Rachel Gammon

Rachel’s introduction to Arabic began somewhat spontaneously. During her first semester at BYU, she noticed the Arabic class on the registration list and decided to give it a try. She completed two semesters before heading abroad, immersing herself in a new culture and confronting a surprising challenge: dialect differences.

Rachel had the opportunity to participate in a study abroad program in Morocco. While an exciting and enriching experience, it also introduced an unexpected challenge: dialect differences.

At BYU, Arabic students typically learn formal Arabic and Levantine dialects (spoken in places like Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan). But Rachel’s program was suddenly shifted to Morocco, where the dialect—Darija—is distinctly different. “It was a bit crazy,” she says, “but it was also super fun.” The experience was deeply immersive—and linguistically stretching.

One of the most impactful parts of Rachel’s journey was the support she received from professors in BYU’s Arabic program. “All of the professors I’ve had are really good about being available,” she says. “They’d meet with me outside of class to go over homework, writing, or help me figure out what I needed to work on.

In the lead-up to the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), this support became even more critical. Rachel’s professors helped her practice interview scenarios and offered specific feedback on how to improve. Their encouragement gave her the confidence to move forward, even when learning felt overwhelming.

For Rachel, staying motivated wasn’t always easy—but her love for the Arabic language and her desire to connect with people kept her going. “From the first class I took, I didn’t understand it, but I just really loved the language,” she shares. “And especially after studying abroad, I realized how much I wanted to be able to talk to people and build real relationships.”

The more connections she made—with professors, classmates, and native Arabic speakers—the more driven she became to improve.

Rachel admits she started off as a bit of a perfectionist, often hesitant to speak for fear of making mistakes. But her experience learning Cambodian during her mission in Cambodia helped change that. “Eighteen months of making mistakes in a language really teaches you something,” she says.

She emphasizes that language learning involves two parts: mastering the language itself and learning how to learn a language. “There’s barely any overlap between Cambodian and Arabic linguistically,” Rachel explains, “but learning Cambodian gave me the skill set to approach Arabic with more confidence.”

When asked about her study strategies, Rachel advocates for a “balanced language diet.” She tells her students (she’s also a TA) that success in Arabic requires consistent practice in all areas: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and media exposure.

Rachel particularly enjoys reading Arabic and listening to Arab music. “I walk to campus with Arabic music playing in my headphones,” she says. She also watches shows in Arabic and tries to make her practice fun and personally meaningful. “The key is to find things you actually enjoy,” she says. “That way, you’ll want to keep doing them.”

Rachel’s preparation for the OPI began months before the actual test. After returning from Morocco, she focused heavily on vocabulary.

“You can’t do anything without words,” she explains. “Every day I wrote down new words from class, looked them up in the dictionary, and studied them. You can’t cram that—building vocabulary takes daily effort.”

She also worked closely with a professor from Morocco who is OPI-certified. With her help, Rachel practiced mock interviews and became familiar with the kinds of questions and expectations the test would include. This preparation was key to her confidence on test day.

A favorite tip from her professor stuck with her: “Train your weaknesses, raise your strengths.” For Rachel, that meant putting extra time into speaking and listening—areas she found most challenging. She made a habit of speaking up every day in class and chatting with friends in Arabic outside of class to strengthen her fluency.

Like many language learners, Rachel dealt with nerves leading up to the OPI. Two strategies helped her stay calm: simulating the test environment and changing her mental perspective.

Rachel practiced phone conversations with her professor to mimic the format of the OPI, which is conducted over the phone. This helped her adjust to not seeing facial cues or lip movements, which had been a source of anxiety.

She also reframed how she saw the interview. “Instead of thinking of the interviewer as a tester, I pictured them as just another kind Arabic speaker—like the ones I met in Morocco,” she says. “That made the experience feel more like a conversation and less like a test.

One of the most Arabic-specific challenges of the OPI is switching between dialect and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), depending on the topic. “If they ask about your family or studies, dialect is fine,” Rachel explains. “But if you’re role-playing something formal—like a presentation to university administration—you need to use MSA.”

She advises OPI takers to practice answering different types of questions ahead of time and to plan which register they’ll use. Understanding this distinction can make a big difference on the test.

Looking back on her language-learning journey, Rachel identifies three things that made the biggest impact: supportive mentors, a genuine love for the language, and small, daily efforts. “Even if you love the language, it’s easy to get discouraged,” she says. “There are days when you sit in class and feel totally lost. But having people who believe in you—that’s what helps you keep going.”

For those preparing for the OPI or simply trying to improve in Arabic, Rachel’s advice is clear: find joy in the process, lean on your support system, and never underestimate the power of daily practice.