- Online
- $445
This course now teaches the spoken Levantine (Syrian) dialect of Arabic.
If you have a beginner knowledge of Arabic or have taken Arabic Beginner 1, this course is for you. Continue to develop your basic communicative ability in Levantine Arabic (Syrian) as you learn to describe your surroundings, provide important personal information and engage in short conversations about your daily life.
Lessons are designed to balance grammar and vocabulary with opportunities to practise conversation in pairs and small groups. Students will continue developing their understanding and use of the Arabic alphabet.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Describe a city and identify the location of main buildings and landmarks
- Describe your home
- Understand key details in accommodation advertisements
- Provide personal information including nationality and country of origin
- Fill out simple forms
- Describe past events and talk about what you did yesterday or last week
- Participate in simple conversations about food, meals, eating habits and shopping at the markets or in a restaurant
- Use numbers to express amounts and costs
Expected Effort
You can expect to spend about three hours per week attending live, virtual classes and completing course work on your own time. Expect double this amount during the intensive summer term.
Textbook
This course does not require the purchase of a textbook. Course materials are provided by the instructor.
Course Format
This course is offered online and/or in-person. See Available Sessions for details on the course format.
Our online conversational courses offer a virtual classroom experience where you can see and interact with your teacher and classmates over Zoom. Log in at a set time to participate in individual, pair and group work, ask questions and receive feedback from your instructor. Outside of class time, access course materials online at your own pace for up to three weeks after the course ends.
In-person classes are offered at UBC Robson Square in downtown Vancouver.
Learn more about online learning at Extended Learning.
How am I assessed?
This is a non-credit course without letter or numerical grades. You receive verbal feedback on your conversation and grammar skills from your instructor during class. Written homework is typically corrected in class. Some lesson modules may include quizzes.
Record of completion
Students who have successfully completed a course can access completion documents two weeks after the course ends. Course completion means 80% attendance and/or 80% completion of mandatory assignments.
Technology requirements
You’ll need a computer or tablet with a video camera and a microphone, access to the internet, an email account and an up-to-date web browser. The day before your course starts, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the course.