To foster an understanding among cultures, the Alachua County Library District is offering Arabic language classes starting Wednesday.
Classes will be held Wednesdays at the Headquarters Library, at 401 E. University Ave., and will continue until June, said Nickie Kortus, the library’s marketing and public relations manager. Each class will begin at 6 p.m. and end at about 7:30 p.m., she said.
“Offering classes in Arabic provides another opportunity for people to expand their language learning, which improves communication and understanding,” Kortus said.
Yaman Kutria, a native Arabic speaker, will be teaching the classes each week, Kortus said.
The Gainesville resident said Arabic speakers are in demand, and the class will offer Gainesville residents an opportunity to learn the basics of the fifth most commonly spoken language in the world.
The county’s library system already offers language classes for children and adults in French, Chinese, English and American Sign Language. Kortus said the new class provides a chance to expand what the library district currently offers and provides new opportunities for the community.
Theresa Sterling, the literacy coordinator for the district, said there is no other free Arabic class offered in the county.
Sterling said Kutria's services are more than welcome.
“Those things wrapped into one wonderful volunteer and offered at the library is a pretty neat thing, if folks want to take advantage,” Sterling said.
