Type of course

The course can be taught in-person or online. Go to ‘Timetable & Registration' to see whether the course is offered as a traditional classroom and/or online course.

It is not possible to switch between courses once the course has started.

Course description

For the Arabic 1 course no prior knowledge of the language is required. In this course you will learn Modern Standard Arabic. This is the variant of Arabic that is used in newspapers and books and on radio and television. The course starts with a number of lessons about the Arabic script. In this course the topics covered include: greeting, introducing yourself, introducing your family, telling where you live and with whom, telling what you do, where you work or study. The necessary grammar is explained and ample attention is paid to vocabulary. All skills are covered: speaking, writing, reading and listening. Attention is also paid to the cultural context of the countries in which the language is spoken.

After completing this course, you will be able to understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. You can introduce yourself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details.

The course makes use of the digital learning environment BrightSpace. Within this learning environment you will find the homework and additional learning materials. Course participants are expected to prepare the lessons at home (approximately three hours per lesson).

The course is concluded with a test. A certificate is awarded if the test is completed successfully and the participant has attended 80% of the lessons. If you will be absent for more lessons, please contact your teacher or talencentrum@hum.leidenuniv.nl.

Course material

• Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1, (fourth edition, with audio and video ‘free-to-access’ online) Unit 1 - 4. ISBN 9781350367265
• Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book, Third Edition. Unit 1 - 4. ISBN 9781350370685.

The course book Mastering Arabic 1 consists of 20 chapters and corresponds to 2 complete levels of the CEFR/ERK. The aim of this book is to guide you to level A2. The content is divided into multiple courses. For Arabic 1, chapters 1 to 4 are covered, including the alphabet shown on page 66 in Lesson 8.

The course material is not included in the registration fee. Course participants are required to purchase course materials themselves; well in advance.

Target group and admission requirements

The course is intended for adults with a higher education diploma, including both students and staff members of Leiden University, as well as interested parties who have no connection to Leiden University. The course is open to any person aged 17 or older with a completed secondary school education. 

There are no entry requirements with respect to knowledge of Arabic. A basic knowledge of English is required.

Other information

• The maximum number of participants for an online course is 16 and for a classroom course is 18.
• The course load is 56 hours. On request a Course load declaration form can be issued. The student should enquire with their department whether course participation can be converted into credits.
• The holiday periods can be found in the Academic Language Centre's academic calendar.
• If classes are cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, they will be added on to the end of the course. Please take into account courses may end later than scheduled.
• The course level is indicated with the help of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.