Face to Face Arabic Langauge Course for Beginners A0 Level in Edinburgh

Why learn Arabic - The Autological Langauge (self-defined/self-descriptive).

Arabic is the language of the Quran - The most recited and most memorised intact Holy book of all time.

Arabic is the only reliable key to independently decode the Quran, verify interpretations and minimise the possibility of following conflicting opinions from translations, inherited local traditions and myths.

Arabic is the world’s most refined and vivid language; it’s inherently poetic, abstract, figurative, evocative, eloquent and non-literal.

The Arabic language is not just another language to learn, it’s an art and an expanding ocean of words and metaphors.

Arabic is a key language in business, diplomacy, politics, charity sector, philosophy, literature and history. Learning Arabic can remarkably enhance your employability and opportunities as well as the scope to undertake Quranic research and uncover hidden scientific facts about the universe, the human body and psyche. 

Arabic is an autological and analogical language, through the Arabic language you can have an independent access to the Quran.

Learning Classical Arabic opens the door to recall the real meaning of the words using vivid imagery, abstract reasoning and critical analysis; not generic translations, myths, inherited conventions or rituals.

Mastering the art of the Arabic language and using it to understand the Quran is a growth journey of independent self-discovery and refinement. Transfer yourself from the literal and dive into the abstract to answer intriguing metaphysical questions.

Discover this path, enlighten yourself, remove all the doubt and gain a deep access into the Quran without external interference.

Discover Arabic - The Objecive:

Our aim is to allow people to discover the magnificent art of the Arabic language to:

1- Be ale to read and understand the Quran in its original format without/with less reliance on interpretations/translations, because simply put interpretation isn’t the same as the original, interpretations often don’t reflect the exact meaning or even miss the whole point.2-Acquire the language to build mutual understanding and relations between nations and enhance broad-spectrum research in the Arabic language that is  undertaken by non-native speakers.Who is this course for?In this course we teach MSA (Modern Standard Arabic), which is the standard form of the Arabic language.This is an introduction to the language, you will learn key facts about the Arabic language, read and write the alphabet, the phonics, the vowels and numbers, sentence structure, build simple sentences and participate in simple conversations in Classcial Arabic.You will develop a range of foundation skills including vocabulary and grammar.You will be able to identify the letters and read with the vowels placed.Practise your skills with your peers in class.Socialise and meet like minded people locally.Entry requirements:This course is for adults only.This course is for complete beginners, no prior knowledge in Arabic is required.Certificate of completion:If you attend 80% of the lessons, complete independent tasks and pass an assessment (at least 70% of the total mark) at the end of the course you will be eligible to get a Certificate of completion.Where & When:This class is run by Dr Tarek Alshalati and held at the Universtiy of Edinburgh: The class will run every Wednesday at 18:00 - 20:00, starting from the 13th August until Wednesday 17th December 2025.There are 19 sessions in total.In addition to the weekly face to face sessions you will also have access to our online platform to view different modules, complete independent tasks, use interactive learning tools and communicate with your peers.Complementary Sakina training sessions embedded within the programme:Sakina is a Quranic Arabic word that means serenity, peace of mind, inner peace, calmness, stillness, noiselessness.These are experiential holistic lifestyle sessions that are based on the Quran and Sunnah and invovle:-Introduction to holistic lifestyle from the Quranic and Sunnah perspective, including diet, sleep, use of harmful substances, relationships and physical activity.-Quranic recitation and rules of Tajweed.-Deep explanations of certain Quranic verses.-Quran and science.-Spiritual and psychological discussions: Understanding stress, emotional intelligence from the Quranic and Sunnah perspective in a modern scientific context based on latest research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology.-Living in harmony with the ecosystem.-Contemplation (Tafakur) and breathwork  - based on the Quran and Sunnah.-How to distinguish between cultural traditions and Quranic facts.This is a pragmatic and experiential programme that can be implemented in your life, not just a theoretical or idealistic information. All in a friendly and non-judgmental environment.Please note that the above programme is for reference only, given that these complementary sessions are rather short,  it’s obvious that not all aspects of the above curriculum can be covered during this course, the topics are selected and delivered as seen appropriate by the instructor, other topics are carried forward to the next levels.The above Sakina curriculum is also used during our youth and children programme (The Shrink Club) that runs every Saturday term time and as a camp every Summer in Edinburgh, in an age appropriate format.The Venue:The course will take place in 2 venues.The first 3 classes only (13th, 20th, 27th August)Paterson’s LandThe University of EdinburghHolyrood RoadEdinburghEH8 8AQStarting from 3rd September the venue will move to 50 George Square, Edinburgh. More details will be shared with you in due course.Payment:Course fee:-The course fee is £90 (£4.73 per session) payable in 3 monthly instalments-The first instalment is paid prior to starting the course-Within 3 days of completing the below registration form you will receive an invoice with an option to set up 3 (interest free) monthly instalments-If you choose to pay via monthly instalments your subscription plan will stop automatically at the end of the term and there is no need to do anything from your side at the end of the term.-Once you’ve signed up you’re liable to pay the total course fee (£90), unless there are unforeseen circumstances - for example: illness, accidents, redundancy which will be dealt with on a case by case basis.You can pay the course fee in one payment if you don’t wish to set up monthly instalments, once you’ve received the invoice from us just proceed as usual and pay the invoice either via BACS or via PayPal (all details will be enclosed within the invoice)-Concessionary rate is available on request based on your circumstances, please discuss with us if required.-After you sign-up and complete the payment you will receive a confirmation within 5 days.Learning materials fee (OPTIONAL):This is only applicable if you want to receive the course materials and it is paid for in one single payment prior to starting the course.I- Option 1: £38This option includes the following:>printouts of our weekly worksheets and booklets>a new set of 32 Arabic alphabet flashcards bounded in a key ring>Textbook (Almadina Arabic 1)>borrow a set of Arabic magnetic letters (190 characters) and a magnetic board, 2x white board markers and an eraser, please note only this item (the magnetic letters set) will be on loan until the end of the course, you don’t need to return any other learning materials after the end of the course. We do this to encourage sharing resources and minimise environmental impact.Click here to pay for “Option 1”II- Option 2: £25This option includes the following:>printouts of our weekly worksheets and booklets>a new set of 32 Arabic alphabet flashcards bounded in a key ringClick here to pay for “Option 2”If you don’t wish to receive the above learning materials then course materials will be sent to you via email, you then have the option either to print out the materials or view directly on your own device in class.

