Learn Arabic
General Information
The linguistic situation in the Arab world is unique. The spoken and written languages are not only quite different from one another, but the spoken language also varies widely from one region to another. The literary language (Modern Standard Arabic or al-fuSHaa) is uniform across the Arabic speaking world from Morocco in the West to the borders of Iran in the east, and from Lebanon in the North to the Sudan in the South. However, the spoken language changes from country to country, and even from city to city. At the Washington Academy of Languages, courses are designed to teach a form of Arabic called Formal Spoken Arabic (also known as "Educated Spoken Arabic," "Inter-Arabic," and "Middle Arabic"), which represents a blend of the major urban colloquial forms. The writing system is also introduced, although in the beginning, the bulk of the written material will be presented in transcription.
Textbook for level 1: Al-Batal, Mahmoud et al., Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, 3rd ed. (with DVDs). Washington DC: Georgetown University Press, 2011.
Textbook for levels 2-6: Al-Batal, Mahmoud et al., Al-Kitaab: Part I, 3rd ed. (with DVDs). Washington D.C.; Georgetown University Press, 2011.
Please note, textbooks are not available to purchase from WAL.
ARAB 2501 (Arabic I)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
By the end of the five-week session, students will be able to carry on simple conversations in Arabic in situations such as introducing oneself, taking a bus or taxi, asking for help, going to the market or a restaurant and being in public in general. Some regional and dialectical differences will be introduced. Although the emphasis will be on expression and comprehension, basic grammar will be covered and will serve as a solid foundation for further study of Arabic. The writing system will be introduced and, by the end of the session, the student will be able to read and write basic literary Arabic. At the end of this course, students will be able to write basic literary Arabic. Cultural notes are introduced in each class as well.
This course may be taken for 4 university quarter credits.
ARAB 2502 (Arabic II)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Arabic I or instructor's permission
This course begins with a review of all the material taught in Arabic I. An emphasis on conversational fluency is continued in this level. Conversational situations include general topics from Arabic I, as well as speaking about family and friends, current events, and various cultural topics. An increasing amount of time will be spent on the written language and grammar. Vocabulary development is continued as well. By the end of the five-week session, students will be able to communicate more efficiently with native speakers and will be able to write simple sentences that relate to the conversational material learned in this level.
Chapters: 1-3
This course may be taken for 4 university quarter credits.
ARAB 2503 (Arabic III)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Arabic II or instructor's permission
This course begins with a review of basic grammar and questions as well as of vocabulary related to the family, work and education. Participants extensively practice communicating using verb forms (tense, aspect, gender and number), adverbs and negation. Topics of education, work, travel, weather and pastimes are explored in reading and conversation as are some historical contexts for the Arabic-speaking world. Both role play and conversation are used to build comfort in expressing ideas and practicing pronunciation.
Chapters: 4 - 6
This course may be taken for 4 university quarter credits.
ARAB 2504 (Arabic IV)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Arabic III or instructor’s permission
In this course, participants master the basics of the language and are able to communicate in spoken and written forms in most essential daily situations. By the end of the term, students will be able to converse about the weather, travel, family, time and money in culturally appropriate ways. Listening, reading and writing about these topics are also part of the program. Participants will also be able to relate personal experiences in the present or the past, order a meal, and learn to use an Arabic language dictionary at a basic level. A variety of activities such as role plays, pair work and presentations will allow participants to gain practical experience in using the language with increasing facility.
Chapters: 6 – 9
This course may be taken for 4 university quarter credits.
ARAB 2505 (Arabic V)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Arabic IV or instructor's permission
Arabic V integrates reading, writing, listening, grammar, vocabulary and conversation. Students will strengthen their reading comprehension skills, expand their vocabulary, refine and expand their knowledge of sentence construction and the Arabic verb system, and broaden their knowledge of Arabic culture. They will enhance their ability to communicate verbally and in writing about a variety of topics. They will deal with topics such as family and friends, home, life decisions, and living in America. Students will tackle syntactic structures and vocabulary that will enable them to speak and write complex sentences related to the themes mentioned above. By the end of this course, students will be able to speak, read and write about a variety of authentic real life situations.
Chapters 10 - 13
This course may be taken for 4 university quarter credits.
ARAB 2506 (Arabic VI)
30 hours of instruction/5 weeks
Prerequisite: Completion of Arabic V or instructor's permission
Arabic VI continues to integrate all skills and to emphasize daily life issues. It also addresses abstract issues related to religion--Christianity and Islam--and it introduces the students to the world of modern Arabic poetry. It emphasizes fluency and proficiency and the ability to approach themes with a critical and analytical mind through the use of different language functions such as the expression of opinion, agreement and disagreement.
Chapters 14 - 17
This course may be taken for 4 university quarter credits.
Audio CDs are available to enrolled students for a refundable deposit.