“The teaching has been excellent. Khalil is a brilliant and accommodating teacher. I would definitely recommend these courses to others looking to start learning Arabic.” Arabic student, semester 1 2024-25

Available courses

Please note: The information on this page is only applicable to members of the public, who are not employed by the university or studying here as an undergraduate or postgraduate student. If you work at the university, or are an existing undergraduate or postgraduate student, please visit MySkills to find out about the language courses available to you.

We deliver the following Arabic courses to members of the public, although not every course runs every term.

Stage 1.1 (equivalent to CEFR level A1.1): This level is suitable for you if you have never studied Arabic before or if you know some basic phrases. We recommend you take 'Introduction to Arabic script' alongside this course at no additional cost.

Stage 1.2 (equivalent to CEFR level A1.2): This class is appropriate if you have completed Stage 1.1 with us, or if you have mastered the Arabic alphabet and sound system, and can:

• distinguish and pronounce all Arabic sounds and write accurately from dictation
• use basic structures and basic vocabulary related to greetings, introductions, family, jobs and professions
• follow simple conversations and understand simple texts on familiar topics
• engage in simple conversations and write short texts on familiar topics

We recommend you take 'Introduction to Arabic script' alongside this course at no additional cost.

Stage 2.1 (equivalent to CEFR level A2.1): Enrol in this class if you have completed Stage 1.2 with us, or if you:

• have knowledge of vocabulary covering topics including: around the house, my city, countries and nationalities and at the market
• can use grammatical structures such as: there is/there are and prepositional phrases
• have some knowledge of the past tense and plural forms
• can engage in simple conversations and express basic opinions on a range of familiar topics
• can understand texts about the mentioned topics
• can write short clear, well-structured texts on various subjects

Stage 2.2 (equivalent to CEFR level A2.2): Enrol on this course if you have completed Stage 2.1 with us, or if you:

• have knowledge of vocabulary covering a range of topics including: the numbers 0-100, days of the week, saying the time, giving directions, ordering food and drink, clothing and colours
• have some knowledge of the past tense and plural forms
• can engage in longer conversations and express opinions on a range of topics
• can understand longer texts
• can write clear, well-structured texts on various subjects

Introduction to Arabic Script: This one-hour weekly course is designed to supplement the Stage 1.1 and Stage 1.2 courses. We strongly encourage all beginners enrolled in the core courses to register for this additional course, as it offers valuable practice with the Arabic alphabet - an essential part of the Arabic Beginners' curriculum. The course is offered free of charge and is exclusively available to students enrolled in Stage 1.1 and Stage 1.2 Arabic courses. Please speak to your teacher if you would like to attend.

ALPT Exam Preparatory Workshops:  A set of 5 preparatory workshops is available to all students who opt to sit the Arabic Language Proficiency Test (ALPT). These run in the Spring term in addition to the core courses. You can join these workshops free of charge if you have enrolled in a core course; they are not available to enrol on as standalone classes.

Course timetables

Enrolment on our Spring 2026 courses is now closed.

Our Spring 2026 courses are now closed and we cannot accept any late bookings. If you would like to be notified when enrolments open for any future courses, please complete this form.

Course fees

Course fees will be published when future courses are available to book.

Terms and Conditions

Please make sure you have read and understood our Terms and Conditions before enrolling on a course. By purchasing a course, you will be deemed to have accepted the Terms and Conditions, so it's important you have read them before you complete your purchase.

All personal data will be collected and processed in accordance with UK GDPR and any other relevant legislation. Further details of how your personal data will be processed can be found in our Terms and Conditions. Some of our courses are delivered online. As part of the online delivery via Teams / Zoom, please note that your username and email address used to attend the lessons will be visible to other students.

Qualifications

There is the option of sitting the Arabic Language Proficiency Test. The ALPT is endorsed by the Islamic Chamber of Industry and Commerce and is the proficiency test selected by the United Nations.

To help you prepare for the exams, you can join our exam preparation workshops in the spring, which are offered free of charge if you are enrolled in another Arabic class; they are not available to join as standalone classes. If you would like to join the workshops, please speak to your teacher after you have enrolled in your core class.

More ways to develop your Arabic language skills

Outside the classroom, we share cultural events organised by Arabic language associations in the UK such as the British Council's Arabic Language and Culture Programme and Qatar Foundation International. These events offer additional opportunities for you to develop your knowledge of Arabic language and culture.

We also organise our own cultural events and Language Cafés. If you are enrolled on a language course, you're welcome to take part in all these activities; please ask your teacher for more details after you have enrolled.

Information for students and staff

The information on this page is only applicable to members of the public, who are not employed by the university or studying here as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

If you work at the university, or are an existing undergraduate or postgraduate student, please visit MySkills to find out about the language courses available to you.