You will find people referring to different kinds of Arabic: Qur’anic Arabic, Classical Arabic, Modern Arabic and Colloquial Arabic. The grammatical structure of the first of these three are virtually the same. As for colloquial Arabic, you will find that in informal spoken Arabic, many of the grammatical rules are relaxed, and dialects and vocabulary may have some significant variance from country to country. What I will be teaching in this course is Modern Standard Arabic, which is the formal unifying language of the Middle East whereby an Arab from one country may communicate with a fellow Arabic speaker from any other country. It is also the language of the media, literature and government, and is used in international forums such as the United Nations. Understanding the grammar of Modern Standard Arabic would also give the learner access to an understanding of the Qur’an.
Certificates of attendance can be issued on request.
The first answer to this question is that it depends on the time and effort that the learner puts in. Usually, students who attend class regularly and do their homework diligently achieve the desired outcome of the course faster and are more pleased with their sense of achievement. Mastering a new language is an accumulative process which never truly ends, but an able student can achieve GCSE level command of the language after two years of attending weekly classes (and completing the set homework). Notwithstanding the above, the process of speaking Arabic starts in the very first lesson!
The courses are designed by Dr. Imran Alawiye, the author of the Gateway to Arabic series, and delivered by him and his team of expert Arabic tutors. Click here to find out more.
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No, enrolment is open throughout the year.
It is a very common amongst Muslim learners of Arabic to have his or her goal as the ability to have access to the original texts of Islam i.e. The Holy Qur’an and the Noble Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
The first thing to say is that the grammar underpinning these two scripts is virtually the same as the grammar underpinning the modern Arabic language taught in the Gateway to Arabic series. The difference is that the deep meaning of the Qur’an texts, as well as the divine construction of it, makes it pregnant with subtleties and implications. Anybody who thoroughly learns and understands the structure of the Arabic language (i.e. the grammar) and learns sufficient vocabulary will have the ability to understand the obvious meaning of the Qur’anic verses as well as the Noble Hadith. However, this is not necessarily sufficient to have a scholarly understanding of those two texts, as this is a lifelong journey!
I must emphasise that the learning of any language is an accumulative skill which takes time to develop. If you thoroughly learn the grammar and vocabulary contained within the Gateway to Arabic course, there is no reason why you should not be able to start establishing a good understanding of the religious texts, as this series will “open the door” for you to interact with Arabic of any description effectively.