MODULE 1

First sounds, first letters

Follow right-to-left reading; distinguish short vowels; recognize ا ب ت ث ن ي.

Learn

Arabic runs from right to left, but numbers are read in their normal numeric order. Learn a letter by its sound, shape and joining behavior together. Dots are part of the letter: ب has one below, ت two above, ث three above. A small vowel mark is different from a letter dot. Begin with clear printed Naskh shapes before exploring handwriting styles. Alif ا commonly carries long ā; hamza ء represents the glottal stop, as between the syllables of “uh-oh.” They are not the same sound. بَ ba, بِ bi and بُ bu share a consonant but have different short vowels. Hold بَا bā, بِي bī and بُو bū about twice as long. English spelling is only a reminder; it cannot replace careful listening.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Arabic is a language used by people with different religions, histories and identities. Arab, Arabic-speaking and Muslim are not interchangeable labels. Ask how a person identifies rather than assuming.

Practice and submit

1. Circle the letter with two dots above: ب ت ث.
2. Read aloud: بَ بِ بُ بَا بِي بُو. Record two attempts and compare vowel length.
3. Copy باب and بيت five times. Mark any break in joining.
4. Introduce yourself with أنا and your name.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 2

Joining letters and greeting people

Recognize ج ح خ د ذ ر ز; connect letters; exchange greetings.

Learn

A letter changes shape according to its neighbors. Most letters connect to the following letter on the left; ا د ذ ر ز و do not. They can receive a connection from the preceding letter on the right. A break inside a word is not a space between words. Compare باب with بيت. ج ح خ share a body: ج has a dot below, ح no dot, خ a dot above. ح is a breathy sound produced deep in the throat, without scraping; خ has friction like the consonant in Scottish “loch.” Do not force the throat. د is d; ذ is the voiced th in “this.” ر is a light tap or trill, not the English r. ز is z. Practice slowly, then in short words.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Greetings depend on setting and relationship. السلام عليكم and its response وعليكم السلام are widely used; مرحبًا is another useful greeting. Avoid presenting one greeting as compulsory for everyone. Observe personal-space and handshake preferences.

Practice and submit

1. Which do not connect onward: ب د ر خ ا?
2. Join these letters into words: ب + ا + ب; ب + ي + ت.
3. Write a four-line morning exchange with two names.
4. Compare ه and ح by listening to a proficient speaker; describe what you notice.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 3

Sound families and introductions

Recognize س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ; ask names and origins.

Learn

س is s and ش is sh. ص ض ط ظ are emphatic consonants: the back of the tongue retracts and nearby vowels change quality. Do not merely make them louder. Compare س / ص and ت / ط with a model speaker. ع is a voiced pharyngeal consonant, shown here as ʿ; it is not an English vowel. غ is voiced friction toward the back of the mouth; it differs from ع. Practice one comfortable sound at a time. Arabic present-tense identity sentences usually need no word for “am/is/are”: أنا طالب means “I am a male student.” Use ما for “what” and من أين for “from where.” أنتَ and أنتِ identify the person addressed, not the speaker.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

MSA is useful in writing, formal communication and education. Everyday conversations often use regional varieties. Egyptian ج is commonly pronounced g, while the course MSA model uses j. Neither variety is inferior; label the variety you are practicing.

Practice and submit

1. Match: ش / س / ع to sh / s / ʿ.
2. Choose a question addressed to a woman: ما اسمكَ or ما اسمكِ?
3. Write two sentences giving your name and origin.
4. Record a 20-second introduction, then repeat without transliteration.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 4

Finish the alphabet; meet the family

Recognize ف ق ك ل م ه و; identify family members and basic possession.

Learn

ف is f, ك k and ق a stop made farther back than k. م is m; ل l; ه h. و can represent consonant w or long ū; ي can represent y or long ī. Context and vowel marks help. The sequence ل + ا appears as لا, a familiar ligature. ة is tāʾ marbūṭa, usually pronounced -a or -ah in a beginner pause reading, and t in certain grammatical connections. It often marks feminine nouns but not all feminine nouns end in ة. ى is alif maqṣūra and represents long ā, as in ليلى. At this stage use short standalone phrases without full case endings. “My book” is كتابي; the suffix -ī expresses “my.” Learn أبي and أمي as whole useful words.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Family vocabulary is useful, but learners need not disclose private family details. A fictional family is equally acceptable. Family structures and naming conventions differ across communities; ask rather than generalize.

Practice and submit

1. Choose: هذه / هذا أمي.
2. Add “my” to كتاب.
3. Find the special final letter in مدرسة and ليلى.
4. Make a fictional family card with three captions.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 5

Numbers, places and useful questions

Count 0–20; recognize both digit styles; ask where a place is.

Learn

Arabic-speaking settings may use 0–9 or ٠–٩, depending on place and context. Read multi-digit values in normal numeric order: ٢٠ = 20. Learn numbers here as standalone counting forms; number–noun agreement has additional rules and is not covered by simply attaching any noun. أين means “where”; هل introduces a yes/no question; نعم is yes and لا no. في means “in/at.” أين المتحف؟ asks “Where is the museum?” The reply المتحف في القاهرة means “The museum is in Cairo.” Definite الـ attaches to the noun. Learn place names as real destinations and respect local pronunciations.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Explore a museum or library in an Arabic-speaking city using its official website. Notice Arabic and other languages on signs. Museums show particular collections and viewpoints; they do not represent an entire culture.

