Grade 01: Arabic

In this unit, 'Letters and sounds', you learn to recognise and say the Arabic letters with short vowels. Lessons are short and playful, with objects, pictures and talk. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Letters and sounds' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: recognise and say the Arabic letters with short vowels, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Meet three letters and the three short vowels. The letter ب is read b: بَ (ba, with fatha, a small slash above), بِ (bi, with kasra, a small slash below), بُ (bu, with damma, a small curl above). Say each sound aloud three times.
2. Step 2, Do the same with ت and ا. تَ (ta), تِ (ti), تُ (tu). The letter ا (alif) carries the vowel sound: أَ (a), إِ (i), أُ (u). Read this row slowly, pointing at each mark: بَ تَ أَ، بِ تِ إِ، بُ تُ أُ.
3. Step 3, Join letters into real words. بَاب [door] has the long vowel alif. بِنْت [girl] and تَمْر [dates] show the little circle called sukun (ْ), which means no vowel on that letter. Sound them out: ba-b, bin-t, tam-r.
4. Step 4, Practise a tiny question and answer. Teacher: مَا هَذَا؟ [What is this?] Child: هَذَا بَاب. [This is a door.] Teacher: وَمَا هَذَا؟ [And what is this?] Child: هَذَا تَمْر. [This is dates, the fruit.] Point at pictures as you ask and answer.
5. Step 5, Spot the common error. A learner reads بِ as ba, ignoring the kasra under the letter. Correction: a mark below means i, so بِ is bi. Another error is writing بَاب as three separate letters ب ا ب; in a word the letters join from right to left.
6. Step 6, Your turn: read these aloud, then write the word for house. تُ، تِ، بَ، بُ. Model answer: tu, ti, ba, bu. The word for house is بَيْت [house], read bayt; check you wrote ب first on the right, then ي, then ت.

Activity. About 20 to 30 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: one page in your learning book.

Standard to meet. Recognise and say the Arabic letters with short vowels: at least 4 of 5 attempts correct, said or written, with one real example from home or school.

In this unit, 'Greetings and polite words', you learn to use common greetings and thanks. Lessons are short and playful, with objects, pictures and talk. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Greetings and polite words' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: use common greetings and thanks, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Learn the first greeting pair. One child says السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ [Peace be upon you] and the other answers وَعَلَيْكُمُ السَّلَامُ [And upon you peace]. Say it with a smile and a small nod. Also learn the simple hello: مَرْحَبًا [Hello].
2. Step 2, Learn the time-of-day greetings. صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ [Good morning] is answered with صَبَاحُ النُّورِ [Morning of light]. In the evening say مَسَاءُ الْخَيْرِ [Good evening], answered with مَسَاءُ النُّورِ. Practise both pairs with a partner.
3. Step 3, Add polite words. شُكْرًا [Thank you] is answered with عَفْوًا [You're welcome]. To ask for something say مِنْ فَضْلِكَ [please, to a boy]. At the end of the lesson say مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ [Goodbye]. Say each one while handing a pencil to your partner.
4. Step 4, Act out a short dialogue. A: مَرْحَبًا! كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟ [Hello! How are you?] B: أَنَا بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْرًا. [I am well, thank you.] A: عَفْوًا. مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ. [You're welcome. Goodbye.] B: مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ. [Goodbye.]
5. Step 5, Fix a common error. A boy says to a girl: مِنْ فَضْلِكَ. Correction: for a girl the ending changes, so say مِنْ فَضْلِكِ [please, to a girl]. Likewise كَيْفَ حَالُكِ؟ [How are you? to a girl] is used for a girl and حَالُكَ for a boy.
6. Step 6, Your turn: say good morning to your teacher, thank a friend for a pencil, then say goodbye. Model answer: صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ [Good morning]. شُكْرًا [Thank you]. عَفْوًا [You're welcome]. مَعَ السَّلَامَةِ [Goodbye].

Activity. About 20 to 30 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: one page in your learning book.

Standard to meet. Use common greetings and thanks: at least 4 of 5 attempts correct, said or written, with one real example from home or school.

In this unit, 'My family and my house', you learn to name family members and rooms. Lessons are short and playful, with objects, pictures and talk. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'My family and my house' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: name family members and rooms, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Learn the family words with my: أَبِي [my father], أُمِّي [my mother], أَخِي [my brother], أُخْتِي [my sister], جَدِّي [my grandfather], جَدَّتِي [my grandmother]. The ending ـي means my. Say each word while pointing at a family photo.
2. Step 2, Name people with هَذَا for a male and هَذِهِ for a female. هَذَا أَبِي. [This is my father.] هَذَا أَخِي. [This is my brother.] هَذِهِ أُمِّي. [This is my mother.] هَذِهِ أُخْتِي. [This is my sister.] Read each pair twice.
3. Step 3, Learn the rooms. غُرْفَةُ النَّوْمِ [bedroom], الْمَطْبَخُ [kitchen], الْحَمَّامُ [bathroom], غُرْفَةُ الْجُلُوسِ [sitting room]. Say: هَذِهِ غُرْفَةُ النَّوْمِ. [This is the bedroom.] غُرْفَةٌ is feminine, so it takes هَذِهِ.
4. Step 4, Practise a mini dialogue. A: أَيْنَ أُمِّي؟ [Where is my mother?] B: هِيَ فِي الْمَطْبَخِ. [She is in the kitchen.] A: وَأَيْنَ أَبِي؟ [And where is my father?] B: هُوَ فِي غُرْفَةِ الْجُلُوسِ. [He is in the sitting room.]
5. Step 5, Correct a typical mistake. A child says هَذَا أُمِّي. Correction: أُمِّي is feminine, so say هَذِهِ أُمِّي [This is my mother]. Remember the pairs: هَذَا with أَبِي and أَخِي, هَذِهِ with أُمِّي and أُخْتِي.
6. Step 6, Your turn: introduce your grandmother and say she is in the kitchen. Model answer: هَذِهِ جَدَّتِي. هِيَ فِي الْمَطْبَخِ. [This is my grandmother. She is in the kitchen.] Then point to a room and name it.

