About the Program 

Overall Objectives 

To develop proficiency in reading and understanding Arabic texts. 

The primary focus of this program is on developing learners’ abilities in reading and understanding written texts in Arabic, with a focus on classical/ liturgical materials. Subsidiary focus will be paid to developing learner skills in speaking, listening, and writing, all of which contribute to meeting the primary aim of the program. 

Whilst students from all backgrounds are welcome to take this program, it is designed specifically for those who come from non-heritage backgrounds. Students who have had little to no exposure to the Arabic language prior to starting the program will be invited to begin at the Novice level. Students who have studied or learned the language will be required to take a placement test in order to determine the appropriate level at which they should commence the program. Students from heritage backgrounds are also welcome to take a placement test in order to determine whether or not they would benefit from the content offered and if so, which level would be appropriate for them to join. 

 

Certificate Tracks

The Teacher’s Certificate track will promote learners' skills to the Intermediate level in reading, based on the ACFTL level descriptors. 

The Scholar’s Certificate track will equip students with Advanced level reading skills based on the same framework. 

 

Placement 

New students to the Ribaat Arabic Program are required to take the placement test. Please click HERE to navigate to the Placement Test page. You will need to click the Enroll button at the bottom and sign in or make a free account to access the test.

Program Structure 

The Ribaat Arabic Language Program is structured into 3 levels: Novice; Intermediate; and Advanced, based on the first three levels of the ACTFL framework. Each of these levels is further split into 3 bands: Beginner; Middle; and High. A set number of modules will be required to progress from one band to the next, and to qualify for a level. 

 

For Novice, the completion of three modules is required in order to pass the level. For Intermediate, nine modules are required (three modules per band). For Advanced, six modules are required (two per band). The entire course therefore consists of 18 modules. Each module will be offered twice a year subject to demand and teacher availability. 

 

Course Structure 

Each module will span 6 weeks. During each of those 6 weeks, students will be asked to attend two synchronous classes pf 1.5-2 hours each. They will also be asked to complete work on three other days of the week via three asynchronous sessions. This can also be viewed as independent work set by the teacher. In total, the week will consist of 3-4 hours of synchronous class time, and approximately 3 hours of asynchronous class time. This is designed to help our students develop sound knowledge of the language and develop their skills effectively so that they can move through the levels swiftly and effectively. 

  

(Example of weekly module structure)

 

Since modules will be completed within 6 weeks, students can feasibly cover two modules per semester, completing the Teacher’s Certificate in 2 years, and the Scholar’s Certificate in 3 years.  

NOVICE LEVEL DESCRIPTOR

There are three modules in this level. By the end of the level, Novice learners in the Ribaat Arabic Language Program will be able to: 

Read ('read' refers to phonetic decoding skills) the Arabic script when vowelled, Understand key words and fomulaic phrases in written texts, Extract a limited amount of information from highly predictable, short, non-complex texts in which the topic or context is very familiar, relying on their background knowledge and extralinguistic support to derive meaning, Identify basic grammatical structures in context. 

 

Practical skill applications:

Learners can phonetically decode the Qur’anic script Understand key words and phrases in the Quran Identify with some accuracy whether words are verbs or nouns Introduce themselves and communicate briefly in speech and writing about themselves as well as their families, home, and city. 

 

Novice Module Descriptors 

 

ARL111 - Novice Beginner 

Module Description: 

This is the first course in the Ribaat Arabic Language Program. It is designed to equip learners with the skills to read (phonetically decode) and write the Arabic script with vowels and provide them with a range of high frequency vocabulary which they can use in their reading of Quranic texts and to offer greetings in Arabic. 

Module Content:  

• Introduction to the Arabic language  
• The Arabic Alphabet 
• Vowels and other harakat  
• Numbers (1-10) 
• Greetings  
• High frequency Quranic vocabulary 

Pre-requisites: 

There are no pre-requisites required for this module. 

ARL121 - Novice Middle 

Module Description: 

This is the second module in the Novice level. This course involves an introduction to the basics of Arabic grammar of nouns, with an emphasis on building learners’ reading skills and basic vocabulary knowledge to allow them to read the Quran and recognize key words and phrases, as well as introduce themselves. 

