1. Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures
  2. School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  3. Undergraduate
  4. Modern Languages and English (Arabic)

Modern Languages and English (Arabic)

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied if you choose Arabic as your language pathway.

For information on typical modules for English, please check the course page.

These modules may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

  • Beginning Arabic 1 (20 credits) – This module offers students an opportunity to progress from the level of a total beginner to (A1 according to the CEFR scale or half a GCSE) in the four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in Modern Standard Arabic. On completion of this module you will be able to understand simple instructions, respond appropriately in everyday situations, express yourself using limited vocabulary and formulaic expressions and use the target language in a limited number of contexts so that it can be understood by a sympathetic native speaker. You will also develop an understanding of the structure of the language and the culture of the countries where the target language is spoken. You will be taught by enthusiastic and competent teachers who have well-established reputation in teaching Arabic as a foreign language.

  • Beginning Arabic 2 (20 credits) – This module will help you to progress from A1 to A2 according to the CEFR scale (GCSE) in the four skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in Modern Standard Arabic. On the completion of this module you will be able to understand simple instructions in Arabic, respond appropriately in everyday situations, collect information from short texts in the target language, and express yourself in limited vocabulary. You will also develop awareness on the Arabic culture and the Arab world. The module will also enable you to compare the Arabic structure and grammatical elements to other languages.

  • Studying the Middle East: Culture, History, Politics and Religion (20 credits) – The Middle East as an area of interest is the focus of much media attention. This module surveys and attempts to study the Middle East not only as a geopolitical entity, but also as a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic region.

  • Worlds of Literature (20 credits) –  Making use of examples drawn from the wide range of cultures taught in LCS, this module will challenge you to think critically about your own perceptions of literary cultures, raise your awareness of the intellectual, cultural and ethical questions in the study of literature, and introduce you to some of the concepts and approaches that will help you to negotiate the reciprocities and complexities of the interactions between literary traditions.Drawing on a wide range of languages and periods, and on the different research specialisms of lecturers, this introduction to literary criticism is illustrated by reference to a varied selection of texts studied during the year. Typically these will include short stories, drama, poetry and a novel. Weekly lectures are supplemented by fortnightly seminars, in which students will have the opportunity to discuss these different approaches and to develop a thorough understanding of literature and literary theory.

Year 2

Compulsory modules

  • Arabic Year Abroad (120 credits)  

Year 3

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Arabic Grammar and Translation (20 credits) – The module will train you in how to translate contemporary texts from and into Arabic. It will also acquaint you with the grammatical skills that will enable you to write in a fluent and effective style, and to comprehend Arabic texts. On completion of this module you will be familiar with the grammar rules as well as the function of Arabic grammar in texts. You will also acquire the skills to translate different genres of texts from and into Arabic.

  • Essential Skills in Practical Arabic (20 credits) – This module will equip you with the skills to comprehend and analyse texts critically. It will also help you sharpen your writing skills through weekly writing practice. Also, the module will give you an opportunity to strengthen your oral and aural skills. By the end of this module your four language skills will have improved immensely.

Optional modules

  • Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict (20 credits)

  • Arab Media, Politics and Society (20 credits) 

  • Cultures of the Arab Middle East and North Africa (20 credits)

  • Modern Middle Eastern History (20 credits)

  • The Politics of Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the Middle East (20 credits)

  • Global Environmental Humanities (20 credits)

Year 4

Compulsory modules

  • Advanced Skills in Arabic Language (20 credits) – The module will introduce you to different genres of advanced Arabic texts. Also, it will help you to enhance your oral and aural skills.This module will train you in how to interpret and analyse critically different genre of Arabic texts. The focus is mainly on the function of language in texts.

Optional modules

  • Final Year Project: Dissertation (40 credits)

  • Final Year Project: Extended Translation (40 credits) 

  • Final Year Project: Digital Documentary (Podcast) (40 credits) 

  • Arabic Stylistics (20 credits)

  • Islam and Modernity (20 credits)

  • Middle Eastern Politics: Regimes, Societies and Conflict (20 credits)

  • Advanced Media Arabic: Translation Skills in Text Typology (20 credits)

  • Representing the Holocaust: Transgression and the Taboo (20 credits)

  • Contemporary World Literature (20 credits)

  • Material Cultures and Cultures of Consumption (20 credits)

  • Adventures of the Imagination: Crime and the Fantastic Across Continents (20 credits)

  • Decolonial Approaches (20 credits)  

  • Social Movements across Cultures (20 credits)

  • Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present (20 credits)

  • Linguists into Schools (20 credits)