Learn at a moderate pace with our Arabic Beginners short course. Starting in October, you will progress through three modules over a one-year period.
Whether learning Arabic for travelling, working abroad or with foreign companies, the Arabic Beginners 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 Beginners Arabic short course is an introduction to the language and way of life in Arabic speaking countries. Challenging but rewarding, the course is perfectly suited to those looking to develop a basic command of Arabic.
The course consists of one evening class a week, for a total of 30 weeks; spread across three modules, which is ideal for those with various commitments or working full-time.
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.
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 letters learnt and their associated sound.
You will learn about Arabic media, how to make polite requests and express likes and dislikes, receive an introduction to food and drink; and learn to describe daily activities. By the end of the course, you will have an understanding of the structure of Arabic and will be able to speak, read, write and understand simple Arabic sentences.
If you have no prior knowledge of Arabic you must start with Module One, which takes place in October term.
If you have some basic knowledge of Arabic and you are already familiar with the content of Module One you may choose to enrol on Module Two or Module Three. See the Eligibility section below for more details.
If you are a complete beginner but you have missed October enrolment for the Arabic Beginners course you can join our Arabic Beginners Fast Track course in January or the Arabic Beginners Summer Intensive course in May.
Please make sure you have the correct level by using our online guidelines.
“ Top tutor highly recommended ”
Bilal
Former student
Modules are taught at progressive levels, if you have no prior knowledge you must start at Module One in the autumn (October).
If you wish to join Module Two of the Arabic short course (in January), you must have completed Module One or be familiar with the content taught in Module One, specified in the What will I learn? section.
If you wish to enrol on Module Three of the short course (in April/May), you must have completed both Module One and Module Two or be familiar with the content taught in these two modules, found in the What will I learn? section.
Please check your level by using our online guidelines before enrolling.
You will need to respond to instructions and read course documents in English.
The emphasis of this Arabic short 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.
You will be encouraged to build your own Arabic Learning Portfolio (ALP). This will be discussed with your tutor.
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.
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
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.