Module Content: 

• Sun and Moon Letters
• Definite and Indefinite Nouns
• Gender
• Noun-Adjective Phrases
• Personal Introductions
• Colours
• Countries and Nationalities
• High frequency Quranic vocabulary 

Pre-requisites: 

Students must be able to read and write the Arabic script (no level of comprehension is necessary). Students will be asked to take a placement test to ensure they have the required level of knowledge before starting the module. 

 

ARL131 - Novice High 

Module Description: 

This module introduces students to the basics of forming sentences in Arabic. This includes verbal and nominal sentences. Students will be introduced to the methods for conjugating simple verbal roots. By the end of the module, learners will be able to read and understand simple texts containing familiar vocabulary, as well as construct their own simple nominal sentences about themselves, their families, and their homes. Learners will expand their repertoire of high frequency vocabulary, both general and Quranic to equip them with the ability to pick out and translate words and phrases in a range of authentic texts. 

Module Content: 

• Nominal Sentence Construction
• Demonstratives  
• Detached Pronouns
• Prepositions
• Verbs: Simple Past & Present Tense
• Family
• Home and City
• High frequency Quranic vocabulary 

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge and skills covered in the previous modules, i.e. be able to read and write the Arabic script, and will have an understanding of basic grammar concerning nouns in Arabic. To be placed in this module, learners will be asked to take a placement test to demonstrate this knowledge. 

 

INTERMEDIATE OVERALL LEVEL DESCRIPTOR 

 

This level consists of nine modules, divided across three bands (Beginner; Middle; High). By the end of this level, Intermediate learners will be able to:

Read vowelled texts at a moderate speed and with a good level of accuracy, Read short non-vowelled Arabic scripts slowly, assisted by their knowledge of vocabulary and knowledge of basic grammatical rules,  Understand fully and with ease short, non-complex texts that convey basic information, Deal with personal topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge, Understand some connected texts featuring description and narration.

 

Practical skills application:

Read Quran and Hadith texts aloud with a good level of accuracy;  Identify and understand key words and phrases and understand short simple sentences in Qur'anic and other Islamic texts;  Understand basic texts which deal with Islamic subjects with which learners are familiar; Identify high frequency vocabulary and grammatical features in more complex Islamic texts with the help from the teacher and external resources. Talk about themselves, their lives, their interests, and a wide range of topics using increasingly complex sentences and vocabulary. 

 

Intermediate Beginner Modules 1-3 Descriptor  

By the end of this band, Intermediate Beginner learners will be able to:

Read simple vowelled texts slowly, with a good level of accuracy in pronunciation,  Identify words they are familiar with in short non-vowelled Arabic scripts, assisted knowledge of basic grammatical rules,  Understand short, non-complex texts that convey basic information with the aid of a dictionary and their grammatical knowledge.

 

ARL211 - Intermediate Beginner 1

Module Description: 

This is the first module of the Intermediate Beginner band. In this level, students will be introduced to constructing verbal sentences in the past, present, and future tenses. They will work on developing this skill to include positive and negative sentences and learn how to ask questions. Students will also learn how to tell the time and will cover vocabulary relating to schedules and their daily routines. 

Module Content: 

• Constructing verbal sentences
• Asking Questions
• Negating the past and present
• Attached pronouns
• Constructing the future tense
• Telling the time
• Describing your weekly/ daily routine 

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered at the Novice level by taking a placement test. This includes the ability to read and write the Arabic script, conjugate simple verbs in the past and present tense, and construct nominal sentences.  

 

ARL212 - Intermediate Beginner 2

Module Description: 

This is the second module of the Intermediate Beginner band. In this level, students will build on their knowledge of nominal sentences by learning how to negate them and situate them in the past tense. They will also learn how to express possession and how to identify and construct dual and plural nouns. They will expand their vocabulary by learning to talk about careers, food and drink, and the human body.  

Module Content:  

• Using كان  and ليس  to modify nominal sentences
• Expressing possession (إضافة )
• Duals and Plurals
• Reversed predicated
• Food and drink
• Discussing careers
• The human body  

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including Intermediate Beginner 1 by taking a placement test. This includes the ability to read and construct simple verbal and nominal sentences in the past, present and future tenses, as well as questions. 

