Means of Communication

Mail

Students should have all mail sent to them through the Language Center at the address below:

University of Jordan
Language Center
Middlebury School/Dr. Kerstin Wilsch
[Your name]
Amman, Jubeiha 11942
Jordan

الجامعة الأردنية
مركز اللغات
برنامج مدلبري\الدكتورة كيرستن ويلٔش
[أسمك]
عمّان، الجبيهة  11942
الأردن

Some international mail never arrives, or doesn’t arrive until after the end of the program!  We do not advise having packages sent from abroad unless it is urgent (in which case, we recommend using Aramex, DHL, UPS, or FedEx, rather than standard mail). Packages and mail should not be sent to arrive before you have arrived in-country. Note that you might have to pay customs for certain products.

If you are sending mail from Jordan, service will be expedited if you write the country name in Arabic.  Stamps can be purchased at post offices (including the post office on campus), hotel shops, and postcard stands.  Post offices are generally open daily, except Friday, from 8am-5pm.

Email and Social Media

All program students are required to use their Middlebury email account; all program emails will be sent to this address. (You can have incoming emails forwarded to your usual email address.)  Wifi access is available at the Middlebury “Janoura” office, on parts of campus, and at homestays. You should be able to access your home school account via a browser-based email service, and this is a good way to ensure you receive important information from your home campus. You may choose to purchase additional internet service, which onsite staff can help you procure.

Past students have reported that, unsurprisingly, the less time they spend online while abroad, the more they learn about the Arabic language and the country in general.  Accordingly, it would be wise to minimize your time on Instagram or other platforms, or consider unfollowing/muting a lot of the accounts you follow that post in English and following Jordanian/Arabic accounts instead. It is also worth noting that there has been a “temporary” ban on tiktok in Jordan since December 2022.

VOIP – Voice Over Internet Protocol

Students usually use Skype, Facetime, or similar social media apps to keep in touch with family.

WhatsApp is a messaging app used around the world and will probably be your primary means of communicating with your host families, local friends, teachers, and program staff. Unfortunately, WhatsApp audio and video calls do not work in Jordan, so you’ll just be able to text and send voice messages.

Phones

All students of the Middlebury School in Jordan are required to have a functional Jordanian mobile number. You can either bring an unlocked phone from the States and change your SIM, or purchase a cheap smartphone once you are there (roughly $110 for an older model phone). Please note that international plans with a US number are not an acceptable means of fulfilling this requirement, and that you must have a Jordanian SIM.

During orientation, you will have a chance to purchase cell phones and a SIM card with a pre-paid plan, around $20 for the first month then you pay $13 each of the following months. A few tips for using phones in Amman:

  • Basic cell phones (not smart phones) are inexpensive in Amman.
  • Phone owners buy pre-paid plans that include free minutes, sms and data (around 18 GB). You can also get a basic pay-as-you-talk plan.
  • The three phone companies are Zain, Umniah, and Orange, however, we suggest that you buy a SIM card from Zain since most people (including the program administration) use this company and it will be cheaper to communicate with other Zain users.
  • Cell phones may be used to call the U.S., but this is very expensive.
  • You should always keep additional credit for pre-paid minutes in your wallet, in case you run out of minutes and need to make an emergency call.

The telephone at the Middlebury office in Amman is for the use of the staff only. Students may not receive telephone calls through this office, except in cases of emergency.

The country code for Jordan is 00962.

Fax/Copy/Scan

The School in Jordan’s photocopier is for office use only. Any photocopying required for coursework is the responsibility of the student, and the school photocopier cannot be used for such purpose.  There are numerous shops outside the university opposite the North Gate and in the Janoura building with photocopying services, and students have access to limited free printing on campus. Faxes can be sent through any of the many public fax services. For scanning official documents, you can use the scanner at the office.