Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1

Our curriculum is based on the New Edition of the Madīnah Arabic Course. Al‑Fuṣḥā teaches its foundational beginner pathway, also known as the Madīnah Arabic Course for Children.

Although originally designed as a children’s foundation, its gradual structure also makes it particularly suitable for adult beginners.

Further reading: Learning Arabic Without Getting Lost; The Madīnah Arabic Course: What Changed in the New Edition?.

Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 covers Madīnah Arabic Children’s Course Textbook 1 and Workbook 1, followed by Textbook 2 and Workbook 2.

After completing Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1, students will, in shāʾ Allāh, be offered a pathway into Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 2, which covers Textbook 3 and Workbook 3.

Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 is planned as a 16-teaching-week course, with one one-hour lesson each week.

The course progresses according to the needs of the group, so a small number of additional sessions may be scheduled if needed to complete Level 1 comfortably.

The course is deliberately paced for beginners, with plenty of revision built in rather than rushing through the material.

You will learn Fuṣḥā – standard Arabic – rather than a regional spoken dialect.

This gives students a structured foundation in Arabic and prepares them for increasingly deeper study of Classical and Qurʾānic Arabic.

Further reading: Understanding al-Fuṣḥā and the Dialects

It is an integrated Arabic course. Students learn to understand and use Arabic while gradually developing an understanding of how the language works.

Grammar is not taught as a separate collection of rules, and speaking is not separated from structure. The aim is to build both together.

Yes. Oral practice and Arabic drills will be regularly integrated into the lessons.

Al‑Fuṣḥā is also developing Takallam, a dedicated speaking-practice app. Once it is ready, we intend to integrate it into the course homework so students can practise the Arabic they are learning between classes as well.

The course is not limited to memorising Qurʾānic vocabulary or studying isolated Āyāt.

Instead, it builds a systematic foundation in Fuṣḥā Arabic, vocabulary and grammar. As this foundation develops, students should increasingly begin recognising words and structures that they encounter in the Qurʾān.

The long-term pathway is designed to prepare students for progressively more serious Arabic study.

The Arabic itself is not "childish". The children’s foundation was designed to introduce serious Arabic more gradually, giving each new concept enough time to become familiar before another layer is added.

This makes it particularly suitable not only for children from around age seven, but also for adult beginners, parents and other learners who need a manageable introduction to Arabic. An adult can simply move through the same foundations more quickly than a young child.

By the end of Level 1, you should have developed a solid introductory foundation in Arabic grammar and sentence structure.

You should be able to understand and form short Arabic sentences, answer simple questions, give basic information about yourself, describe or locate everyday objects, and use a growing foundation of Arabic vocabulary.

You should also begin recognising some of the structures you have learned when encountering simple Qurʾānic phrases and Āyāt. Most importantly, you will have built the foundation required to progress confidently into Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 2.

Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 is designed primarily for beginners who have had little or no previous exposure to Arabic grammar.

However, students who have studied some Arabic before are very welcome to attend. Level 1 can provide an excellent comprehensive revision of the foundations and help fill gaps that may have been missed in previous study.

If you find Level 1 too basic for your current ability, keep following Al‑Fuṣḥā updates and consider joining Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 2 when it becomes available.

Beginners are welcome, including those still learning the Arabic letters. You may need extra practice alongside the course.

Being able to write Arabic is not a requirement for joining the course. If your handwriting is still developing, you can work on it alongside the course. A dedicated Arabic handwriting practice book is available with the course materials and can help you improve gradually.

Once your writing becomes more comfortable, you can begin or catch up with workbook exercises if you wish.

There will be one one-hour live lesson each week. During the lesson, the teacher will display the textbook on screen and explain the material.

After enrolment, students will receive access to a student portal. After each lesson, the portal will provide the relevant homework guidance and supporting material.

This may include: a short lesson/grammar recap PDF; directions from the teacher on which workbook pages or exercises to complete that week for students who choose to use the workbooks; answer sheets for the assigned workbook exercises released afterwards as the course progresses; course announcements; and a space to ask questions about the course material between lessons.

The workbook exercises themselves are completed from the student’s own workbook; they are not provided through the portal.

Overall structure: live weekly teaching + structured home revision + ongoing support through the student portal.

The course is specifically designed to remain manageable for busy adults. The most important commitment is simply to attend the weekly lessons as regularly as possible.

Between lessons, students should spend a short amount of time reviewing the lesson recap PDF.

Those who choose to use the workbooks may also complete a few selected workbook pages each week. This should normally require no more than around 30 minutes of additional work.

Workbook practice is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended because it helps reinforce what has been learned in class.

To gain the fullest benefit from the course, we highly recommend purchasing the Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 course materials, which are available at a modest cost.

