Event—Adult Education

Beginning Arabic: Part 1

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Page from the Kitāb al-Kawākib al-Thābitah Musawwar (Illustrated Book of Fixed Stars), ‘Abd al-Rahmān al-Sūfī, 1430-1440. Source: Bibliothèque Nationale de France via the Public Domain Review.

Class Description

Complete beginners or heritage speakers will learn the basics of reading and writing in Arabic, starting with the alphabet. After this course, students will be able to read and write short paragraphs in grammatically correct Modern Standard Arabic (fusḥa), describing themselves, their family, the weather, food, places, and simple actions in the past, present and future. Lessons will also include cultural information and guidance for continuing study of Arabic.

Ms. Laurel Harig-Khan graduated from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago in 2019 and from Bard College in 2008. She also studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and at the American University of Beirut. She teaches Arabic and courses on the history, culture, and politics of the Middle East and North Africa.

All virtual classes are recorded and made available on a password-protected basis to participants registered in the class. These recordings are available for up to two weeks after the class ends.

Materials List

Required

Cost and Registration

8 Sessions, $225 ($202 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

We now offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($225), Community Supported ($215), and Sponsor ($235). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.

This class is intended to be part one in a series. Anyone enrolled in this first part will receive a discount on future classes in the series!

To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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Questions?

Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email at adulteducation@newberry.org.

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