Language Courses

This advanced-level course will prepare you to read and watch Arabic media reporting on the production of a coronavirus vaccine. The first three lessons will prepare you to read a Reuters Arabic article focused on the distribution of a vaccine in December and the last two lessons will prepare you to watch a 2 -minute Alghad TV news report on the vaccine being produced by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The vocabulary in lessons 1 - 3 is easier than that in the video. However, while the vocabulary for the course is focused on medical- and health-related terminology, it doesn't reach the difficulty level of some more advanced readings on the topic and can still be widely applicable for everyday use. There are two points in the video where the speaker either doesn't speak clearly or mispronounces a word. At the 0:36 second mark, the man says 'tavriid al-laqaaHaat', mispronouncing the word توريد - supplying, delivering. It is also difficult to make out what the presenter is saying from 1:12 - 1:17 due to the speed at which she is speaking, but she says "و هو ما وَصَفَه خُبَراء أنَّه إنْجاز كبير في السّباق نَحو وضع نِهايَة للجائِحَة" - and it' what experts described as a major accomplishment in the race to put an end to the pandemic. Some other sample vocabulary from this course includes: لقاح ، لقاحات - vaccine(s); جرعة ، جرعات - dose(s); المعلومات الخاطئة - misinformation; الموافقة على - approval; جائحة ، جوائحه - pandemic(s).

The 2020 US Presidential Election is around the corner and already millions of Americans have cast their vote by mail-in ballot or visiting early voting centers. For this intermediate course, you will prepare to read a France 24 Arabic article reporting on the record number of Americans partaking in early voting as well as prepare to watch an Al Jazeera report that covers polling numbers in regards to Americans who are ready to accept the outcome of the election regardless of who wins. Lessons 1 through 3 will prepare you to read the brief article and the opening of the video while Lessons 4 and 5 focus solely on the video. As can be expected, this course is heavy on election-related vocabulary and covers many of the core terms and phrases necessary to read and watch Arabic media on this topic no matter which election it may be. Some of the key vocabulary for the course includes: التصويت المبكر - early voting; عن طريق البريد - by mail; عرضة للتزوير - subject to fraud; لإبطال النتائج - to invalidate the results; استمالة المشاركين - urging, wooing participants.

This sophisticated-level course is dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will prepare you to watch and read Arabic media reporting on breast cancer prevention and awareness. Lessons 1 - 2 are almost completely in the Levantine dialect. The lessons will prepare you to watch a woman in London speaking the Levantine dialect recap her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment as well as her advice to women in order to catch the disease early on. Lessons 3 - 5 will prepare you to read a brief CNN Arabic article on Breast Cancer Awareness Month and details three primary ways that women can detect and prevent the deadly disease. Some sample vocabulary from the lessons include: انا حسيت في ورم - I felt a lump; عيادات لندن - London clinics; سرطان الثدي - breast cancer; عرض ، أعراض - symptom(s); يتم تشخيص - are diagnosed.

This course takes an in-depth look at the Israel-UAE peace deal and how it's being received in the Middle East, specifically among the Palestinians who were by and large left out in the cold and were not part of the discussions. The course will prepare you to read and watch Arabic-language media reporting on the deal. Lessons 1 - 3 will prepare you to read an article published by Annahar about how the deal came about and what was going on behind the scenes. Lessons 4 - 5 will focus on a France 24 Arabic news report that largely focuses on the Palestinian people's reaction to the deal, both from the perspective of the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian public. The vocabulary for the lesson is focused on diplomatic terms but also contains some great Fusha and MSA Arabic expressions. Some sample vocabulary from the lessons include: تطبيع - normalization; الضم - annexation; تحفّظات - reservations, doubts; محادثات مباشرة - direct talks; الإجماع العربي - the Arab consensus; اتفاق سِري - secret agreement

Muslims around the world celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Adha (the Feast of the Sacrifice) which generally falls around July or August. The holiday celebrates Ibrahim's (Abraham) devotion to God and his willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail (Ishmael in Judaism-Christianity). Ibrahim passes God's test and a lamb is provided by God to sacrifice instead of Ismail. The Quranic story closely resembles that from the Jewish and Christian tradition in which Abraham is ordered to sacrifice Isaac, who also is saved at the last moment once Abraham proves his devotion to God. In contrast to prior years, this year's celebrations of Eid al-Adha have come with significant challenges brought on by the coronavirus and ensuing economic hardships. The first three lessons of this course will prepare you to read an RT Arabic article about the economic meltdown in Lebanon and how its Muslim community is struggling to celebrate Eid al-Adha as the price of meat has skyrocketed and many families have had to shift their priorities to basic survival. The vocabulary for the first three lessons contains a mix of religious and economic-related terms. Lessons 4 and 5 take a lighter tone and will prepare you to watch a Youtube video uploaded by the People of the Book channel. In the video, an Israeli rabbi who is fluent in Arabic wishes Muslims around the world an Eid Mubarak and discusses the similarities between Eid al-Adha and the story in the Jewish Torah. In the video, the rabbi seeks to find common ground with Muslims by sharing his interpretation of the story of being about a father's love for his son, whether that be Ismail (Ishmael) or Ishaaq (Isaac). Some sample vocabulary from course includes: بلا أضاحي - without sacrifices; تدهور ، يتدهور - to sink, deteriorate; فقر مدقع - extreme poverty; سفر التكوين - the Book of Genesis; تفسير - interpretation

This course is dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement and the life of George Floyd. The first three lessons for the course will prepare you to read an article published by the UN about George Floyd's brother appealing to the UN to investigate police brutality and Lessons 4 and 5 will prepare you to watch an Arabic news report that details both George Floyd's death, the person that he was, and the legacy he has left behind. The vocabulary for all of the lessons deals heavily with racism, discrimination, police brutality, and human rights. Some of the key vocabulary from the course includes: الفصل العنصري - apartheid; وحشية الشرطة - police brutality; حياة السود مهمة - Black Lives Matter; العنصرية المتفشية - rampant racism; شهود عيان - eyewitnesses