Arabic for Elementary School Students, Basic, Part I

Course Description

Description

This course is designed for students without any prior exposure to the Arabic language and culture. The course covers eight topics about everyday life, such as the home, clothes, animals, and useful expressions. It takes a fun, interactive approach with course materials appropriate to elementary school children. Students will enjoy wonderful online cultural tours to help them learn about Arabic countries and their history, traditions, and food. Students will learn to sing a few Arabic songs and interact with the instructors and other students using Internet-based software. The course not only gives young students a great start to learning 100 key Arabic words, but also provides helpful ways to expand their reading vocabulary. Students are encouraged to take full advantage of all materials provided to them in hopes of aiding their learning and retention of the new language. Students will also be offered the opportunity of participating in fun games to practice their lessons.

Students who have successfully completed Arabic for Elementary School Students, Basic, Part I should be able to:

• Recognize and pronounce any Arabic word
• Recite the Arabic alphabet
• Recognize the difference in pronouncing consonants, long vowels, and short vowels
• Write Arabic letters and words in all their different shapes 
• Construct simple sentences in Arabic
• Use daily expressions in appropriate cultural contexts
• Use different ways of greeting 
• Introduce themselves
• Practice proper Arab etiquette

Interactive virtual online sessions are held twice per week for one hour in the evenings (both ET and PT). Separate conversations between each student and the instructor or teaching assistant are arranged individually. Students interact with the instructor and other students using Internet-based software. Course materials include a textbook, workbook, and CD-ROM purchased separately by the student.

This course has synchronous virtual class meetings and students will also schedule one-on-one virtual meetings directly with the instructor and teaching assistant. View the schedule for class meeting times. Meetings will be recorded for students who are unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts.

Virtual classrooms, and student activities in the classroom, may be recorded and added to the course as an ongoing asset for all class students to review. Students may be invited to interact in CTY community spaces that include students and instructors and potentially specially invited guests that are not enrolled in their course. Videos from YouTube or other web providers may be present in the course. Video recommendations or links provided at end of videos are generated by the video host provider and are not CTY recommendations. Student contributions (e.g., projects, forum posts, etc.) may remain in the course after the student completes the course. These artifacts may be preserved to showcase student work or to continue important conversations.

Materials Needed

Students will need a headset with microphone. Students are also required to purchase a textbook and workbook for this course:

Mastering Arabic 1 with 2 Audio CDs: Third Edition (Arabic Edition). Wightwick, Jane and Gaafar, Mahmoud.

ISBN-13: 978-0781813389

Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book: Practice For Beginners. Second Edition (Arabic Edition). Wightwick, Jane and Gaafar, Mahmoud.  

ISBN-13: 978-0781813396

Detailed Course Information

Course Details

Unit One

This unit will introduce you to the first group of the Arabic Alphabet and to the short vowels.
ب ت ث ن ي

Unit Two

In this unit you will learn the second group of the Arabic Alphabet as well as putting words together and conversation.
و ز ر ذ د ا

Unit Three

In this unit you will learn the third group of the Arabic Alphabet, simple sentences and family members.
ج ح خ ه م

Unit Four

In this unit you will learn the fourth group of the Arabic Alphabet, plural, jobs, etc.
س ش ص ض

Unit Five

In this unit you will learn the fifth group of the Arabic Alphabet, describing things, everyday objects, possessive endings, indefinite and definite.
ل ك ق ف

Unit Six

In this unit you will learn the last group of the Arabic Alphabet, sun letters, asking questions, hamza and conversation.
غ ع ظ ط

Unit Seven

In this unit you will learn describing places, Idafa structure, group words, plural, and describing your town.

Unit Eight

In this unit we will review and practice!

Technical Requirements

This course requires a properly maintained computer with high-speed internet access and an up-to-date web browser (such as Chrome or Firefox). The student must be able to communicate with the instructor via email. Visit the Technical Requirements and Support page for more details.

Zoom online virtual classroom
This course uses an online virtual classroom which can be used for instructor-student communication if the student has any questions about the course or curriculum. The classroom works on standard computers with the Zoom desktop client and also tablets or handhelds that support the Zoom Mobile app. Students will need a computer with the Zoom desktop client installed to watch any recorded meetings. The Zoom desktop client and Zoom Mobile App are both available for free download.

Most course lectures may be viewed on mobile devices, but in some cases assignments and quizzes must be completed on a desktop or laptop computer.

CTYOnline Foreign Language - Comments and Feedback from Students, Parents, and Teachers

Reviews

Quotes:

"My son thoroughly enjoys his Arabic course. In fact, it is his favorite course. The instructor has instilled a passion in him for learning not only the language, but the culture as well! He truly walks around the house speaking Arabic now. I don't understand what he is saying, but I love it!”

"Our family lives in rural America without much way of cultural diversions. When giving my daughter her first JHU CTY catalog, we were surprised but supportive when she picked Arabic. She is now in her 3rd semester and we see her practicing and going to class. However, we have no reference points on really how well she is doing outside of her grades. This all changed the other night.
In the next town over, there is a Greek and Mediterranean restaurant. The waiter, and presumably owner, had a Mediterranean appearance and an indistinguishable accent. When he mentioned he was from Lebanon, I told him that my daughter was learning Arabic. He began to talk with her and she answered quickly. The conversation was over in about 4 sentences but it left the waiter wide eyed. Apparently he used some non-standard conversational words and my daughter followed along and answered appropriately. When he asked me where she was learning Arabic, I told him all about JHU.
I am now talking with my daughter about helping her start an Arabic Club that would meet once month at this restaurant. She is also starting to tutor her 20 year old "cool" cousin on Arabic who has been teaching herself Arabic from a book, but did not know proper pronunciation of the alphabet or words. This too has been very motivational.
I would like to say thank you to you and all the JHU CTY staff. You are changing lives!"

"An enthusiastic teacher, engaging presentations and an overwhelming sense of ease and congeniality at class time have made my daughter's foreign language study both meaningful and memorable."