Activity. About 20 to 30 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: one page in your learning book.

Standard to meet. Name family members and rooms: at least 4 of 5 attempts correct, said or written, with one real example from home or school.

In this unit, 'Colours, numbers and animals', you learn to name colours, numbers to 10 and animals. Lessons are short and playful, with objects, pictures and talk. You see it, say it, then do it alone.

• Listen first: your teacher or a recording says the new words or sentences from 'Colours, numbers and animals' twice. You repeat them aloud.
• Notice the pattern: find where the new sound, word form or sentence rule appears in a short text and mark it.
• Use it: name colours, numbers to 10 and animals, first with help, then alone.
• Check and fix: read your work aloud once more; fix one thing you hear is wrong.

Step by step.

1. Step 1, Learn six colours: أَحْمَرُ [red], أَزْرَقُ [blue], أَخْضَرُ [green], أَصْفَرُ [yellow], أَبْيَضُ [white], أَسْوَدُ [black]. Hold up crayons and say each name. These are the forms for a masculine thing, such as حِصَانٌ أَسْوَدُ [a black horse].
2. Step 2, Count to ten: وَاحِد، اثْنَان، ثَلَاثَة، أَرْبَعَة، خَمْسَة، سِتَّة، سَبْعَة، ثَمَانِيَة، تِسْعَة، عَشَرَة [one to ten]. Clap once for each number as you say it, then count ten fingers from right to left.
3. Step 3, Name animals: قِطَّة [cat], كَلْب [dog], حِصَان [horse], عُصْفُور [bird], سَمَكَة [fish]. Make a sentence: عِنْدِي قِطَّةٌ بَيْضَاءُ. [I have a white cat.] For a feminine animal the colour changes to بَيْضَاءُ [white, feminine].
4. Step 4, Combine numbers and animals. هُنَا كَلْبٌ وَاحِدٌ وَقِطَّتَانِ. [Here are one dog and two cats.] The ending ـتَانِ means two of something feminine. Ask: مَا لَوْنُ الْحِصَانِ؟ [What colour is the horse?] Answer: أَسْوَدُ. [Black.]
5. Step 5, Fix an error. A child says قِطَّةٌ أَبْيَضُ. Correction: قِطَّةٌ بَيْضَاءُ, because قِطَّة is feminine and needs the feminine colour. For a masculine word keep أَبْيَضُ: كَلْبٌ أَبْيَضُ [a white dog].
6. Step 6, Your turn: say you have a green bird and three fish. Model answer: عِنْدِي عُصْفُورٌ أَخْضَرُ [I have a green bird] وَثَلَاثُ سَمَكَاتٍ [and three fish]. Then count the animals in a picture aloud from one to ten.

Activity. About 20 to 30 minutes of class work, then one short practice task for home. Keep evidence: one page in your learning book.

Standard to meet. Name colours, numbers to 10 and animals: at least 4 of 5 attempts correct, said or written, with one real example from home or school.

On the slide: L1 Basic · First sounds and greetings

Notes: Say hello, give your name and name three everyday objects in Arabic. Notes: teach مرحبا (marhaba, hello) and كتاب (kitab, book) aloud before any writing; learners greet a partner and point to a book, a pen and a door while saying each word.

This course: Grade 01 Arabic is at this level. Its units include Letters and sounds; Greetings and polite words; My family and my house; Colours, numbers and animals.

On the slide: L2 Awareness · Letters and the right-to-left page

Notes: Recognise that Arabic is written right to left and copy the shapes of the first eight letters. Notes: show that letters change form at the start, middle and end of a word; learners trace the letter for b, then find it in three printed words.

On the slide: L3 Foundation · Simple sentences and a first reading

Notes: Read and write short present-tense sentences about yourself, family and daily life with short vowels marked. Notes: use هذا كتاب (hadha kitab, this is a book) as the model; learners build five new sentences, swapping the noun each time, and read them aloud.

On the slide: L4 Practitioner · Everyday conversation and roots

Notes: Hold a two-minute conversation on school, food and travel and use the three-letter root idea to guess new words. Notes: show k-t-b giving kitab (book) and katib (writer); learners find the root in four given words, then order a meal in a role-play.

On the slide: L5 Specialist · Formal Arabic and dialect awareness

Notes: Compare Modern Standard Arabic with one spoken dialect and write a formal letter of about 150 words. Notes: take one phrase, such as how to say 'how are you', in both registers; learners list three differences and choose the right register for a news item and a chat.

On the slide: L6 Advanced · Literary analysis and linguistics

Notes: Analyse a classical or modern text for grammar, rhetoric and register, and write a reasoned essay in Arabic. Notes: choose a short poem of eight lines; learners mark case endings, name one image used, and explain in a 400-word essay how the form supports the meaning.

On the slide: L7 Super expert · Translation, research and teaching

Notes: Design and defend a translation or research project that handles dialect variation, with a documented method. Notes: pick a 500-word article and translate it for two audiences; justify every choice about register, note untranslatable terms, and have a native reader check the result.