The Arabic School of New York offers first-class tuition online and in-person in all aspects of Arabic. We offer courses at all levels, from beginners to advanced, from learning the alphabet to mastering classical and regional Arabic. Our students learn more than a language, they learn a culture.
There is nowhere else like it in the United States, partly because few schools concentrate on one language. We do, so we give not only the best language teaching, but offer students something far more important: human context. Language does not exist in a vacuum, and we make sure that you are exposed to all the richness of the Arab world, here in New York.
Our students graduate with a command of the language and an understanding of the whole cultural background that goes with it. Our classrooms will provide you with a confidence and clarity of understanding, while our approach and philosophy will ground you in the whole. Our years of experience and love of our subject are at your disposal.
Thank you for visiting our website, we hope to talk to you soon!
Coordinator
There is nowhere else like it in the United States, partly because few schools concentrate on one language. We do, so we give not only the best language teaching, but offer students something far more important: human context. Language does not exist in a vacuum, and we make sure that you are exposed to all the richness of the Arab world, here in New York.
Our students graduate with a command of the language and an understanding of the whole cultural background that goes with it. Our classrooms will provide you with a confidence and clarity of understanding, while our approach and philosophy will ground you in the whole. Our years of experience and love of our subject are at your disposal.
Thank you for visiting our website, we hope to talk to you soon!
Coordinator
New Course:
Introduction to the Art, Architecture and Archaeology of the Early Islamic World 650-1250 CE:
This course is taught by an academic scholar of the Early Islamic Period specializing in the Fatimid period 909-1172 CE and an associate archaeologist. This is the opportunity to travel into the past and examine firsthand the glories and splendors of the Early Islamic Period. The early Islamic world succeeded the Greco-Roman and Byzantine civilizations and consequently inherited their knowledge and technology. The link between these cultures is readily identifiable in the first centuries of Islam but gradually merged through the formation of wholly unique Islamic styles, themes and imagery. Click on the image to learn more about the course.
Introduction to the Art, Architecture and Archaeology of the Early Islamic World 650-1250 CE:
This course is taught by an academic scholar of the Early Islamic Period specializing in the Fatimid period 909-1172 CE and an associate archaeologist. This is the opportunity to travel into the past and examine firsthand the glories and splendors of the Early Islamic Period. The early Islamic world succeeded the Greco-Roman and Byzantine civilizations and consequently inherited their knowledge and technology. The link between these cultures is readily identifiable in the first centuries of Islam but gradually merged through the formation of wholly unique Islamic styles, themes and imagery. Click on the image to learn more about the course.
Our Latest Publications
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"Shackling movements," or tying sounds down.
Did you know that the English word "shackle" has an equivalent in Arabic? Arabic has the verb "شَكَّلَ shakkala," "to form," which also has an archaic meaning, "to shackle," usually referring to tying something like a camel up. (Apparently, the words not linked, but the similarity seems almost too close for coincidence!) "شَكَّلَ shakkala" is also the root of the Arabic noun "tashkeel," which means "formation." In grammar, it refers to placing vowel marks and other diacritics on consonants, limiting the pronunciation of the letter to the vowel marked. Arabic vowels are called "harakat," meaning movements, because you are moving the consonant in the direction of the vowel. For instance, if you have a ba with a damma on it, it will be "bo," moving towards the open "waow" sound, rather than "ba" or "be." In this way, the consonant is shackled to the short or long vowel. Shackles, shakkala, tashkeel—they are all connected and refer to restricting movement. |
You will learn about this topic in the Introduction to Arabic class. You can also read about this topic and other interesting and important topics, which have never been explained to Western students, in Arabic for Donkeys—the most comprehensive Arabic alphabet ever written for Western students. The book can be found on Amazon and by clicking the shackled miim.
Arabs are known for their hospitality. Even outside of their homes, whether in Luxor or in the Saharan desert, an Arab will find a way to show others hospitality and respect, always treating them like a guest. In this picture, which was taken in a cornfield in Luxor, Egypt, a farmer is making tea for a Western Arabic student. The farmer has lit some dry twigs over some stones and made a fire to offer the student his hospitality. This practice is often done using three stones and a metal kettle with a stand. You can read about Arab Culture in Arab Culture. The book can be found on Amazon and by clicking the image above.
