Students of every level of proficiency are welcome to join the courses of standard modern Arabic. After a written and oral test at the very beginning of the session each student is assigned to the course appropriate to his level. There are four levels: beginners, intermediate, advanced and superior. The mother tongue of all the teachers is Arabic. The daily four hour lessons are held five days a week from Monday to Friday and the number of students for each class is limited to eight.
* Beginners: This the level of the initial approach to the language. It is a gradual formation which starts with learning the Arab alphabet, basic vocabulary and a thorough grounding in basic grammar. The student will acquire the skills necessary to read, understand and write simple sentences and communicate in simple every day situations.
* Intermediate: At this level the student is introduced to the understanding of simple dialogues and texts. Syntax and vocabulary are studied through practical exercises in writing texts and in conversation. The basic approach at this level centres on the learning of regular verb forms and the introduction to the irregular verbs found in the texts studied. By acquiring the grammatical forms and vocabulary the student reaches a correct level of understanding and pronunciation of the language.
* Advanced: Here the emphasis is on consolidating skills in conversation by building up basic grammatical knowledge and enriching vocabulary through the use of varied teaching materials which include newspaper and magazine articles, songs, local proverbs and extracts from modern and classical novels. Writing short essays and creating simulations of conversational situations also improve the linguistic abilities of the student.
* Superior: This is the most advanced level of the courses in which the student who has already reached a good level in standard modern Arabic starts to strengthen, develop and improve his linguistic abilities. Continuous vocabulary building and the acquisition of new phrases drawn from extracts of poetry and novels, newspaper articles and essays on social cultural and political subjects become the basic foundation in acquiring a high degree of skill in communication both in conversation and in writing.
Faculty Information:
In this school the approach to learning the Arab language is one of humanistic communication whereby each pupil plays a positive central role in the teaching activity. The tuition methods used are based on the principle that a language is learnt in order to communicate in situations encountered in real life. The techniques used allow the student to practice what he already knows in conversational situations. In parallel to conversational activities such as scene play, role play and group discussions; there are also games which stimulate further communication in the language.
For each level the college awards a certificate.
Other Activities:
Workshops:
* Typical cooking: A pleasant boat trip across the Nile leads to the home of Muhammad where the cooking class has been organized. With a few twigs picked up near the door of her home the young woman lights the fire for cooking the molokheyya soup (local vegetable resembling spinach), potatoes cooked with onions, with ochre in the pot rather than the foul (dish of yellow beans and black beans seasoned with sesame oil and lemon) while Umm Muhammad in the shade of the date palm gives instructions on how to make the “shamsi” bread right from the kneading to the oven.
* Feluca: A light breeze touches one’s face, turned towards the brilliant green of the banks of the Nile where goats and little donkeys placidly graze, and carries the felluca towards the Banana Island. The felluca captain will guide the student wishing to learn some tips on Nile navigation while the fish leap out of the water as though giving a welcome.
* Calligraphy: Learning to write well in Arabic, is the aim of the majority of the students of this language. Continuous practice with correction by the teacher is the main way of learning the basic notions of writing, but a more complex approach is necessary to acquire the basis of the art of calligraphy. It is the artistic approach which must link the mind to the hand of the student in order to acquire the refined lines of Arab calligraphy. This is indispensable for understanding through the tip of the “calame” the culture which created it.
* Raqs al-sharqi or oriental dance: The social role of the dance was extremely important in the ancient Egyptian culture. The beat of the rhythm, the movements and the techniques, have evolved throughout the centuries to develop a type of dance characterized by the sinuous movement of the belly and hips. Al-raqs as-sharqy is derived from a more folkloric and spontaneous dance albeit less refined, called “balady”.
It is easy to arrange to see the performance of this dance, by both men and women, at marriage receptions. Those who wish to learn the precise movements of the oriental dance (the “belly dance” as it is known in Europe) can be shown and taught the techniques which they can enjoy performing when the notes and rhythm of the lute, the “tabla” the “nay” and the “rababa”start to play.
Facility Information:
* The convent at Luxor (which provides the school's accommodation) costs 5€ per night with the added use of a kitchen. The convent offers rooms with either 3 or 4 beds and kitchen/bathroom facilities, a large common room, bed linen and towels. With advance notification and depending on availability, we can offer only temporary accommodation in the convent, prior to ulterior arrangements: students are encouraged to find themselves an apartment or hotel room.
* Family: Accommodation with a family including breakfast and dinner costs 60 € per week. This type of arrangement is not easily chanced upon: few families agree to accommodate students in their own homes.
* Apartments: these can be shared with other students from the school or with Egyptian students from the art college. A wide variety of prices. It depends on your budget and the degree of comfort necessary to you.
Also see Vacation Schools in:
Language Schools
Africa
Egypt
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