business contract. Some of the social and business aspects Rammuny covers include tipping which, he says, “in the Gulf area is not widely practiced. Respect people’s customs and tip discretely so as to not cause offense. The practice of tipping, however, differs from one Arab country to another. In some countries, for example, any worker who provides a service to anyone else will expect to receive a tip, whereas in the Gulf states employees will not accept tips from guests or visitors since they consider the services they provide as ‘gifts.’

“Life in the Middle East is not controlled by the clock,” Rammuny says. “But it is controlled by the need to finish no matter how long that takes. Contracts have been lost because of the American need to ‘rush.'”

While breakfast is generally eaten in the Middle East between 6 and 10 a.m. and lunch from noon to 3 p.m. as it is in the States, supper is usually eaten between 7 and 11 p.m. and is not the main meal. Lunch is the main meal, usually beginning with appetizers followed by a main dish, dessert and coffee or tea. Supper is usually a light meal.

Shopping could become a problem for the business professional, traveler or student. Rammuny leads his students through the dos and don’ts of shopping in the Arab world where Western-style shops and department stores are now commonplace in most major cities. While the stores are generally open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., they do close at 1 or 2 p.m. and reopen at 4 p.m. Most are closed on Fridays, the Muslim day of prayer. In some Arab countries such as Lebanon and Egypt, some businesses are closed both Friday and Sunday, Rammuny says.

“Bargaining is common practice in small shops,” Rammuny says, “and thus the prices of goods are seldom marked. In supermarkets, department stores and hotels, however, bargaining is not acceptable and an attempt to do so can be considered Middle Eastern custom for merchants to offer customers tea or coffee. Customers should be aware that accepting such an offer certainly does not obligate them to make a purchase.”

Even the everyday practice of shaking hands, smiling, the distance to stand when conversing can be different from what the American professional or traveler is used to.

“Arabs usually stand close to each other and maintain eye contact when speaking,” Rammuny says. “Standing at a distance from the person you are talking to or not looking at him or her implies a feeling of superiority or inferiority, distrust, and/or lack of interest.”

More than just vocabulary and grammar, the successful professional or traveler in the Middle East must also know the correct body language in order to bring home the contract that will best benefit his company or make his excursion an enjoyable one.