About the field of Near Eastern / Middle Eastern Studies : Studying another culture can be a complicated undertaking, but many people start with the language and literature of that culture. If you can speak a language, you can communicate with others who speak that language and thus learn far more than a book or a lecture can ever tell you. Similarly, learning the literature of another culture enables you to hear the stories of that people in their own words. Language studies can cover anything from basic vocabulary to advanced linguistics , while literature can touch on the range of issues facing a particular society. Many people pursuing Near Eastern studies will choose to travel to the Middle East in order to immerse themselves in the language and culture. For those interested in studying other languages and cultures, there are a variety of other related fields including: African Studies , Asian Studies , French Studies , German Studies , Italian Studies , Portuguese Studies , Russian and Slavic Studies , and Spanish Studies . Middle Eastern studies may also encompass a range of other issues related to that region's culture including: history , politics , philosophy , art , religion , and Jewish studies .