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Aimed at total beginners, our Arabic Fast Track course allows you to study Module One and Module Two of the Arabic Beginners course in just 10 weeks, starting in January.
Whether learning Arabic for travelling, working abroad or with foreign companies, the Arabic Beginners Fast Track course will enable you to communicate confidently on a basic level in everyday situations, socialise and not feel out of place when visiting Arabic-speaking countries.
This accelerated Arabic short course is an introduction to the Arabic language and way of life for the purpose of practical communication. Challenging but rewarding, the course is perfectly suited to those looking to develop a basic command of Arabic.
The course consists of two evening class a week, for a total of 10 weeks. During this time you will cover Module One and Module Two of the standard Arabic Beginners (Year 1) course. On completion of the course you can enrol on Module Three of the standard Arabic Beginners course in the summer term, if you choose to continue your learning.
All of our language short courses are taught by qualified native speakers and delivered at City, University of London’s main campus, in the heart of the capital.
Modern Standard Arabic is taught with reference to dialects. The Arabic script is introduced letter by letter with grouping depending on the shape of the shell. Listening and speaking exercises in the class reinforce the relationship between the letters learnt and their associated sound.
You will learn about Arabic media, how to make polite requests and express likes and dislikes and receive an introduction to food and drink; as well as describing daily activities.
By the end of this course, you will have an understanding of the structure of Arabic and they will be able to speak, read, write and listen to simple Arabic sentences.
The Arabic Beginners Fast Track short course is designed for complete beginners with no prior knowledge of the Arabic language.
If you are not a complete beginner and have some prior knowledge of Arabic, you may wish to join our Arabic Lower Intermediate course or join Module Two or Module Three of the Arabic Beginners course. You can check your level using our online guidelines.
“ Mr. El-Shareif was brilliant. We comfortably covered all that we had intended to. Given that I am studying Arabic for work related reasons, I found the course to be practical and I feel that I have a first step in a language that is completely unfamiliar to me - I can see a point where I will be fluent. ”
Anon
Former student
“ I would like to thank Mr. El-Shareif for his very practical and patient teaching. Arabic is an extraordinarily tough language to learn from scratch and so I am grateful that I have now acquired a strong understanding of the basics. ”
Anon
Former student
During the 20 evening classes of the Arabic Beginners Fast Track Short Course you will cover the following topics and grammatical structures.
The Arabic Beginners Fast Track short course is designed for complete beginners with no prior knowledge of the Arabic language.
The fast track course covers Module One and Module Two of the standard Arabic Beginners (Year 1) course. Once you have completed the fast track course you may choose to enrol on Module Three of the Arabic Beginners (Year 1) course in April/May to complete the full beginners syllabus.
If you are not a complete beginner and have some prior knowledge of Arabic, you may wish to join our Arabic Lower Intermediate course or join Module Two or Module Three of the Arabic Beginners course. You can check your level using our online guidelines.
You will need to respond to instructions and read course documents in English.
The emphasis in this Arabic Beginners Fast Track course is on listening and speaking. The lessons focus on language that is required in authentic situations.
Classroom activities will include:
Listening to audio clips and watching videos are an important element in our lessons. More comprehensive grammar exercises and reading texts are generally set as homework.
Your progress will be assessed on an on-going basis through homework and performance in class. You will receive verbal feedback from your lecturer when appropriate and written feedback with your homework. All evaluation will take place in a relaxed and informal setting.
There is no formal assessment and no qualification is issued at the end of the course, but you will be awarded an official City, University of London certificate on completion of the course. You must attend over 70 per cent of the classes to be eligible for the certificate.
Text book1-Ahlan wa Sahlan Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language
With Online Media Access the Online Interactive Exercises (Password inside the textbook)
By: Mahdi Alosh, Allen Clark
Text book2- Ahlan wa Sahlan : Functional Modern Standard Arabic for Beginners, Second Edition: With Online Media Access the Online Interactive Exercises (Password inside the textbook)
By: Mahdi Alosh , Revised by Allen Clark
Ahmed EI-Shareif
Ahmed EI-Shareif is a native Arabic speaker from Egypt. He obtained his Master of Arts in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language from SOAS, University of London. He also attended several workshops run by the Authors of Al-Kitaab in Texas University, USA and London.
Ahmed currently teaches Arabic at City (CASS & LGP Modules) and SOAS. He previously taught at Suffolk College, Westminster University, International House London and Kings College London.
Ahmed is an External Examiner for Pearson education, and Chartered Institute of Linguists. He also designs and runs training courses for the development of Arabic teachers abroad and in UK.
