What you actually study
Modern Standard Arabic is the formal variety of Arabic used across the Arab world in education, media, literature, public communication, and formal writing. It is also one of the most regular languages in its structure, built on a system of roots and patterns that gives it a high degree of internal consistency. Learning it well therefore requires more than memorizing vocabulary or completing a textbook. It requires a structured understanding of how Arabic works, built progressively through grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, and communication.
Our MSA courses and programs use Alif Baa and the Al-Kitaab series from Georgetown University Press as core references: Alif Baa, followed by Al-Kitaab Parts One and Two, and Part Three at advanced levels. But the books are only part of the curriculum. At Al Minbar, we constantly develop our own teaching materials, exercises, and activities alongside them, allowing teachers to follow a clear progression while adapting lessons to students' levels and the difficulties they encounter.
The difference is not the textbook. It is the intensity and structure of the learning.
A typical university course may meet Arabic for a few hours each week. Our intensive program brings students into Arabic for twenty hours a week, creating the continuity needed for the language to develop quickly. New grammar and vocabulary are introduced, practiced, reviewed, and then reused across different skills rather than treated as isolated units.
Each level is organized into 4 weeks consisting of 80 lessons, 55 minutes each. Students begin with a placement test that determines the appropriate entry point. From there, progress is structured through regular quizzes, examinations, classroom work, and continuous assessment. This allows us to identify what has been mastered, what needs further practice, and when a student is ready to move forward.
Alif Baa; Al-Kitaab Part One, Lessons 1–3
Read and write the script; introduce yourself, your family, your studies; manage greetings and simple exchanges
Part One, Lessons 4–8
Describe your day, your city, what you like and don't; ask and answer real questions; read short adapted texts
Part One, Lessons 9–13 + consolidation
Narrate in the past; compare and explain; get through daily situations without English; read simple authentic material
Part Two, Lessons 1–5
Hold a conversation on familiar ground; write connected paragraphs; follow a straightforward news item
Part Two, Lessons 6–10 + synthesis
Discuss topics beyond your own life; read the press with a dictionary; sustain paragraph-length speech
Part Two, Lessons 7–10
Talk about how things were and how they have changed; express conditions and hypotheticals; describe how people do things; hold your own in longer discussions of plans and goals
Part Three, Lessons 1–2 + synthesis
Follow authentic Arabic across dialects; read full-length articles; build and defend an argument in formal Arabic; sustain discussion and writing at essay length
The curriculum develops the main skills of MSA together: understanding, reading, writing, and speaking. Grammar is taught as a system, vocabulary is built progressively, and texts become increasingly complex as students advance. The objective is to develop a solid command of the language that continues to grow from one stage to the next, well beyond finishing a book or completing a level.
Beyond Level 5, students can continue into Al-Kitaab Part Three or choose from a range of electives to complement their Arabic studies. These options can be taken independently or added to a semester or Academic Year program, depending on the student's level and interests. See below.
The level you achieve
To help us determine the level you achieved, we assess against the ACTFL and CEFR proficiency guidelines.
Arabic is classified as a Category IV language for English speakers, placing it among the most demanding languages to learn, alongside Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Five intensive levels represent a substantial foundation in Arabic, but they are not equivalent to several years of study. By the end of Level 5, students should be able to read the press, develop and defend ideas, and function comfortably in Arabic across a range of contexts. Reaching a professional level, however, requires further study and continued exposure. We believe it is important to be clear about that distinction.
For students who need a certified proficiency rating, we arrange an official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) through Language Testing International. The assessment is conducted independently by a certified examiner and is included in programs of eight weeks and longer, from the Summer Program through the Academic Year. Al Minbar provides the instruction and prepares students for the assessment.
Continuing beyond Level 5
Al-Kitaab Part Three
For students continuing through the Al-Kitaab sequence, Part Three takes Arabic into more advanced territory: longer and more demanding texts, denser grammar, and a greater emphasis on reading and working directly with Arabic. At this stage, the focus shifts from learning the language itself toward using Arabic as a tool for engaging with increasingly complex material.
Putting Arabic into practice
At this level, students apply their Arabic beyond the classroom through guided projects and authentic interactions. The focus is on strengthening listening comprehension, analyzing real-world language, and developing the ability to express and defend ideas.
