AB Initio / GCSE

This course is designed for youth who have no prior knowledge of Arabic — a true ab initio for beginners experience. The course starts by introducing the Arabic writing system and script. Then it progresses to introduce daily life situations that students encounter at school. Through this course, students learn to communicate in Arabic quite well with their peers at this age group. By the end of this course, students should be able to communicate with a native speaker on a number of basic everyday life situations that teens are faced with. They will also gain a basic understanding of the fundamental structures of Modern Standard Arabic.

By the completion of Arabic Level 1, students will be able to:

• Initiate social interactions: ask and answer simple questions.
• Talk about themselves, name, and friends.
• Describe people, talk about how they look and feel.
• Exchange basic information with a stranger they meet.

This Arabic ab initio course covers the following knowledge areas:

• Personal & Family Life: greetings & introductions, physical descriptions, personality traits, feelings/emotions, family members, clothing, and colors.
  
• School Life: numbers, time, days of the week, months of the year, school & classes, school supplies, and extracurricular activities.
  
• Social Life: personal interests, sports, weekend activities, weather and seasons.
• Community Life: city places and activities, shopping, restaurants and food.

The following are the components of the evaluation criteria for the course:

• Online Activities 40%
• Writing Assignments 20%
• Tests 40%

This course is for students who have studied the equivalent of one year of Arabic at high school. It continues the language ab initio journey, revolving around daily life situations that high school students in the Middle East encounter. At the end of the course, students will be able to communicate with native speakers on various everyday life situations such as ordering food, discussing routines, giving directions, shopping, and asking for prices. They will develop a stronger grasp of the basic structures of Modern Standard Arabic.

By the completion of Arabic Level 2, students will be able to:

1. Initiate social interactions, ask for basic information, and be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world.
2. Talk about themselves, their hobbies, and their families with native speakers of Arabic.
3. Comprehend simple written texts on familiar topics.
4. Compose simple paragraphs about themselves.

This course covers the following topics:

• Student Life: Topics to be covered include classes, rooms of the school,  and school-related activities;
• Leisure Time: Topics to be covered include indoor activities, outdoor activities, outings, and shopping;
• Home Life: Topics to be covered include daily routines, rooms of the house, household chores, food, and grocery shopping; and
• Vacation & Travel: Topics to be covered include travel plans, country names, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, dining, and asking for/giving directions.

The following are the components of the evaluation criteria for the course:

• Online Activities 40%
• Writing Assignments 20%
• Tests 40%

This course is for students who have studied the equivalent of two years of Arabic at high school. As a continuation of the ab initio for beginners path, this course allows students to engage with more complex topics and develop stronger academic skills in Arabic. They’ll express themselves beyond daily life situations and discuss issues related to the world around them. Students will also be able to conduct academic discussions with confidence.

By the completion of Arabic Level 3, students will be able to:

1. Read and understand simplified texts that relate to issues that are of interest to Arabs as manifested in pop songs and poetry.
2. Expand their speech beyond the self to discuss social issues that affect the people around us such as emotion, social problems, etc.
3. Comprehend simple to more complex songs that revolve around familiar topics.
4. Comprehend simple audio/video texts on familiar topics.
5. Express their views in simple terms about issues that rotate around the self and the people around them

• Teen Culture: Topics to be covered include fashion/clothes, TV programs, and teen/extreme sports;
• Future Plans & Choices: Topics to be covered include professional careers/jobs, the workplace, education plans, and college courses; and
• Environment: Topics to be covered include nature, ecology, conservation, and eco-tourism.
• Current and Historic Events: Topics to be covered include the history behind national holidays, political student movements, current events, art, and music.

The following are the components of the evaluation criteria for the course:

• Online Activities 40%
• Writing Assignments 20%
• Tests 40%