Since its establishment in 1982, the Arabic School at Middlebury has evolved to become the primary destination on the North American continent for students who wish to learn and live the Arabic language and culture in a relatively short period of time. At Middlebury, one can learn more Arabic in less time than in almost any other environment. The school has also played a key role in shaping the course of Arabic language teaching in the United States and abroad. The Al-Kitaab textbook series which was developed and produced at the School is now the most widely used Arabic language textbook series in universities in the United States and abroad.