“Learn the beauty of the Arabic language…
Ongoing Arabic language courses
“Love Arabic beauty? Learn MSA + grammar, dialect, plus a taste of poetry. Live classes.. live with a fluent expert in literature & translation.—DM to join us!”
Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities, where the journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and where every moment is an opportunity to make your mark on the canvas of existence. The only limit is the extent of your imagination.
— First, Last
OPC ecclesiastical institution & X Minority provides Arabic courses…
You will learn Arabic and its grammar, and the Syrian dialect through the most beautiful Syrian poems,
with Fr. Spyridon Tanous, a specialist in Arabic literature in translation.
لَم يَكفِهِم شَطرُ النُبوغِ فَزُدهُمُ
إِن كُنتَ بِالشَطرَينِ غَيرَ جَوادِ
أَو دَع لِسانَكَ وَاللُغاتِ فَرُبَّما
غَنّى الأَصيلُ بِمَنطِقِ الأَجدادِ
إِنَّ الَّذي مَلَأَ اللُغاتِ مَحاسِناً
جَعَلَ الجَمالَ وَسَرَّهُ في الضادِ
(أمير الشعراء أحمد شوقي)
Half of genius didn’t sate them—give them more, If you’re not generous with both its shares. Or leave your tongue and all tongues aside, For the pure one might sing with the voice of ancestors. He who filled all languages with virtues, Placed beauty and its secret in the ḍād.
لَم يَكفِهِم شَطرُ النُبوغِ فَزُدهُمُ
إِن كُنتَ بِالشَطرَينِ غَيرَ جَوادِ
أَو دَع لِسانَكَ وَاللُغاتِ فَرُبَّما
غَنّى الأَصيلُ بِمَنطِقِ الأَجدادِ
إِنَّ الَّذي مَلَأَ اللُغاتِ مَحاسِناً
جَعَلَ الجَمالَ وَسَرَّهُ في الضادِ
Notes:
- “شَطرُ النُبوغِ” (half of genius) suggests an incomplete offering—I interpreted it as a call to fully share one’s gifts.
- “غَيرَ جَوادِ” (not generous) carries a subtle challenge, which I kept direct.
- “الأَصيلُ” (the pure one) could refer to a noble person or the Arabic language itself—I leaned toward the latter, given the context of “الضادِ” (ḍād, the unique Arabic letter).
- “مَنطِقِ الأَجدادِ” (voice of ancestors) evokes heritage, tied to Shawqi’s frequent praise of Arabic’s legacy.
- The final couplet celebrates Arabic’s beauty, with “الضادِ” as its hallmark—a famous theme in Shawqi’s work. I kept “ḍād” untranslated to retain its specificity.
Curriculum Outline
Beginners (MSA + Dialect Intro):
Week 1: Arabic alphabet, basic pronunciation, greetings in MSA (“Marhaban”) and dialect (e.g., Levantine “Marhaba”).
Week 2: Connecting letters, simple vocab (family, numbers).
Week 3: Nominal sentences (e.g., “Al-bayt kabeer” – The house is big), dialect twist (e.g., Egyptian “El-beet kbeer”).
Week 4: Intro to verbs (past tense), basic Q&A.
Week 5: Adjectives and agreement, more dialect phrases.
Week 6: Present tense verbs, daily routines.
Week 7: Combining MSA and dialect in short dialogues.
Week 8: Review, mini-conversations, cultural tidbit (e.g., tea customs).
Intermediate (MSA + Dialect Expansion):
Week 1: Review verb conjugation (past/present), dialect greetings.
Week 2: Intro to verb forms (e.g., Form II for causation), dialect slang.
Week 3: Cases (nominative, accusative), MSA reading practice.
Week 4: Listening comprehension (MSA news clip, dialect audio).
Week 5: Complex sentences, dialect storytelling.
Week 6: Writing practice (short MSA paragraph), dialect role-play.
Week 7: Advanced vocab (e.g., professions, emotions), cultural discussion.
Week 8: Final project (e.g., present a topic in MSA + dialect).
For information
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