Having your own textbook in front of you during the lesson makes it easier to follow the teacher, mark important points and make your own notes. You can then take those notes home and refer back to them when revising during the week.

The accompanying workbooks provide an important opportunity to practise and reinforce what you have learned, helping the material become more firmly established over the 16-week course.

The Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 materials include Textbook 1, Workbook 1, Textbook 2 and Workbook 2. A handwriting practice book is also available for students who would like additional help developing their Arabic writing.

Course materials can be purchased through the Al‑Fuṣḥā website shop or in person during course sessions, when in stock.

However, if you choose not to purchase the course materials, you can still attend and benefit from the lessons, as the textbook will be displayed on screen during class.

Do not worry if you occasionally need to miss a lesson. You can catch up by reviewing the lesson recap PDFs available through the student portal and asking the teacher questions through the portal if anything remains unclear.

The Madīnah curriculum also contains a great deal of built-in revision and repetition. Important vocabulary and structures return regularly in later lessons, giving students further opportunities to strengthen what they have learned.

By reviewing missed material, asking questions and attending whenever possible, you should still be able, in shāʾ Allāh, to follow the course successfully.

Yes. The course progresses gradually and includes substantial built-in revision, so students who join after the beginning should normally be able to catch up.

You will also receive access to the relevant lesson recap materials on the student portal, which will help you review anything covered before you joined.

The current in-person Level 1 sessions are not recorded. Check the relevant course page for its delivery details.

If you miss a lesson, you can catch up through the lesson recap materials and the student portal.

Possibly. If continuing during the school holidays suits the majority of the class, lessons may continue as normal.

If a break is more practical for the group, the course may pause and resume afterwards. Any changes to the schedule will be communicated to students in advance.

Yes. Al‑Fuṣḥā courses are completely free to attend.

Course textbooks and workbooks are available to purchase separately at a modest cost.

As a non-profit organisation, Al‑Fuṣḥā welcomes voluntary donations to help support its free courses. At hired community-centre locations, a small contribution towards venue hire is especially appreciated.

However, no one will be prevented from attending if they are unable to contribute.

Enrolment is required. Places are limited, so students should register and have their place confirmed before attending.

See current courses, choose the class that suits you, and use its Apply for Level 1 button to complete the application form.

Once your place is confirmed, you will receive the information you need for your class and access to the student portal.

If a class reaches capacity, contact us to join the waiting list.

Al‑Fuṣḥā hopes, in shāʾ Allāh, to expand into additional locations and offer more courses in 2027, so joining the waiting list will also help us notify interested students when new opportunities become available.

Yes. All Level 1 classes teach the same Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 curriculum.

The content is the same, although individual classes may progress at slightly different speeds depending on the progress of each group.

Students should normally attend the class in which they are enrolled. Places are allocated to each class, and another class may already be full.

If you miss a lesson, you can instead catch up through the lesson recap materials and student portal, where you can also ask questions about anything you did not understand.

Arrangements for accompanying children depend on the class. Please check the relevant page under current courses before attending.

Children who accompany a parent or guardian must remain under that adult’s supervision and care throughout the session, so the class can continue without unnecessary disruption.

When attending in person, please help us leave the shared room clean and tidy after the lesson.

No. Al‑Fuṣḥā does not provide formal childcare during the course. Children who accompany a parent or guardian remain under that adult’s supervision and responsibility throughout the session.

These Level 1 courses are for adults. School-aged children cannot enrol in these classes.

Please follow Al‑Fuṣḥā updates for future children’s courses.

The teacher will explain the lessons primarily in English.

Arabic will be used regularly for examples, drills, questions, answers and oral practice so students become increasingly comfortable using the language itself.

No special equipment or laptop is required for an in-person lesson. A notebook and pen may be useful if you would like to take notes. For online delivery, check the relevant course page for joining details.

To use the student portal between lessons, you will simply need internet access through a phone, tablet or computer.

You will retain access to the student portal while you are enrolled in Al‑Fuṣḥā courses.

The portal will be the main place for homework guidance, lesson recaps, workbook answers, announcements and questions between classes.

Yes. Students who complete Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 1 will receive an Al‑Fuṣḥā Certificate of Completion.

Students who complete Level 1 will, in shāʾ Allāh, be offered a pathway into Al‑Fuṣḥā Level 2.

Level 2 covers Madīnah Arabic Children’s Course Textbook 3 and Workbook 3 and develops the grammatical and language foundations further.

The Madīnah children’s foundation provides a natural pathway into the adult Madīnah Arabic Course.

Al‑Fuṣḥā may, in shāʾ Allāh, offer further classes using the adult curriculum in the future so students who wish to continue can keep progressing along the same structured pathway.

Please follow Al‑Fuṣḥā updates for future course announcements.