 

ARL213 - Intermediate Beginner 3

Module Description: 

This is the final module of the Intermediate Beginner band. In this level, students will build on their knowledge of verbs and verbal sentences by exploring different tenses and moods. This includes the imperative, the subjunctive, and future negation, as well as object pronouns. This will equip students with an ability to read and understand more complex texts. Students will learn how to express emotions as well as their hopes and aspirations using vocabulary found in classical/ liturgical as well as more modern texts. 

Module Content: 

• The Imperative - الأمر
• The Subjunctive mood - المضارع المنصوب
• Future Negation
• Verbal Nouns - المصدر
• Attached Object Pronouns
• Expressing hopes, aspirations, and emotions

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including Intermediate Beginner 2 by taking a placement test. This includes the ability to read and construct verbal and nominal sentences in the past, present and future tenses, as well as recognizing and constructing duals and plurals and expressing possession.  

 

Intermediate Middle Modules 1-3 Descriptor 

                              

By the end of this band, Intermediate Middle learners will be able to:

Read vowelled texts at a moderate speed and with an increasing level of accuracy in pronunciation, Read short non-vowelled Arabic scripts at a moderate speed, assisted by their knowledge of vocabulary and knowledge of a wide range of grammatical rules,  Understand segments of short, non-complex texts that convey basic information using the grammatical structures covered and their increasing vocabulary knowledge,  Understand the general gist of some connected texts featuring description and narration. 

 

ARL221 - Intermediate Middle 1

Module Description: 

This is the first module of the Intermediate Middle band. In this level, students will expand their knowledge of verbs through an introduction to hollow roots and the 10 verb forms. This will equip them with the skills to use a root dictionary. They will also learn how to construct and describe opposites, and building on their knowledge of vocabulary related to the human body, they will learn how to discuss issues around health and wellness using vocabulary found in classical/ liturgical as well as more modern texts. 

Module Content: 

• Hollow verbs
• Using كان  and her sisters
• Comparing and contrasting using the أفعل  form
• Introduction to Verb Forms 

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered in the Intermediate Beginner band by taking a placement test. 

 

ARL222 - Intermediate Middle 2

Module Description: 

This is the second module of the Intermediate Middle band. In this level, students will focus in depth on the 10 verb forms. They will learn how to recognize and construct each form, as well as infer the meaning of each. They will be building on their knowledge of tenses and moods by applying them to each of the forms. This will ensure they are able to look up words in an Arabic root dictionary with easy, increasing the scope of their translation skills as well as vocabulary. 

Module Content: 

• Verb Forms I-X 

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including Intermediate Middle 1 by taking a placement test. 

 

 

ARL223 - Intermediate Middle 3

Module Description:  

This is the final module of the Intermediate Middle band. In this level, students will expand their knowledge of nominal and verbal sentence construction and translation by covering particles, and active and passive participles, adverbs, relative pronouns, and be introduced to passive verbs. They will explore the topic of geography, learning how to talk about different cultures and parts of the world using vocabulary found in classical/ liturgical as well as more modern texts. 

Module Content: 

• Inna and her sisters
• Active and passive participles
• An introduction to passive verbs
• Relative pronouns 

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including Intermediate Middle 2 by taking a placement test. 

 

Intermediate High Modules 1-3 Descriptor                            

 

By the end of this level, Intermediate High learners will be able to:

Read vowelled texts fluently and with a high level of accuracy in pronunciation,  Read short non-vowelled Arabic scripts slowly, assisted by their knowledge of vocabulary and knowledge of a wide range of grammatical rules,  Understand fully and with ease short, non-complex texts that convey basic information, Deal with personal topics to which the reader brings personal interest or knowledge, Use a root dictionary to access translations of derivatives aided by their knowledge of Arabic grammar Understand some connected texts featuring description and narration.

 

ARL231 - Intermediate High 1

Module Description: 

This is the first module of the Intermediate High band. In this level, learners will start to explore more complex features of the Arabic language. This includes the construction of noun-number phrases, diptotes, doubled roots and the jussive, as well as how to recognize and construct passive expressions. Students will apply their knowledge to reading about and discussing the topic of religion and religious practises and will explore how to justify their thoughts and opinions using vocabulary found in classical/ liturgical as well as more modern texts. 

Module Content: 

• Constructing noun-number phrases (1-10)
• Introduction to diptotes (ممنوع من الصرف )
• Conjugating doubled roots
• Expressing the passive
• The jussive mood
• Justifications – ‘because’ phrases
• Religion and religious practices 

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including the Intermediate Middle band by taking a placement test.  