Student-led surveys
With their teacher's guidance, students design a short survey in Arabic around a topic they have studied in class. They then take their questions into the city and conduct interviews with people in real-life situations. The activity develops listening comprehension and spontaneous communication, while giving students the opportunity to analyze and reflect on the responses they collect.
Discussion groups
Students take part in guided discussions with Moroccan university students on topics related to society, culture, and everyday life. They practice understanding different viewpoints, analyzing arguments, expressing their own ideas clearly, and defending their position in Arabic.
Electives: Content Courses & Area Studies
Electives allow you to take your studies in a more specific direction. They can be taken on their own or added to a semester or Academic Year program.
Content Courses in Arabic
These courses use Arabic as the language of instruction while focusing on a specific subject or type of material. They allow students to continue developing their Arabic through increasingly specialized content rather than through a general language sequence.
Courses may focus on areas such as media, business, and classical texts, depending on the program and level. Each course includes 60 hours of instruction across a semester and counts toward your Arabic contact hours.
Area Studies in English
Area Studies courses approach the Arab world from an academic perspective, with instruction in English. They are designed for students who want to deepen their understanding of the region alongside their Arabic studies.
These 20-hour, one-to-one courses can cover subjects such as history, politics, society, culture, or other areas of academic interest. They can be taken independently or added to a semester or Academic Year program.
The two types of electives serve different purposes. Content Courses strengthen your Arabic through subject-based study; Area Studies deepen your knowledge of the region through academic study in English.
MSA Course Formats
Choose the format that fits your schedule, from weekly intensive courses to private lessons and semester-long immersion programs. Here is how each option is structured and when it begins.
| Course | Hours | Schedule | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intensive Arabic | 20 a week | Mornings | Any Monday |
| Semi-Intensive Arabic | 10 a week | Afternoons | Any Monday |
| Private lessons | Your choice | Your choice | Anytime |
| Semi-Private (2–5 students) | Your choice | Your choice | Anytime |
| Evening course | 30 hours over 10 weeks | Evenings | Fixed sessions |
| Immersion programsFall · Winter · Spring · Summer · Academic Year | 20 a week + supervised study | Mornings + afternoons | Fixed dates |
Inside the intensive week
20 hours of Arabic, Monday to Friday.
The intensive program is built around 20 hours of MSA per week, taught in the mornings. On fixed-date programs (semesters, seasonal sessions, and the Academic Year), the afternoon schedule adds five hours of supervised study each week, with guided exercises, review, drills, and structured practice with a teacher.
This additional study time is designed to reinforce the material introduced in class. Arabic requires regular repetition and active use for new grammar and vocabulary to become automatic, so the afternoon sessions provide a structured space to consolidate what has been taught during the morning.
Students should also plan independent study each week. This includes reviewing lessons, completing assignments, learning vocabulary, and preparing for the next stage of the course.
Any Monday of the year
Our Intensive and Semi-Intensive Arabic courses begin any Monday throughout the year. The Intensive course includes 20 hours per week, while the Semi-Intensive includes 10.
Fixed-Date Programs
Semester, seasonal, and Academic Year programs follow fixed dates published in advance, allowing students to plan their studies around academic calendars and other commitments.
Evening, Private & Semi-Private
Evening courses run in fixed sessions over a set period. Private and semi-private lessons offer more flexibility, with the number of hours and schedule arranged according to the student's needs.
Getting placed
Before you arrive
You complete a written placement test covering grammar, vocabulary, and reading.
Around your arrival
A short spoken assessment completes the process, online beforehand or in person on your first day, depending on your arrival schedule.
You won't need to take the placement test if you're a complete beginner.
Your placement determines where you start. If the level is not the right fit once classes begin, we adjust it. Placement is an ongoing process, not a commitment to a level chosen before arrival.
What you leave with
At the end of your course, you receive a certificate documenting your studies, including the course completed, your assessed level, the hours studied, and your dates of enrollment.
For students seeking academic credit, see For Universities for details on contact hours, assessment, and the documentation your home institution may require.
Your certificate states:
- The course completed
- Your assessed level
- The contact hours completed
- Your proficiency level
- Your dates of enrollment
Choose your Arabic course
Pick the format that fits your week; every course teaches Modern Standard Arabic in small groups, at every level from complete beginner up.
