Sydney Community College

Arabic Level 1

Learn the language of the ancient and rich cultures of the Arabic world.

Expand your horizons, enrich your life and understand some of the cultures around you.

• Discover how the language of Arabic works
• Learn the foundations of Arabic – solid foundations make it easier to build later
• No prior knowledge of Arabic is assumed

This level will offer you a basic language framework to operate within. After completion of Level 1 you are ready to study in Level 2.

Agenda

During this course the intention is that most of the following topics will be covered, however not necessarily in the order given. Due to the variable nature of Adult Education classes, parts of the curriculum may be adapted to suit the needs of the class.

This course is structured to be a 16 week course running over two terms. Therefore, after the first 8 weeks, you will have a 4 week break where your tutor will give you an assignment to complete before you return for the remaining 8 weeks.

Term One:
Weeks 1–8:

• Alphabet/characters – identification and pronunciation (vowels, consonants, tones in words and structures)
• Greetings (meeting people) – introducing and describing yourself and others
• Asking and responding – your and someone’s name, country of origin, your well being (for example: ‘How are you?’; ‘Where are you from?’; ‘What’s your name?’)
• Using basic communicative expressions in formal and familiar forms
• Small talk – idioms
• Time – time of the day, days of the week, months, birthdays.
• Numbers – telephone number, address, money, age.
• Commuting – basic directions (for example: ‘Where is the train station/hotel?’)
• Cultural perspective – geography, demography and social customs
• Practice – some language learning/study strategies

Term Two:
Weeks 9–16:

• Greetings and describing yourself and others, professions, finding out more about somebody
• Shopping – basic questions like ‘How much does something cost?’, basic vocabulary, colours, quantities, complaints
• Directions, interrogatives – accommodation, getting to places, booking a room
• Likes and dislikes, hobbies and activities, negatives, agreeing and disagreeing, personal opinions
• Social life, daily activities/routines, family and friends
• Grammar practice, pronouns, possessives, demonstratives, present and past time relations, singular and plural
• Practice – dialogues in formal and informal context – role plays, strategies for language learning, reading text.

Note:

• In each session there will be great emphasis given to pronunciation (in groups and pairs), which will enhance one’s fluency for communicating in Arabic.
• Additional materials may be used in the classroom (music, video, etc.) where available and where suitable for the needs of the class.

Objectives

The intended Learning Outcomes for this course are as follows.

By the end of the first half of the course the students will:

• Be able to identify the alphabet/characters and basic sounds/tones
• Be able to pronounce competently some vocabulary, expressions, intonations, pronunciations
• Be able to communicate using basic sentences, interrogatives and requests
• Have some basic grammatical concepts – nouns, adjectives and verbs, sentence structure
• Have some reading and writing skills
• Be able to appreciate the Arabic culture
• Have confidence in using basic forms of Arabic

By the end of the second half of the course the students will:

• Be able to identify and read confidently the writing (alphabet, script, characters)
• Be able to talk about one’s self, a friend, things and events
• Be able to converse using negatives and questions
• Be able to exchange information in a variety of familiar situations
• Have better fluency in conversation
• Have a more extensive vocabulary content
• Be able to gain better learning skills and strategies for language acquisition
• Be able to improve understanding of Arabic
• Have a better knowledge of the country, its culture and customs

Other Information

Text: Modern Arabic: TBA by your tutor in session 1

All books can be obtained from Abbeys Bookstore in York St in the City, where Sydney Community College students can get 10% discount.

UEC is located on Level 11, 222 Pitt Street. It is located on the top 3 floors of a modern building which is located right in the centre of Sydney city and across the road from the famous Hilton Hotel.

PLS NOTE: All classes need a minimum number of students to go ahead. If your course does not have enough students it will be cancelled and you will be informed. ***Please be aware that you may be informed of a cancellation &/or change via SMS or E-mail.