About the instructor:

The course is led by Dr Tarek Alshalati.

The instructor comes from a medical background. Tarek has previously worked in the NHS for 12 years as a medical doctor, initially in general medicine and then psychiatry. He’s worked with adults and children, particulalry in the area of eating disorders and conditions like OCD, Autism, personality disorders, ADHD and psychosis.

He had previously taught Arabic on a part-time basis for 5 years at the Centre of Modern Languages at the University of Latvia in Riga.

He currently teaches Arabic on a part-time basis in addition to his clinical work and research in Lifestyle Medicine that is based on an integrative approach combining spirituality and science together.

He holds an Ofqual professional postgraduate diploma in Practical Spirituality and Wellness from the Crossfields Institute in the UK and he’s a fully qualified Spiritual Coach.

The instructor is PVG registered, first aid trained and fully insured to deliver this course.

Data protection:Your personal information will be used and stored under GDPR regulations.We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to process and store personal data under the UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Terms and conditions:

We reserve the right to change or cancel the above programme, venue, days and times as deemed suitable by Intactness Ltd team (due to lack of minimum number of delegates, inability to secure an appropriate venue or inability to secure a trainer due to unforeseen event of illness or difficult personal circumstances). Applicants will be notified about any chages in due course and full refund will be issued.

Cancellation policy:

If you cancel within 14 days of entering into a contract with us (“Cooling-off Period”) you will be entitled to a full refund. 

If the course has not started within the 14-day Cooling-off Period, we will refund you the full amount of the programme fees within 7 days of receiving your cancellation request.

If the programme has begun during the 14-day Cooling-off Period, we will refund you the amount of the course fees less the fees that we incurred for delivering the course during the period before receiving your cancellation request. We will process the refund within 7 days of receiving the cancellation request.

Disclaimer:Please note that our courses are not affiliated with the University of Edinburgh nor sponsored by them.The courses are organised and run by Discover Arabic which is a trade name for Intactness Ltd, a company registered in Scotland, registration nr: SC771077.

More information:

We also arrange groups and private classes at different levels.Please visit our website for more info: www.discoverarabic.co.uk Email: info@discoverarabic.co.uk   Phone: 07770270918