Practice and submit

1. Convert ٣، ٧، ١٢، ٢٠ to Western digits.
2. Write أين + the definite word for school.
3. Count from zero to ten aloud without reading.
4. Write a location sentence using في and a real city.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 6

Describe people, things and learning

Use pronouns, basic adjective agreement and simple present verbs.

Learn

Learn أنا I, أنتَ/أنتِ you, هو he and هي she. These are singular pronouns; plural forms can wait. A descriptive adjective normally follows its noun: كتاب جديد “a new book”; مدرسة جديدة “a new school.” Both become definite in الكتاب الجديد “the new book.” In الكتاب جديد “the book is new,” the noun is definite but the predicate adjective is not. For basic feminine agreement, طالب/طالبة and جديد/جديدة give helpful patterns, not universal rules. Learn أدرس “I study,” أقرأ “I read,” and أكتب “I write” as functional first-person verbs before memorizing a whole conjugation chart. لا before a present verb gives basic negation: لا أفهم “I do not understand.”

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Learning Arabic can connect literature, media, daily interaction and art. Calligraphy is an artistic tradition, while everyday script is a practical skill. Compare a readable sign with an artistic composition without judging them by the same purpose.

Practice and submit

1. Complete: مدرسة (جديد / جديدة).
2. Translate: الكتاب جديد.
3. Write “I study Arabic” and “I write.”
4. Describe a book and a school with two different adjectives.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 7

Food, courtesy and regional voices

Make a polite request; recognize sun letters; compare labeled regional phrases.

Learn

أريد means “I want / would like.” Add من فضلك “please” in a suitable context. الماء water and الشاي tea contain الـ. Before sun letters the l sound assimilates: الشمس ash-shams; before moon letters it remains: القمر al-qamar. The spelling keeps ل. Sun letters are ت ث د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ل ن. A shadda ّ doubles a consonant, as in أمّي ummī. Sukūn ْ shows no following short vowel. Tanwīn adds final n in fully pronounced forms; learn شكرًا as shukran. Natural pause reading often omits grammatical final short vowels. Regional expressions are useful recognition examples, not replacements for course MSA.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Kushari combines rice, lentils, pasta and accompaniments in common Egyptian versions; recipes vary. Explore a dish as a starting point for questions about ingredients, migration and daily life. Do not assume all Arabic speakers share one cuisine or diet. Egyptian إزيّك؟ izzayyak/izzayyik, Levantine كيفك؟ kīfak/kīfik and Iraqi شلونك؟ shlōnak/shlōnich are common regional ways of asking “How are you?” Usage varies by locality and speaker.

Practice and submit

1. Classify: الشمس / القمر as sun or moon examples.
2. Explain the mark in أمّي.
3. Write a polite water request.
4. Compare one MSA greeting with a regional example; label both.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

MODULE 8

Read, speak and connect

Combine script, pronunciation, comprehension and cultural inquiry in a final portfolio.

Learn

Read connected text in small meaningful chunks, not letter names. First locate familiar words and punctuation, then decode unfamiliar words using shape, vowel marks and context. Remove transliteration progressively: read Arabic once with help, once without it, then record. Beginners will still need a dictionary or teacher for unvowelled unfamiliar words. A successful final introduction communicates a name, origin, learning activity and one interest. Fluency is not promised after eight weeks. Continue with regular listening, spaced retrieval, handwriting and interaction with speakers from the varieties you wish to learn.

Words and phrases

Model conversation / reading

Culture in context

Choose an official cultural resource and distinguish an observation from an interpretation: “The exhibition shows…” is evidence; “Everyone in this country…” is an unsupported generalization. End with a question you would respectfully ask a local speaker.

Practice and submit

1. Read the dialogue without transliteration and identify three facts about Noor.
2. Write a 40–60-word introduction using supported vocabulary; a shorter accurate version is acceptable for early beginners.
3. Record 45–60 seconds of speech and answer two familiar questions.
4. Create a 150-word English cultural reflection with a source, one comparison and one open question.

Check your progress

Can you perform this module’s outcome without looking at the English? Select “independent,” “with support,” or “needs practice.” Write one next step.

Final assessment & next steps

Complete these tasks before checking the ebook answer key. This self-study assessment is not a proficiency certification.

1. Write the six letters that do not join onward to the left.
2. Join ب + ي + ت and ك + ت + ا + ب.
3. Read بَ، بِ، بُ، بَا، بِي، بُو and record the difference in length.
4. Write your name and origin in two Arabic sentences.
5. Ask a woman her name.
6. Write “This is my mother” and “This is my father.”
7. Convert ٣، ٧، ١٢، ٢٠ to Western digits.
8. Write “a new book” and “a new school.”
9. Translate أدرس العربية and لا أفهم.
10. Write a polite water request.
11. Record a 45-second introduction; compare with the rubric in the course guide.
12. Write a short culture reflection with a named source and one respectful question.

Your next step

Repeat any module where you still need support. Continue with human feedback on sounds, short daily reading, and Arabic 102 topics: plural forms, present-tense verb patterns and everyday regional conversation.