Enrolment for the upcoming February & March 2025 courses is now possible.
We need a minimum of 4 enrolments to start a course. Please submit an online inquiry on the webpage & note down your availability, days & times we will keep you updated
For students have previously studied Arabic & wish to continue their studies,it is possible to join any of the currently running courses,any week and pay pro-rata for he remaining weeks of the course.Please submit an online inquiry on the webpage & we will email you a Student Needs Analysis Questionnaire to complete and our tutor will advise you regarding a suitable course.
You can also email mary.zerbe@sandfordlanguages.ie
We also offer private and group-private tuition (click on tabs on our homepage to see rates)
The Sandford Language Institute has been running courses in Arabic since 1989. Mariana our excellent tutor, is a native Arabic speaker, she is a qualified teacher and highly experienced tutor, teaching the communicative use of the language and making it as relevant as possible to every day situations, in addition to teaching all of the main language skills of Speaking.Reading, Writing,Listening Comprehension and Use of language (Grammar)
Arabic level descriptions
Arabic Level Beginners 1 (complete beginners) It is a course for complete beginners, for students who have no previous knowledge of the Arabic script or/and the Modern Standard Arabic. Each session covers everyday conversation topics, learning the alphabet, reading and basic grammar. We follow the Mastering Arabic book 1 and Activity book, this course covers chapters (1-6) a test could be done on request. A- Topics of conversation: - Arabic greetings - Introducing ourselves and family members -Meeting someone for the first time -Discussing jobs -Describing the place we live in and the work place -Basic conversation in a shop -Basic conversation in a restaurant -Learning common Arabic expressions for different situations B- Writing and reading: The students learn the Arabic Alphabet (letters, vowels, signs), how to read and write. We recommend the Gateway to Arabic 1 book to practice writing. C- Grammar: This course covers the very basics in Arabic Grammar: -Nominal sentences in the Nominative case - Demonstratives (singular, masculine, feminine) -Masculine and feminine nouns -Adjectives (masculine/feminine) -Personal pronouns -The attached possessive pronouns (singular) -Sound masculine plural -Sound feminine plural -Definite/indefinite -Introduction to the 3 Arabic grammatical cases: 1- Nominative 2- Accusative 3- Genitive -Writing basic sentences
Arabic Level Beginners 2 This course is for students who have already completed Level 1 or have a basic knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic. The book used is Mastering Arabic 1 (Chapters 7- 12) along with its activity book. Gateway to Arabic 2 is used also. Each lesson is divided into 3 parts: -Conversation -Grammar -Themes (Comprehension, Listening Material, New Vocabulary etc.) 1- Conversation: Students practice: -Having everyday conversations in various situations (work, college, etc..) -Describing their city or any city they visited using adjectives. -Detailed conversation in an Arabic Souk, exploring the vocabulary of the Arabic. markets, discussing prices and learning common Arabic expressions. -Detailed conversation in a vegetable and fruit market ( ie. practicing the names of fruits and vegetables, the weighing system etc.) -Conversation in a grocery shop (asking for items, questioning the price). 2-Grammar - Nominal sentences in the negative form -“Idafa” construction (to express possession) - Group words -“Nisba” adjectives -Numbers (1-10) and their rules -The dual of nouns -Plural of foreign words -The use of the Accusative case - Expressing verb “to have” in the present -Plural attached pronouns -Broken plurals, patterns 1 and 2 -The basic colours and their feminine -The past tense of regular verbs -Learning the root of words 3- Themes and vocabulary (chapters 7-12) -The city: description of a city using the connectors of space and adjectives -Countries, capitals, nationalities and people with focus on Arabic countries and cities -The vegetable and fruit market -The Souk and its items: typical Arabic items found in a Souk and their material -The grocery shop and related vocabulary and comprehension exercises -Exploring the theme and vocabulary of work routine using the past tense -Learning to ask questions in the past tense.
Arabic Level 3 (Beginners 3) This level is for students who have completed Level 2 or have some understanding of Modern Standard Arabic and are able to have a basic conversation and write a small but consistent paragraph. The book Mastering Arabic 1 (chapters 13-17) is used along with its activity book and Gateway to Arabic 2 also. The lesson is divided into 3 parts: -Conversation -Grammar -Themes 1- Conversation: -Discuss and describe the weather. -Talk about Holidays to a friend using the past tense. -Ask the time and tell what you do in your everyday routine using the present tense. -Ask a friend about their working day, their weekend, their projects. -Conversing about school, college and different subjects of study. -Booking a table at the restaurant, ordering food, learning the names of common Arabic foods and discussing bills. 2- Grammar -Plural patterns 3, 4 and 5 -Numbers (11-100) and their rules -Past verbs in the plural -Word order of Arabic sentences -The present tense -Introduction to the forms of verbs -Negative sentences in the past 3- Themes - The weather in different seasons and in different countries -Reading, understanding and writing a postcard. -The days of the week -Reading and writing a work diary -Introduction to reading a newspaper article -Learning the time and the vocabulary of everyday activities (work, meals, transport) -Education and college timetables and vocabulary -The restaurant (menu, ordering food, bill, the cook’s work in the kitchen)
Why choose Sandford Language Institute for your Arabic tuition? Well,in addition to having excellent qualified & experienced tutors, we also offer and run courses all year round for adult students from beginner to advanced levels which is very important if you intend progressing in the language & reaching a proficient level of Modern Standard Arabic.(which is spoken throughout the Arabic Speaking World).
*For Latecomers* If a course you wish to join has started, it is always possible to join.We will put you in contact with the tutor,who will advise you regarding which of the currently running courses is suitable for you.
If you are a total beginner and have missed the first few weeks of the course, we can arrange a catch up class/es to cover what you have missed
For post beginner level students, you can join an appropriate level at any stage and pay pro-rata for the remaining duration of the course.
Please contact Mary Zerbe, Arabic Coordinator. email: mary.zerbr@sandfordlanguages.ie