Modern Standard Arabic Absolute Beginner's Course

Name: Modern Standard Arabic Absolute Beginner's Course
Rating: 4.8 (22 reviews)

Step by step instruction in Modern Standard Arabic, focusing on "to be" sentences. Solid, methodical approach, not fast.

Created byAndrew Dempsey

Last updated 12/2019

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What you'll learn

Beginner's level Modern Standard Arabic (literary written/spoken Arabic)
Understand and produce nominal ("to be") sentences in Arabic
Build sentences using I, you, he, she, we, and they (and all of the variations of these pronouns in Arabic)
Form sentences using definite nouns ("the") and indefinite nouns ("a")
Integrate adjectives and strings of adjectives into your sentences properly
Create demonstrative adjectives sentences ("this _____")
Combine "to be" with prepositional clauses
Correctly use masculine and feminine forms
Understand and use over 300 Arabic vocabulary words and phrases
Pronounce Arabic words correctly
Pursue effective strategies for learning Arabic

Course content

7 sections • 51 lectures • 2h 43m total length

Introduction to Modern Standard Arabic1:49
This course's approach to learning Arabic (tree, branch, leaf)2:14
Quick Start: Greetings and Small Talk12:18
Master ten essential Modern Standard Arabic greetings and small-talk phrases, including hello, peace be upon you, welcome, how are you, and goodbye, with pronunciation practice and memorization tips.
How to work thought this course5:08
Grammatical terms we will use6:38
Learn nine basic grammatical terms: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, article, subject, and predicate, and how they form simple to complex sentences with examples.
Mindsets, habits, and skills of an Arabic learner5:13
About the teacher2:29
Meet your instructor and learn how Arabic can be learned through reading and writing rules. Become fluent in modern standard Arabic and its dialects with guidance from a lifelong learner.

"I am _______".3:13
After completing this lecture, you will be able to:
Form a simple sentence using the Arabic equivalent of "I am"
Introduce yourself
Say where you are from
This lesson introduces you to your first sentence in Arabic, using the Arabic nominal sentence. The nominal sentence is the equivalent of English "to be" sentences in the present simple.
Although it may seem like a small step, by the end of the lesson you will be able to form an actual sentence in Arabic, not simply repeat vocabulary.
"I am Syrian/Egyptian/Canadian..."4:20
This lecture will take you from the prepositional phrase "I am from ____" learned in the previous lesson, to being able to use an adjective to describe your nationality.
I am Egyptian
I am Canadian
American, Syrian, Iraqi, Chinese, Indian, Spanish, as well as instructions for looking up your own nationality
A key grammatical concept in the lecture is forming the masculine and feminine versions of adjectives.
"I am a student"8:27
In this lecture, you will learn how to make "I am a _______ (your job)" sentence.
You'll be able to say/write sentences such as:
I am a student
I am a teacher
I am a manager (journalist, employee, photographer, doctor, engineer, etc.)
The lesson discusses the key grammatical concept of forming the masculine and feminine versions of nouns.
Review of Section 22:07
This is a section review for the previous 3 lessons.
Section 2 Summary and Resources0:31
This section contains a summary of each language point that was taught in the section (and includes a downloadable PDF of the summary). It also includes audio files of all vocabulary in the lessons as well as some further words to extend your capabilities.
Section 2 Exercises0:27
Section 2 Quiz0:03

"Yes", "No", and "?"4:58
Learn to say yes and no in modern standard Arabic and use hal as a question marker while forming I am sentences with predicates, nationalities, jobs, and adjectives.
"Are you Nada?"2:49
"Are you from Brazil? Are you a doctor?"2:58
Review of Section 31:46
Review section 3 covers yes and no, forming questions with hal, and the masculine and feminine forms of you along with examples for nationality and job.
Section 3 Summary and Resources0:21
This section contains a summary of each language point that was taught in the section (and includes a downloadable PDF of the summary). It also includes audio files of all vocabulary in the lessons as well as some further words to extend your capabilities.
Section 3 Exercises0:50
Section 3 Quiz0:03

"This" and "he"4:27
"He is an engineer from Syria"3:08
"This is Zeina. She is from Saudi Arabia"4:32
Learn to introduce someone in Arabic with this is Zeina, say she is from Saudi Arabia, and use the feminine form of engineer.
"She is tall. You are short."6:29
"The Tunisian is beautiful and Canada is distant."6:50
Review of Section 41:02
Section 4 summary and Resources0:23
This section contains a summary of each language point that was taught in the section (and includes a downloadable PDF of the summary). It also includes audio files of all vocabulary in the lessons as well as some further words to extend your capabilities.
Section 4 Exercises0:31
Section 4 Reflection and Quiz0:17

The nominal sentence in Arabic5:49
"A girl", "the girl", "this is the girl"6:10
Learn how Arabic marks definite and indefinite nouns with the prefix al and no prefix, using examples like the girl and a girl.
Pronunciation of الـ3:19
Sun and moon letters5:29
"A fast car" and "the fast car"9:20
Review of Section 51:32
Section 5 summary and Resources0:38
This section contains a summary of each language point that was taught in the section (and includes a downloadable PDF of the summary). It also includes audio files of all vocabulary in the lessons as well as some further words to extend your capabilities.
Section 5 Exercises0:36
Section 5 Quiz0:03