 

ARL232 - Intermediate High 2

Module Description: 

This is the second module of the Intermediate High band. In this level, learners will expand the range of verbs they can conjugate by adding weak-end roots and examining the orthography of the letter hamza. They will also learn how to construct different types of conditional sentences, and noun-number phrases for numbers 11-99. They will also explore exceptions to the usual rules for case endings by learning about a wider range of diptotes. Students will apply their knowledge of these constructions to the topics of art and literature in the Arab world and around the globe using vocabulary found in classical/ liturgical as well as more modern texts. 

Module Content: 

• Introduction to weak-end roots (simple roots)
• Nouns and verbs with hamza
• Diptotes (ممنوع من الصرف )
• Noun-number phrases (11-99)
• Conditional sentences
• Art and literature 

Pre-requisites:  

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including Intermediate High 1 by taking a placement test.  

 

ARL233 - Intermediate High 3

Module Description: 

This is the final module of the Intermediate High band. In this level, learners will consolidate the knowledge and skills accumulated throughout the previous modules and expand their repertoire by examining the construction of exceptive sentences and noun-number phrase for numbers above 100. They will also build on their knowledge of weak-end roots by learning how to conjugate them in the different forms and construct active and passive participles from them. They will also learn about the case endings for the Five Nouns. Learners will apply their knowledge and skills to understanding and discussing the topics of history, political systems, and peace and conflict in the Arab world around the globe using vocabulary found in classical/ liturgical as well as more modern texts. 

Module Content: 

• Weak-end root conjugations and derivations
• Excepting sentences
• Noun-number phrases (100+)
• The Five Nouns
• History of the Arab World
• Political systems
• War and peace           

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate knowledge of the content covered up to and including Intermediate High 2 by taking a placement test. 

 

ADVANCED OVERALL LEVEL DESCRIPTOR 

By the end of this level, Advanced learners will be able to:

Read vowelled texts with fluency and a high level of accuracy, Read non-vowelled texts with relative ease and accuracy, Understand, fully and with ease, the main idea and supporting details of authentic narrative and descriptive texts as well as more complex factual material unaided by external supports, Compensate for limitations in their lexical and structural knowledge by using contextual clues, dictionary skills, and a solid knowledge of grammar. When familiar with the subject matter, Advanced-level readers are also able to derive some meaning from straightforward argumentative texts (e.g., recognizing the main argument),  Demonstrate an independence in their ability to read subject matter that is new to them. They have sufficient control of standard linguistic conventions to understand sequencing, time frames and chronology.

Practical skills application:
Read and understand Quranic texts with fluency and a good level of comprehension Read and understand and translate Hadith and other non-complex Islamic texts using a dictionary aided by a solid knowledge of grammar  Understand main gist of more complex texts, primarily in narrative and descriptive styles such as Sirah texts Extract information from argumentative texts such as those pertaining to Fiqh and Aqidah.

  

Advanced Beginner Modules 1-2

 

ARL311 – Advanced Beginner 1

Module Content:

This is the first module of the Advanced level. In this module, learners will review, consolidate, and expand their grammatical knowledge through the reading, translation, and analysis of classical and authentic texts. 

Module Content: 

• Revision of syntactical rules + application to texts
• Nominal sentences
• Idafah constructs
• Plurals + duals
• Pronouns Superlative + comparative
• Texts

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate a sound knowledge of all the basic and intermediate level grammatical topics and a satisfactory range of vocabulary. Their placement in this module will be determined through learners’ responses to the placement test.           

 

ARL312 - Advanced Beginner 2

Module Description: 

This is the second module of the Advanced level. In this module, learners will review, consolidate and expand their grammatical knowledge of morphology through the reading, translation, and analysis of classical and authentic texts. 

Module Content: 

• Revision of morphology + application of texts
• Tenses + moods Verb forms Hollow verbs Doubled verbs Masdar
• Texts

Pre-requisites: 

Learners will need to demonstrate a sound knowledge of all the basic and intermediate level grammatical topics and a satisfactory range of vocabulary. Their placement in this module will be determined through learners’ responses to the placement test.

(Edited by Ribaat Registration - original submission Saturday, August 13, 2022, 3:42 AM)