By The Arabic School
The sciences of Arabic make you a reader. The other three skills, listening, speaking and writing, need their own weekly time, in Arabic, with feedback. Many students who read classical texts well have never spoken a sentence of Fuṣḥā. This article explains how to change that.
An art built on the sciences
Fine speech and prose are an art, and an art is acquired only on top of the sciences. That does not mean waiting until you finish Naḥw before you speak. It means that speaking, like reading, improves as your grammar grows.
Language of instruction
Reading and grammar texts are taught through English at The Arabic School, as the subcontinent tradition taught them through Urdu and Persian. This does not lessen their benefit. Listening is taught in separate Arabic-only classes, and advanced students study entirely in Arabic.
How a skills lesson runs
A skills lesson is a chain of activities. The teacher sets the task and explains only when needed. The student does the activity in a set time. The teacher gives feedback. The same pattern serves all four skills.
Each skill, each week
- Listening. Listen to a short graded recording, answer the task, check and record your own mark, and log new words.
- Speaking. One live speaking session. Drill set phrases until they are automatic, then use them in free talk on everyday topics in Fuṣḥā.
- Writing. Copy model sentences, then take dictation, then write guided compositions, and check them against a model answer.
- Reflection. A short journal entry, in Arabic as soon as possible.
Dictation is the bridge
The word imlāʾ itself comes from the teacher dictating a passage to test the students' spelling. Weekly dictation joins listening, the rules of spelling and writing in one exercise.
Speaking is built in steps
- Start with memorised dialogues and pattern drills.
- Move to describing pictures and daily routines.
- Then hold short conversations on set topics.
Accuracy in Naḥw comes later in speech than in reading. Do not wait for it before you speak.
Study with The Arabic School
Our Arabic Journey programme builds reading, writing, listening and speaking together over six levels, and our private classes can focus on speaking alone.
For the full map of the sciences, the two classical routes and the texts for every level, download the free guide, Learning Arabic: Skills and Systems. You can also see all our courses and prices or book a one-to-one class.