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Beginners’ Arabic language and culture

In this online Arabic course, you’ll learn the essentials of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in a language of profound global importance. Spoken by millions worldwide, Arabic opens doors to exciting career opportunities and deepens understanding of rich cultural heritage. Through engaging activities and native speaker recordings, you&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;ll learn to communicate about daily life, work, and travel while gaining insights into the vibrant history of the Arab world. On completion, you’ll receive a digital badge, which can be shared on social media and added to email signatures.

Standalone study only

You will not be awarded credits for studying this course. It is available for standalone study only and cannot be counted towards an OU qualification.

Short course

Short course code

LGXA002

Credits

This is a non-credit bearing course.

Study method

Distance Learning

Short course cost

See Registration

Entry requirements

See Entry requirements
Course details Entry requirements Registration Study materials

What you will study

This five-unit course builds on the short course Introduction to Arabic language and culture (LGXA001) to take your learning further.

You’ll continue to learn basic Arabic in terms of grammar, the writing system, pronunciation and how to use common set phrases appropriately to enable you to speak and write about everyday topics. Each unit consists of a variety of online activities and audio recordings by native Arabic speakers, as well as a dedicated culture session to further deepen your understanding and insight into the history, traditions and way of life in the Arab world.

This online Arabic short course covers a range of topics, including:

  • how to talk about careers in Arabic, including skills for job interviews
  • travel and tourism
  • education and schools
  • shopping
  • the weather
  • traditional dress in the Arab world
  • the history of education in the Arab world
  • climate diversity in the Arab world.

You will learn

After completing this Arabic language course, you will be able to:

  • understand and communicate with Arabic speakers in a range of simple everyday topics
  • write basic sentences using three different tenses and using the Arabic alphabet
  • have a basic understanding of the differences in history and language in different regions of the Arab world
  • understand some of the common customs, values and interests of people who live or have roots in the Arab world.

This course will help you achieve a language proficiency equivalent to level A1 of the

Learner support

Expert, confidential learner support is available from a learning adviser who will respond to you directly. Other support is available via the course forum, dedicated website, and computing helpdesk.

If you have a disability

The course is delivered online and uses a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet, you are advised to contact us about the support that can be provided to meet your needs.

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying LGXA002 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

Regulations

As a student of ¿ìèÊÓƵ, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our website.


Entry requirements

There are no entry requirements; however, it is advised to complete Introduction to Arabic language and culture (LGXA001) to better understand Arabic before starting this course.

The free OpenLearn course Introduction to Arabic also provides a technical introduction to the Arabic alphabet and writing system.

Course length

The course comprises five units, each expected to take about four to five hours to study a week to complete. In total, you’ll need around 25 hours to complete the course.

You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a period of between 6 and 18 months, depending on your course registration date, and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment.

Register

Start End England fee Register
At anytime before registration end date Jan 2026 - see Entry requirements for more detail £99.00

Registration closes 31/07/2025

Ways to pay

Credit/Debit Card – We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.

Sponsorship – If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.

The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2024/25 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;s fee policy, visit our .

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;ve started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;ll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;re unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;t worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you&/courses/short-courses/lgxa002/39;ll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

All learning materials, exercises, study support and activity are delivered entirely online.

You will need

You will need to download an Arabic text font for some of the activities and quizzes.

Computing requirements

  • Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they may not be suitable as your primary device as their functionality may be limited. For example, voice recorder activities, which feature in language short courses, may not work on iOS/Apple devices.
  • Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
  • Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
  • Operating systems – Windows 10 or 11 or macOS Ventura (or higher).
  • Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
  • Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.