Beginners Arabic is for people with no prior knowledge of Arabic and it provides an introduction to the Arabic script, everyday vocabulary, the basic grammar structures of the language and the Arab culture.

During the first few weeks of the course the Arabic script is introduced. The emphasis of the course is on developing your communicative ability in a range of situations, and reading and writing skills are then practised and extended throughout the course. 

From the beginning emphasis is placed on enhancing your oral as well as the reading skills..

By the end of the course, you should be able to read the Arabic script, have some writing skills and be able to:

• greet people; introduce yourself and others, provide some basic information about yourself and the members of your family;
• read numbers and be able to count in Arabic, know the days of the week and the months of the year;
• ask and give directions;
• order a meal in a restaurant and read a basic menu;
• know the basic geography of the Middle East, aspects of the culture, the names of Arab countries, their main cities and locations;
• describe things and people

Where applicable, textbook details will be provided by the tutor. Course textbooks need not be purchased before the first course session.

Lower Intermediate Arabic is for those who have some basic knowledge of Arabic that is equivalent to level A1 of the Common European Framework for Languages. Applicants who have completed our Beginners Arabic course or who have a GCSE (or equivalent learning experience) in Arabic will find this course suitable.

The course aims to further develop your skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in a range of common everyday situations. It will also familiarise you with some simple grammar structures.

The course will also broaden your understanding of the culture and daily life in the countries where Arabic is spoken, and the focus of the class will be on improving the communicative skills through role-plays, discussions and practical tasks.

By the end of the course, you will be able to communicate on a variety of topics in a range of situations, such as:

• family, relations and friends;
• talking about your self and others;
• the weather and seasons;
• expressing likes and dislikes;
• travel and entertainment;
• work and daily routine;
• past and present activities;
• hobbies and interests;
• education, study and work;
• career choices;
• current affairs;
• advertisements;
• city life and the environment

Where applicable, textbook details will be provided by the tutor. Course textbooks need not be purchased before the first course session.

Choosing the right language level

It is very important to book onto a course which is a good match for your level of ability, and we aim to make the process of deciding which is the right course level for you as simple as possible.

If you are a complete beginner you should, of course, enrol on a Beginner's course.

If you have some experience in the language you wish to study please first review our course descriptions to try to identify the course level which should be most suitable for you. Especially if you are out of practice in a language, or have been out of formal education for a while, please be reasonably sure and realistic about your level of proficiency prior to proceeding with enrolment.

Please contact our Arabic Coordinator with any questions about your level: Dr Mashail Ali, mashail.ali@imperial.ac.uk

Rate Categories and Discounts

Standard Rate

• Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category, respectively.

Internal Rate

• Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
• Individuals enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
• Staff of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
• Current Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication (CLCC) staff, current CLCC PhD students, Science Communication (Sci Comm) postgraduate students, and students enrolled on an Imperial College 'Language for Science' degree programme should contact eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk before completing the online enrolment form

Associate Rate

• Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes
• Austrian Cultural Forum staff
• City & Guilds College Association members
• Co-operative College members
• Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
• Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
• Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
• Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
• Friends of the Royal College of Music
• Harrods staff
• Historic Royal Palaces staff
• Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
• Members of the Friends of Imperial College
• Members of the Kennel Club
• Members of the London Zoological Society
• Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
• Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• National Health Service (NHS) employees
• Natural History Museum staff
• Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
• Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
• Royal College of Art and Royal College of Music tutors and other staff
• Royal Geographical Society staff
• Science Museum staff
• Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
• Students (non-Imperial College)
• Teachers and other staff of UK schools
• Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
• Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
• Victoria and Albert Museum staff

Late enrolment

It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.

Friends and Family Scheme

This course is eligible for the Friends and Family scheme, allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.

Web enrolment starts 1 August 2022. Early bird discounts are available from 1 August to 30 September 2022.

Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:

• Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
• If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.

When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:

If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of these courses please contact our Arabic Language Coordinator, Dr Mashail Ali, mashail.ali@imperial.ac.uk

If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk