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Arabic language course

You will focus on developing your four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) with attention to the cultural awareness of the Arab world in social, historical and political aspects.

Arabisch

You learn Modern Standard Arabic (the formal language used in newspapers, books, and official settings). You will get exposed to the dialects through the cultural context during each class. The course not only focuses on speaking and listening skills. Additional work on grammar, as well as reading and writing skills, will support you in the language-learning process. Your teacher is a native speaker and the group lesson will be conducted in Arabic as much as possible. Instructions will only be given in Dutch or English if it’s absolutely necessary. 

 Registration form
 Intake and registration
 Certificate and ECTS credits
 Courses

 Fast facts

  • English CEFR level B1 is a requirement
  • starts in February and September or for web-based starting date and schedule determined in consultation with coach
  • 14 sessions of 2 hours or for web-based 8 oral sessions of 30 minutes
  • groups of about 12-14 students or for web-based individual lessons
  • 4 hours preparation per lesson or for web-based ca. 10 hours independent study per lesson
  • Certificate upon completion of course requirements for each module

During these wonderful courses we were introduced to all the beautiful and mystical facets of the Arabic language and culture. The Arabic courses were an enriching journey into the Arabic world. I warmly recommend participating in these courses accompanied and guided by the teacher's infinite optimism and sense of humor.

Marie-Louise Jansen | Master student at the faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University.

Improve your Arabic

For available course dates and times, please refer to the registration form. The registration form lists all currently available groups.

Costs

  • UM students: € 475 per module
  • UM staff and alumni: € 475 per module
  • All other participants: € 605 per module


Costs are exclusive course materials.

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Registration form

Intake test and registration

If you have no prior knowledge of Arabic, you can simply register for Arabic A1 by using our registration form. After registering, you will receive a confirmation.

If you would like to take any of the other levels, you must first successfully complete the previous level, or demonstrate a comparable level of Arabic.

If you already have some knowledge of the language and would like to join a non-beginners group then please schedule an online intake. Find more information about making an appointment for an intake here. The appointment will take place at the Maastricht University Language Centre or online.

Book an intake well before the course is scheduled to begin. This process will make it easier to make the appointment, and more likely that there will still be an available spot in the module that’s right for you.

I expected to feel a bit uncomfortable at first, especially with the online education and it being a language I have no previous experience with. My teacher made me feel very comfortable right away and encouraged everybody to get the most out of ourselves. This made the classes very enjoyable.

Yorick Zuidema - Student at FASoS Global Studies

Certificate and ECTS credits

After successfully completing a course, you will receive a certificate. To be eligible for a certificate, you must attend at least 12 of the 14 lessons or for web-based all 8 sessions, be present at the final exam and have satisfactory results. One course is worth 3 ECTS credits. Whether these credits are acknowledged depends on your faculty. Please consult with your faculty / home university if these credits will be accepted as part of your programme.

Reference levels according to the CEFR:

  • Beginner: Arabic A1
  • Elementary: Arabic A2
  • Elementary: Arabic B1minus
  • Intermediate: Arabic B1plus

  • Advanced: Arabic B2

     

Arabic A1 (AR-A1)

Arabic A2 (AR-A2)

Arabic A2 is for people with basic knowledge of Arabic and for people who have completed Arabic A1. An intake is necessary when you have not followed course 1. In this course, you will increase your vocabulary and broaden your understanding of Arabic grammar. Once you have completed this module, you will be able to:

  • conduct simple discussions in the past and present about daily activities such as work, study, pastime, shopping, travel and health;
  • talk about nationalities and geography;
  • express what you have and miss;
  • indicate your favourite food and construct preferences in general;
  • use numbers and talk about quantities;
  • place orders in shops and talk about food and drink items;
  • use plural forms and colours;
  • Arabic expressions.

