The Program

The Elementary level is intended for students with little or no prior exposure to Arabic. Participants will learn to read and write using the Arabic alphabet, and acquire the skills needed to conduct simple conversations concerning daily needs. Students begin building a vocabulary base and are introduced to basic grammar and syntax structures. By the end of level one, students should be able to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements. The elementary level offers two courses each consisting of 100 hours of classroom instruction:

This is an Arabic course consisting of 100 classroom hours that concentrates on building two essential abilities: first, to allow the individual who is residing or traveling in Yemen to meet the language demands of daily living; and second, to introduce the student to fundamental reading and conversational skills in Modern Standard Arabic. The 101 course teaches students the Arabic alphabet, familiarity with elementary grammatical structures, and vocabulary pertinent to the objective skills listed above. Specific target skills include: ability to take public and private transportation, make small purchases in a grocery or market, order meals in a restaurant, send and receive mail, tell time, know the days of the week and the months, read street signs and to introduce oneself and greet others appropriately.

Using Practical Arabic, Kitab Al-Kitab and Durus Fi-l 'Arabiyya as the primary texts, the student begins learning basic grammar and sentence construction, simple vocabulary, and grammatical terms. Upon completion of 101, students will be comfortable with all tenses of the regular and irregular verb forms, and able to read a number of styles of Arabic print. These skills are reinforced through readings and exercises in the textbooks, YLC prepared supplemental materials corrosponding to each lesson, readings from 'Arabiyya Wasa'il Al-'Alaam, selections from the Arabic press and numerous classroom drills. Students frequently practice reading aloud in class with the aim of increasing comprehension, speed, confidence, and clarity of pronunciation. Short writing exercises are occasionally assigned to build familiarity with new vocabulary and grammatical constructions. In addition, a significant percentage of class time is devoted to oral drills and conversation based on materials covered by the textbook and companion materials.

In the 102 Upper Elementary course, the chief emphasis continues to be reinforce reading and conversational ability, although increased attention is devoted to developing composition skills as a means of retaining new grammar and vocabulary. Course materials include Kitab Al-Kitab, Durus Fi-l 'Arabiyya and selected untis from 'Arabiyya Wasa'l Al-'Alaam, the Arabic press and supplementary materials prepared by the YLC. It is expected that at the conclusion of this course the student will possess the ability to form simple, grammatically correct sentences with ease, pronounce words clearly and recognizably, read and comprehend basic texts, write brief compositions dealing with different topics, converse confidently and accurately on simple subjects, and demonstrate a solid understanding of elementary Modern Standard Arabic, including familiarity with all derived verb forms, participles and conditionals.

Students entering the intermediate level should be able speak clearly, converse on limited subjects, and read and write simple texts. This level emphasizes techniques for reading, research and composition in Arabic, as well as advanced conversational skills. Audio-visual and published materials are introduced to reinforce listening and reading comprehension. Students gain increased confidence in grammar and syntax and concentrate on expanding thier vocabulary base. At the end of this level, students should be able to speak, read and write confidently on various subjects, including: politics, economics and culture. The intermediate level offers two courses each consisting of 100 hours of classroom instruction:

The intermediate class concentrates heavily on expanding the reading and speaking vocabulary of the student in a number of specific subject areas including politics, economics, history, art, and culture. This course utilizes Kitab Al-Kitab, Durus Fi-l 'Arabiyya, 'Arabiyya Wasa'il Al-'Alaam and short stories in Arabic. Companion materials to the texts include: daily newspaper and magazine clippings, short subjects prepared by the teaching staff and brief reading exercises from other sources. In addition, the Intermediate course stresses increased oral comprehension, using recorded television and radio news broadcasts (in conjunction with 'Arabiyya Wasa'il Al-'Alaam) as a regular classroom listening activity.

The 203 intermediate course focuses on developing the student's sophistication in the use of grammatical structures and new vocabulary for reading and speaking. As the students progress, they continue with lessons in both Kitab Al-Kitab and Durus Fi-l 'Arabiyya and 'Arabiyya Wasa'il Al-'Alaam, in addition to a wide sample of readings from the supplementary materials list. Students are also encouraged to propose texts of their own choosing for classroom review and discussion. A weekly writing exercise on topics assigned by the teachers is an important component of this course. It is expected that students who successfully complete the 203 class will achieve a plateau of ability which will enable them to read, speak, and write on diverse subjects with a modest degree of assurance and fluency.

The Upper Intermediate class refines the skills acquired in the 203 class. Students in Upper Intermediate are expected to prepare reports on various subjects, and present them to their class in Arabic. At the conclusion of 204, students will be able to discuss complex abstract issues, to understand the general themes of Arab radio and television broadcasts, and will have gained a wide grammatical knowledge. Materials for 204 include: 'Arabiyya Wasa'il Al-'Alaam, a packet of texts on Arab culture produced by the YCAS and texts chosen by the student.

Advanced participants should be able to speak with confidence and clarity in most situations, and be capable of reading and writing on differing subjects with relative ease. The advanced level emphasizes overall reading comprehension, advanced writing skills, translation techniques and continued vocabulary acquisition. In addition to texts introduced for class work and home study, course material may also reflect the individual needs and interests of the advanced student. Participants who successfully complete this level should possess Arabic skills acceptable for academic or professional use. The advanced level offers two courses each consisting of 100 hours of classroom instruction:

The 305 advanced course is intended to consolidate the reading, writing, and speaking skills which have been emphasized in the prior two levels. Strong emphasis is placed on the acquisition of new vocabulary, reinforced by daily speaking and composition exercises. Additionally, the course concentrates on various activities designed to increase the student's threshold in reading comprehension, particularly when encountering longer texts with unfamiliar vocabulary. Course materials include selected chapters from the third volume of Al-Kitab Al-Assassi and 'Arabiyya Wasa'il Al-'Alaam in conjunction with extensive supplementary texts chosen by both the student and teacher. The supplementary materials represent a wide spectrum of subject matter at a challenging level of difficulty, and may include short books, lengthy articles from newspapers, magazines, journals, or readings from similar sources. At the conclusion of the 305 advanced course, the student will be responsible for preparing a short research paper in Arabic based on the supplemental readings.

The Upper Advanced class is a finishing course for students with highly-developed Arabic skills which helps the student concentrate on improving specific areas of proficiency. Course materials include: lessons from volume III of Al-Kitab Al-Assassi, readings from major works of contemporary Arabic literature, assorted texts, films, television programs, and other audio-visual materials. Writing exercises of moderate length are assigned regularly, for which the student is expected to conduct substantive background research. Outside of class, the student will select a book, with the approval of the teacher, for reading at home, and report verbally on his/her progress at several intervals during the course. Particular attention is given to acquiring a deeper understanding of the connotation of words and the rhythm of the language.

It is expected, at the conclusion of the course, that the student will be capable of speaking intelligently and articulately on both concrete and abstract topics, reading and writing with maturity and sophistication, and displaying confidence in the use of Arabic as a second language in widely differing situations and contexts.

Levels of Instruction