Type of course

The course can be taught in-person or online. At 'timetable & registration' you find an overview of our courses.

In a classroom course, the teacher and all students are present in the classroom. To be able to participate online, you are advised to use a headset with microphone.To check that everything is working properly, please use: Quick Tech Check.

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

Course description

For the Arabic 1+2 intensive 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, telling where you live and with whom, telling what you do, where you work or study, describing your room and city, shopping, ordering in a restaurant, talking about food. 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. You can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

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.

Course material

• Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1, (fourth edition, with audio and video ‘free-to-access’ online) Unit 1 - 7. ISBN 9781350367265
• Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book, Third Edition. Unit 1 - 7. ISBN 9781350370685.

The course book Mastering Arabic 1 used in this course 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 four courses. After the course Arabic 1 you will reach level A1.1 and after following Arabic 2 level A1.2 (A1). After Arabic 3 you will reach level 2.1 and after Arabic 4 level 2.2 (A2).

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

Target group and admission requirements

The course is intended for adults with a higher education, including both Leiden University students and staff members and other interested parties with no relation to the University. The course is open to persons aged 17 and older who have completed a secondary school education. Knowledge of the Arabic language is not required for enrolment in this course. It is a beginners course.

Other information

• The maximum number of participants for this course is 16.
• The course load is 112 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.