 

Course materials:

  • Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1 (third edition, with audio and video ‘free-to-access’ online), ISBN  9781137380449.
  • Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book, Second Edition, ISBN 9780781813396 or ISBN 9781137372260.  The course material is not included in the course fee

 

Certificate A2: Upon completion of the course requirements, you will receive a participation certificate by mail.

Date: starting date and schedule are determined in consultation with the teacher, after online registration.

Arabic B1minus (AR-B1-) (web-based AR-B1-)

Arabic B1minus is for people who have completed at least two Arabic courses and who are able to express themselves in most common, everyday situations. An intake is necessary when you have not followed Arabic A2. Once you have completed this module, you will be able to:

  • deal with most of the situations that may arise during conversations with native speakers
  • produce text on topics of familiar or personal interest
  • describe experiences and events, dreams, expectations, and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans
  • describe places and situations; talk about the weather
  • talk about future events and projects and give advice
  • express yourself in all kinds of areas, for example when it comes to taste, preferences, colours, shapes, sizes, clothing, art (objects), different media, and the educational system
  • apply various forms of negations to generate conversations easily
  • Arabic expression
  • one-on-one, so a lot of personal attention

 

Course material:

  • Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1 (third edition, with audio and video ‘free-to-access’ online), ISBN  9781137380449.
  • Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book, Second Edition, ISBN 9780781813396 or ISBN 9781137372260.  The course material is not included in the course fee

 

Certificate B1minus: Upon completion of the course requirements, you will receive a participation certificate by mail.

Date:  starting date and schedule are determined in consultation with the teacher, after online registration

Arabic B1plus (AR- B1+) (web-based AR-B1+)

Arabic B1plus is for people who have completed at least three Arabic courses and who are able to express themselves in most common, everyday situations. An intake is necessary when you have not followed Arabic B1minus. Once you have completed this module, you will be able to:

  • Understand and discuss the important points in familiar topics
  • Understand the main ideas of texts such as Aljazeera and BBC Arabic, whether they deal with tangible or abstract topics, including discussions on the subject
  • Communicate with a degree of spontaneity and fluency that makes the interaction with native speakers mutually beneficial
  • Produce detailed texts on a wide range of topics, explaining your point of view and discussing the pros and cons of the topic under discussion
  • Generate conversations about different experiences, education, travel and tourism
  • Ask for and give advice
  • Argue, give reasons, and defend your opinions
  • one-on-one, so a lot of personal attention

 

Course material:

  • Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 2 (second edition, with audio and video ‘free-to-access’ online), ISBN  9781352008500
  • Wightwick, J. en Mahmoud Gaafar, Mastering Arabic 2 Activity Book, Second Edition,  ISBN  9781352008845. The course material is not included in the course fee

 

Certificate B1plus: Upon completion of the course requirements, you will receive a participation certificate by mail.

Date:  starting date and schedule are determined in consultation with the teacher, after online registration

Arabic B2 (AR-B2) (web-based AR-B2)

This course is for people with a fairly high level of Arabic. Meaning you are able to make yourself understood in common everyday situations even though you might not have all the necessary vocabulary. In this module, you will improve your ability to debate and present certain topics and you will learn to:

  • improve your speaking skills and practice real-life Arabic
  • summarise and paraphrase information
  • report what others have said
  • understand the main ideas behind a complex text, TV programs (articulated at normal speed), and newspaper articles
  • produce and explain the viewpoint about the advantages and disadvantages of different topical issues
  • communicate and interact with a great extent of spontaneity with native speakers
  • apply a wide range and variety of linguistic resources to develop debatable and argumentative conversations
  • one-on-one, so a lot of personal attention

 

The course material is compiled by the teacher, and it contains excerpts from novels, literary texts, TV films & programs, and real newspaper articles. Moreover, there will be more audio transcripts and recordings available to help the students.

 

Certificate B2: Upon completion of the course requirements, you will receive a participation certificate by mail.

Date:  starting date and schedule are determined in consultation with the teacher, after online registration

Courses