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ARABIC 101RIntroduction to Arabic 1

Units
0.50
Faculty
Arts
Subject
Arabic

When it runs

  1. F24
  2. W25
  3. S25
  4. F25
  5. W26
  6. S26
  7. F26
  8. W27
  9. S27

Ran in 4 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.

This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Arabic. Students will study Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) with a focus on learning the alphabet and cursive writing. They will develop knowledge of basic vocabulary, construct simple sentences, and exchange basic conversations.

Prerequisites

  • Placement test is required

Antirequisites

  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • ARABIC120R - Literary Arabic for Heritage Speakers (0.50)
    • Not completed any of the following:
    • Not open to students with native, near-native, or similar advanced ability

Leads to

Fall 2026 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 081690651 / 60Online or by arrangement

Winter 2027 sections

Enrolment from UW Open Data, which can trail Quest by up to two days. Instructors and rooms: Schedule of Classes.
SectionClassEnrolledMeets
LEC 08175890 / 60Online or by arrangement
LEC 701799427 / 9999Online or by arrangement

Reviewed on UW Flow

82% liked it75% easy79% useful

From 11 ratings and 4 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.

  • Final exam is Open book.

    Jun 2022 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Great course. Taken online it'll take a lot of time if you don't plan for it well, but if you spread it out, it can be a few minutes a day and you'll learn really rapidly.

    May 2026 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • Definitely useful but most of the course teaches you of the Arabic alphabet then final exam heavily focuses on grammar and sentence structure which was only discussed in one week, days before the exam. Weekly drills and quizzes are all open book except for oral midterm and final. Oral tests were the most difficult part. Final exam required you to download the questions from Word doc then they give you 4 hours to answer on paper and upload.
    Prof was Amir Al-Azraki, he was well engaged and knowledgable.

    Dec 2024 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this

  • If you are not a native Arabic speaker like myself, this course is not easy. I even had some knowledge of how to read arabic beforehand, but this course mainly focuses on learning how to write arabic, and almost all weekly drills and quizzes focus on this. Infact, it focuses so much on writing that during the midterm and final exam (which include reading, writing, and speaking) you will likely feel unprepared for the other elements. Course work is okay, you need to find/buy a textbook, there is mandatory weekly homework that must be submitted. Overall, much more time consuming and difficult than expected for an introductory language course.

    Jun 2024 · didn’t like itOn UW FlowRemove this

Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026

Calendar versions

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