Arabic is the sixth most spoken language in the world, with more than 270 million speakers in over 20 countries. In addition to their political and economic importance, Arabic-speaking countries have an extremely rich cultural heritage, with their own distinctive visual arts, literature, architecture, music, and cuisine. Additionally, Arabic is understood and studied by Muslims all over the world, because it is the liturgical language of Islam and its sacred book, the Qur’an. Arabic speakers are currently in great demand in the fields of business, education, international politics, and security studies.

Our department offers classes of Arabic at the elementary level, as well as Arabic for native speakers.

LANG 131: Elementary Arabic I
This course teaches the essentials of basic communication in Arabic. Emphasis is on oral communication (speaking and understanding oral speech) and an introduction to Arabic characters. It is recommended for students with little or no previous knowledge of Arabic.

LANG 132: Elementary Arabic II
This course is a continuation of LANG 131 (Elementary Arabic I).

LANG 270: Arabic for Arabic Speakers
This course provides students who have a speaking knowledge of Arabic with a foundation in reading and writing MSA (Modern Standard Arabic). It utilizes authentic materials and incorporates literature as well as customs and cultural attitudes from the Arabic-speaking world.