Learn to read, write and speak Arabic – ideal for total beginners. Progress over three terms with this dynamic and enjoyable evening course.
6 starting dates
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Starting date: Module 1 of 6
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £249
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
- 10 places leftBook now for 6th October start
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Starting date: Module 2 of 6
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £249
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
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Starting date: Module 3 of 6
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £249
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
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Starting date: Module 4 of 6
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £249
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
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Starting date: Module 5 of 6
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £249
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
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Starting date: Module 6 of 6
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Time: to
- Fees: £249
- Occurs: Tuesday
- Location: Online
- Booking deadline:
Want to find out more?
Arabic Beginners - Level 1 Course overview
Arabic is one of today’s most relevant languages – and not as difficult to learn as you may think.
The course covers everything from the alphabet to grammatical structures, greetings to describing objects. We’ll introduce the Arabic script, letter by letter, to learn its unique sounds and develop listening and speaking skills.
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you’ll learn how to make polite requests and express likes and dislikes. We’ll also spend time exploring Arabic media and culture.
By the end of the course, you’ll understand the structure of Arabic and feel confident translating simple sentences, communicating at CEFR A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages.
Who is it for?
We’ve designed this course for complete beginners, so don’t worry if you’ve never attempted Arabic before.
Find out more about our Arabic courses
Timetable
The full beginners course includes 72 hours of online learning and is taught across six modules.
Benefits
- Delivered by a qualified and native Arabic speaker
- Interactive and varied learning techniques
- Awarded a City St George’s, University of London certificate.
What will I learn?
We’ve designed this course to help you to speak, read, write and listen to simple Arabic sentences. By the end of the course you will be amining to communicate at CEFR A1 level.
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- Discuss a wide range of social, cultural and current topics in detail
- Present and defend viewpoints using appropriate supporting arguments
- Understand extended speech, interviews and authentic audio-visual material
- Read and respond critically to articles, reports and literary extracts
- Write clear, detailed and well-structured texts using an increasingly varied style
Grammatical structures
- Advanced verb patterns, meanings and usage
- Complex clauses using relative, conditional and subordinate structures
- Participles, verbal nouns and more advanced nominal structures
- Advanced connectors for cause, contrast, result and argument
- Style, register and grammatical choices in formal and informal Arabic
Assessment and certificates
You will receive a Certificate of Completion from City St George’s, University of London, along with a digital badge for your LinkedIn profile.
To qualify, you must attend at least 70% of classes.
Teaching
Classes are highly interactive and include:
- Small group work and role-play
- Listening to audio materials (e.g. radio clips)
- Reading articles and texts
- Watching video content
- Digital learning tools to support your progress
You’ll also explore Arabic culture, current affairs and traditions alongside language learning.
Eligibility
This course is aimed as those who are completely new to Arabic.
If you have a little experience, or you are willing to do some self study to catch up, you can join us on one of the later modules.
Please do reach out to our team if you’re not sure which level is right for you.
Additional requirements
To enrol onto the Beginners Arabic course, you must:
- be age 18 or over
- have basic IT skills and a reliable internet connection to access lessons and course materials.
English requirements
You will need a good level of spoken and written English to enrol on this course.
Tutor
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Ahmed EI-Shareif (online classes)
Ahmed El-Shareif is a native Arabic speaker from Egypt with extensive experience teaching Arabic online and in higher education. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and holds two master’s degrees:
- MA in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language, SOAS, University of London (2012). Dissertation: “The Effect of Metacognitive Instruction on the Listening Ability of Arabic as a Foreign Language Students.”
- MA in Academic Practice (2023). Project: “Exploring Levels and Types of Engagement with Open Education Practice and Open Educational Resources among Teachers of Arabic as a Second Language in Higher Educational Institutions in the United Kingdom.”
He has attended multiple professional workshops led by the authors of different Arabic textbooks at the University of Texas (USA), as well as sessions in Spain and London.
Teaching experience (current & previous): - Currently teaches Arabic online at City, University of London (Bayes Business School modules and all evening programmes, Years 1–3) and SOAS.
- Previous roles at Suffolk College, University of Westminster, International House London, and King’s College London.
Assessment & training: - Certified External Examiner for Pearson and the Chartered Institute of Linguists.
- Designs and runs teacher‑training courses for Arabic instructors in the UK and abroad.
Ahmed studied Classics (Latin and Greek), speaks Modern Greek, and knows Italian and Japanese.