"We", "you" (plural), and "they"5:06
Explore modern standard Arabic plural pronouns we, you (plural), and they, learn masculine and feminine forms, pairings with singulars, and using prepositions to build longer sentences.
Understanding sentences and pronunciation2:19
In front of and behind2:55
Explore Arabic prepositions that express position, focusing on in front of and behind, with masculine and feminine forms remaining the same in examples.
In, with, over, under4:20
Learn Arabic prepositions in, with, over, under through practical examples like the girl is in the house, the airplane is above the cloud, and the dog is under the tree.
A dog is under the tree4:49
Explore definite vs indefinite nouns with prepositions, and practice fronting the predicate in Arabic to say 'a dog is under the tree' and 'the tea is on the table'.
Between, from, and preposition review3:07
This book is excellent!7:27
Section 6 Summary and Resources0:28
This section contains a summary of each language point that was taught in the section (and includes a downloadable PDF of the summary). It also includes audio files of all vocabulary in the lessons as well as some further words to extend your capabilities.
Section 6 Exercises0:28
Section 6 Quiz0:03

Requirements

This course requires you to know the Arabic alphabet before starting (all Arabic is written in Arabic script)
No previous knowledge of Arabic words or sentences is needed
You need to be ready to learn. This is not a "easy steps to fluency" course. It is designed for serious learners

Description

This course teaches you Modern Standard Arabic, the Arabic that is used across the entire Arabic speaking world in literature, journalism, academics, business, politics, administration, religious discourse, and many other areas of life. While each country or region of a country has its own local dialect of Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic is understood across all countries. It is the Arabic of literate native speakers, and is taught in school from primary levels through to university.

The focus of the course is on mastering "to be" sentences in Arabic. The course will take you from having no previous knowledge of Arabic apart from the Alphabet, to the point where you are creating and understanding real sentences.

This course is not about memorizing phrases and vocabulary that you don't understand (although you will be pushed to grow your vocabulary!). It is about understanding the foundational structures and concepts that make up the language, beginning with the ones that are used most often. It will walk you step by step through each foundational concept. There is no fast and easy way to learn any language. However, there are steady, methodological approaches that can optimize and multiply your hard work, and allow you to gain momentum faster than you expect. This course is based on that kind of approach.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

Understand and produce "to be" sentences in Modern Standard Arabic ("I am", "you are", "she is", etc.)
Use simple greetings, goodbyes, and polite conversation in Modern Standard Arabic
Describe yourself and others in terms of nationality, job, relationships, physical characteristics
Produce sentences that describe objects, people, and places with complex descriptions
Ask questions and give answers accurately
Pronounce words and phrases accurately, in a way that can be understood by native speakers
Use over 300 vocabulary items - words and expressions
Pursue effective strategies for learning Arabic

In grammatical terms you'll be able to correctly use the following structures:

Nominal sentences ("to be" sentences in Arabic, known in Arabic as الجملة الاسمية)
Prepositional phrases
Adjectives and personal pronouns
Simple and compound sentences
Gender agreement
Demonstrative pronoun ("this")
Definite and indefinite noun phrases
Sun letters in Arabic (الحروف الشمسية) and their unique pronunciation

Each of the 6 sections contains:

A series of instructional videos that introduce and explain the concepts thoroughly, and practice listening/speaking
A printable summary sheet at the end of the section
A series of exercises that put the lesson into practice
A quiz that tests your grasp of the lesson
Downloadable audio file of all the vocabulary
Access to all vocabulary on an interactive vocabulary website for students in the course

The only prerequisite for the course is that you know the Arabic alphabet. Two recommended sources for this, if you need them, can be found on YouTube:

Learn Arabic - Arabic Alphabet Made Easy - Alef and Nun
Learn Arabic: Alphabet Lesson Part 1 (Start at 4:00)

Search YouTube for these sites. Each one has a different style/approach. Choose the one that most suits your preferences. Each of them is a short series of lessons.

Who this course is for:

Beginner-level learners of Modern Standard Arabic
Learners who believe that they can and will be able to read, write, and speak Arabic if they put in time and effort
Students who will be studying Arabic as a second language (secondary or university level)
Professionals who aim to learn Arabic to develop/facilitate their career
People living in the Arab world (or amongst Arabic speaking communities) who want to be able to interact in Arabic
Those who want to learn Arabic for any other personal, academic, or practical reason

Modern Standard Arabic Absolute Beginner's Course

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction7 lectures • 36min

"I am" - your first sentences7 lectures • 19min

"Are you?" - asking questions7 lectures • 14min

"This is Omar" - referring to others9 lectures • 28min

"A" and "The" - referring to things correctly9 lectures • 33min

"The tea is on the table" - using prepositions10 lectures • 31min

Conclusion2 lectures • 3min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: