Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Dates: 3 September '24 | 5 September '24 | 10 September '24 | 12 September '24 | 17 September '24 | 19 September '24 | 24 September '24 | 26 September '24

Duration: 4 Weeks (2 sessions per week, 2 hours each)

Objective: To provide beginners with a foundational understanding of Levantine Arabic, specifically Syrian dialect, including the alphabet, basic vocabulary, grammar, and conversational skills, along with cultural context. By the end of this course, students will be able to engage in basic conversations, understand simple texts, and gain insight into Levantine culture.

Course Structure

16 hours of live learning over 8 sessions

Week 1: Introduction and Basics

Session 1: The Arabic Alphabet and Basic Sounds

• Overview: Introduction to Levantine Arabic and the Arabic alphabet.
• Topics Covered:
  • Introduction to the Levantine Arabic dialect.
  • Arabic alphabet: pronunciation and writing.
  • Basic vowel sounds.
  • Common greetings and introductions.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Alphabet Writing Practice: Write each letter of the Arabic alphabet multiple times.
  • Pronunciation Drills: Repeat after the instructor to practice each letter and common vowel sounds.
  • Role-Playing: Practice basic greetings and introductions with a partner (e.g., Hello, How are you? My name is…, Nice to meet you).
  • Listening Exercise: Listen to audio clips of native speakers pronouncing the alphabet and greetings, then mimic their pronunciation.

Session 2: Numbers and Simple Sentences

• Overview: Learning numbers and constructing simple sentences.
• Topics Covered:
  • Numbers 1-20 in Arabic.
  • Basic sentence structure (Subject-Verb-Object).
  • Introduction to common verbs and nouns.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Number Pronunciation Drills: Repeat numbers after the instructor.
  • Writing Numbers: Write numbers 1-20 in Arabic multiple times.
  • Sentence Formation Exercises: Create simple sentences using provided verbs and nouns.
  • Speaking Exercise: Practice forming and using sentences with a partner.

Week 2: Everyday Conversations

Session 3: Asking Questions and Basic Grammar

• Overview: Forming questions and understanding basic grammar.
• Topics Covered:
  • Question words (What, Where, When, Who, Why, How).
  • Common verbs in the present tense.
  • Singular and plural nouns.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Question Formation Practice: Write and ask questions using question words.
  • Role-Playing Q&A: Practice simple Q&A scenarios with a partner.
  • Noun Matching Exercises: Match singular nouns with their plural forms.
  • Sentence Conversion: Write sentences and convert them from singular to plural.
  • Listening Exercise: Listen to dialogues that include questions and identify the question words used.

Session 4: Family and Descriptions

• Overview: Talking about family and describing people.
• Topics Covered:
  • Vocabulary for family members (mother, father, brother, sister etc).
  • Adjectives for descriptions (tall, short, kind, smart).
  • Possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her).
• Activities and Drills:
  • Family Descriptions: Write and speak about family members using descriptive adjectives.
  • Adjective-Noun Pairing: Pair adjectives with nouns in descriptive sentences.
  • Family Tree Creation: Create and present a family tree in Arabic.
  • Listening Exercise: Listen to descriptions of people and identify the adjectives used.
  • Speaking Exercise: Describe family members and friends to a partner.

Week 3: Daily Life

Session 5: Daily Activities and Routines

• Overview: Discussing daily activities and routines.
• Topics Covered:
  • Vocabulary for daily routines (wake up, eat, work, study, sleep).
  • Time expressions (morning, afternoon, evening, night).
  • Using present tense verbs in daily activities.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Daily Routine Diary: Write a diary entry describing your daily routine.
  • Time-Based Activities: Match activities to specific times of day.
  • Role-Playing: Practice conversations about daily routines with a partner.
  • Schedule Creation: Create a daily schedule and discuss it with classmates.
  • Listening Exercise: Listen to descriptions of daily routines and identify key activities and times.

Session 6: Food and Shopping

• Overview: Conversing about food and shopping experiences.
• Topics Covered:
  • Vocabulary for food items (fruits, vegetables, meals).
  • Common shopping phrases (How much is this?, I want to buy…, Where can I find…).
  • Currency and bargaining expressions.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Grocery List Creation: Write a grocery list in Arabic and discuss it.
  • Role-Playing Shopping Scenarios: Practice shopping dialogues with a partner.
  • Currency Practice: Use mock currency to practice shopping and bargaining dialogues.
  • Cultural Insights Discussion: Watch videos or read articles about Levantine cuisine and discuss them.
  • Listening Exercise: Listen to shopping dialogues and identify key phrases and vocabulary.

Week 4: Enhancing Fluency and Cultural Context

Session 7: Travel and Transportation

• Overview: Talking about travel plans and  forms of transport.
• Topics Covered:
  • Vocabulary for travel (airport, bus, taxi, ticket).
  • Expressions for making travel arrangements (booking, schedule, delay).
  • Asking for and giving travel information.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Travel Itinerary Creation: Write and discuss a travel itinerary.
  • Role-Playing Travel Scenarios: Practice booking a ticket or asking for directions with a partner.
  • Listening Exercise: Listen to travel announcements and dialogues, then answer questions about them.
  • Dialogue Writing: Write travel-related dialogues and practice with partners.
  • Map Exercise: Use a map to give and follow directions in Arabic.

Session 8: Cultural Insights and Wrap-up

• Overview: Understanding cultural context and reviewing course content.
• Topics Covered:
  • Key cultural norms and traditions in Levantine countries.
  • Comprehensive review of all topics covered.
  • Conversational practice to consolidate learning.
• Activities and Drills:
  • Group Discussion: Revision session to go over what has been covered during the course and the students are asked to write a paragraph to include what has been learned in the previous session
  • Review Games and Quizzes: Participate in games and quizzes to reinforce learning.
  • Final Conversation Practice: Engage in conversations covering all topics learned.
  • Feedback Session: Receive and give feedback on language skills and course experience.

Materials – All materials are provided

• Course reading materials.
• Access to audio and video resources for listening exercises.
• Printable e-worksheets and exercises for writing practice, students are encouraged to print them to practice if able
• Online resources for additional practice and exploration.