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Check out these pictures! We commission photos from all over the Arab World specially for our registered students to help them learn about the culture. Most are very recent, often only days old. Each picture has a lot to teach about the culture—you know what they say: a picture's worth a thousand words. Click to access. |
Arabic is spoken over one of the largest land areas of any native language. It is spoken continuously in the east from Iraq and Khuzestan in southwest Iran, all the way to Morocco and to northeastern Nigeria in the west, an area covering nearly a seventh of the latitudinal distance of the globe. In addition, a number of Arabic-speaking Sprachinseln can be found outside of this area. Please visit our detailed map page for maps of each Arab country by clicking on the image above.
Learning to Read Fuṣħaa Arabic Quickly
In this applet, you will see the letters of the Arabic alphabet displayed first in the correct order and then again in a random order. Arabic letters which are similar to each other and can only be distinguished by dots are no longer found next to each other (ie. baa is not next to taa). Read as many letters as you can on the scrambled image before it changes. Learning to recognize random letters will train your brain to recognize letters more quickly and with greater accuracy, which will help make reading easier and faster. The caveat is that, when reading, most letters will be connected; however, this is still a good place to start.
In this applet, you will see the letters of the Arabic alphabet displayed first in the correct order and then again in a random order. Arabic letters which are similar to each other and can only be distinguished by dots are no longer found next to each other (ie. baa is not next to taa). Read as many letters as you can on the scrambled image before it changes. Learning to recognize random letters will train your brain to recognize letters more quickly and with greater accuracy, which will help make reading easier and faster. The caveat is that, when reading, most letters will be connected; however, this is still a good place to start.
In our upcoming class, Exploring Arabic Media, we will be using this new book by Tarek Mahfouz. Topics related to Arabic media will also be discussed in our currently offered advanced classes.
Check out the course
Check out the course
How do you know that a particular word is a noun?
Arabic nouns have few characteristics that distinguish them from verbs and particles.
If address is involved, then a noun can be distinguished by a vocative particle preceding it. Arabic has five vocative particles, the most commonly used one is yaa, and yaa is only one that is used in addressing God: "O God."
A preposition preceding a word is a sign that this word is a noun.
Tanween is a sign that the word is noun, as is taa marboutah.
The definite article “al” is another sign that the word is a noun. But be careful, alif lam, al, at the start of a word does not always mean “the.” An example is the letter alif itself, which starts with alif lam, but it doesn't mean “the if.” Please visit our grammar page for more similar topics.
بِالْـجَرِّ والتَّنْوِيْنِ والنِّـدا وَأَلْ وَمُسْنَدٍ لِلاسْمِ تَمْيـِيْزٌ حَصـَلْ
It's worth noting that English also has very few characteristics distinguishing nouns: usually you just have to look at the function of a word in a sentence. For instance, but is a usually a conjunction, but in the sentence "But me no buts" it is being used first as verb and then as a noun--we construe how to understand the sentence from the syntax and forms.
Arabic nouns have few characteristics that distinguish them from verbs and particles.
If address is involved, then a noun can be distinguished by a vocative particle preceding it. Arabic has five vocative particles, the most commonly used one is yaa, and yaa is only one that is used in addressing God: "O God."
A preposition preceding a word is a sign that this word is a noun.
Tanween is a sign that the word is noun, as is taa marboutah.
The definite article “al” is another sign that the word is a noun. But be careful, alif lam, al, at the start of a word does not always mean “the.” An example is the letter alif itself, which starts with alif lam, but it doesn't mean “the if.” Please visit our grammar page for more similar topics.
بِالْـجَرِّ والتَّنْوِيْنِ والنِّـدا وَأَلْ وَمُسْنَدٍ لِلاسْمِ تَمْيـِيْزٌ حَصـَلْ
It's worth noting that English also has very few characteristics distinguishing nouns: usually you just have to look at the function of a word in a sentence. For instance, but is a usually a conjunction, but in the sentence "But me no buts" it is being used first as verb and then as a noun--we construe how to understand the sentence from the syntax and forms.
The Arab World in The Middle East
The Arab World in New York City
I love New York written in Jeli Diwani. In this page, we will cover interesting Arabic businesses, such as bookstores and restaurants, as well as personal topics. For example, what is the best falafel brand you can buy from a middle Eastern grocery store in NYC? This is a service for our students to sample or use. Please click on the image above to go to the page.
Please click on image above to gain more information about the nominee
Translation services Audio Flash Pictures Maps Publications Videos Evaluations National Anthems Syllabi
News In Pictures Handouts & mp3 Tests PROFICIENCY LEVELS Films Evaluations ُEmployment Arabic
News In Pictures Handouts & mp3 Tests PROFICIENCY LEVELS Films Evaluations ُEmployment Arabic
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