Tag: modern languages

Why You Should Learn Arabic – Top Tips from our Arabic tutor Ahmed El-Shareif

May 23, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Arabic tutor Ahmed El-Shareif

City Short Courses has a dynamic range of online language courses, which are a great way to immerse yourself in a foreign language. We cover everything from French to Japanese, Italian to Korean. With over 422 millions speakers worldwide, demand for fluent Arabic speakers is on the rise. We caught up with City’s Arabic tutor, Ahmed El-Shareif to find out more about this fascinating language and his approach to teaching.

  1. Please tell us about yourself

My name is Ahmed El-Shareif and I am a native Arabic speaker from Egypt. I got my First Master of Arts in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language from SOAS, University of London in 2012. I am currently finishing my second  MA in academic practice at City, University of London. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a qualified external examiner and an External Examiner for Pearson Education, the Chartered Institute of Linguists and other government establishments.

I am also interested in the development of Arabic teaching, and I am always looking for new ways to improve my teaching methods. I design and run training courses for the development of Arabic teachers abroad and in the UK and I am a member of several professional organisations and regularly attend conferences and workshops. For example, I have attended several workshops in Texas, USA and Spain. I am a member of the British Association of Teachers of Arabic (BATA).

I am passionate about teaching Arabic and I believe that it is an important language to learn. I am committed to providing my students with a high-quality education that will help them achieve their language learning goals.

2. What do you teach at City?

I currently teach Arabic at City, University of London’s School of Languages (Bayes Business School & LGPModules) and for their evening online short courses. I have previously taught at Suffolk College, Westminster University, International House London, Kings College London and SOAS.

3. Why do you think it’s important to learn Arabic?

Arabic is a major world language. It is the official language of 22 countries, and it is spoken by over 420 million people worldwide. This makes it an important language for business, diplomacy, and travel.

Learning Arabic can help you understand Arab culture. Arabic is a rich and complex language that is closely tied to the culture of the Middle East. By learning Arabic, you can gain a deeper understanding of this fascinating culture.

Learning Arabic can open up new career opportunities. There is a growing demand for Arabic speakers in many industries, including business, government, and education. By learning Arabic, you can make yourself more competitive in the job market.

Learning Arabic can also be a rewarding experience. Arabic is a beautiful and challenging language to learn. The process of learning Arabic can be a rewarding experience that will enrich your life in many ways.

City University is a great place to learn Arabic. The university has a strong Arabic program with experienced and qualified lecturers. The university also offers a variety of Arabic courses to meet the needs of students of all levels.

4. What are your top three tips for learning Arabic?

  • Set goals. What do you want to achieve by learning Arabic? Do you want to be able to read and write Arabic, or do you want to be able to speak and understand Arabic? Once you know what you want to achieve, you can start to develop a plan to reach your goals.
  • Find a learning method that works for you. There are many ways to learn Arabic. Some people prefer to take classes, while others prefer to learn independently. There are also many different resources available, such as books, apps, and websites. Experiment with different methods and resources until you find one that you enjoy and that helps you learn effectively.
  • Be patient. Learning a new language takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep practicing and you will eventually reach your goals.

Here are some additional tips that may help you learn Arabic:

  • Immerse yourself in the language. One of the best ways to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it. This means surrounding yourself with the language as much as possible. You can do this by watching Arabic movies and TV shows, listening to Arabic music, and reading Arabic books and articles.
  • Find a language partner. A language partner is someone who is fluent in Arabic and who is willing to help you practice speaking and understanding the language. You can find language partners online or through local language schools and community centres.
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes when they are learning a new language. The important thing is to not let this discourage you. Just keep practicing and you will eventually get better.

5. Why would you recommend learning Arabic ?

Business: Arabic is the official language of many countries in the Middle East, which is a region with a growing economy. By learning Arabic, you can open up new business opportunities for yourself and your company.

Diplomacy: Arabic is the language of Islam, and it is spoken by many people in the Middle East. By learning Arabic, you can improve your understanding of the Middle East and its culture, which can be helpful in a diplomatic career.

Travel: Arabic is spoken in many countries in North Africa and the Middle East. By learning Arabic, you can make your travels to these regions more enjoyable and easier. 22 countries speak Arabic.

Education: Arabic is the language of many important works of literature, philosophy, and science. By learning Arabic, you can gain access to this vast body of knowledge.

Personal enrichment: Learning a new language can be a rewarding and enriching experience. Arabic is a beautiful and challenging language to learn, and the process of learning it can help you to grow as a person.

The Quran was revealed in Arabic, so it is important to learn the language in order to understand it fully. However, at the moment City only offers Modern Standard Arabic (MSN)  which is spoken and understood by all.

Thank you so much, Ahmed!

To find out more about learning Arabic at City, visit our course page HERE.

For all City’s language short courses visit our home page HERE.

And for all our short online courses visit HERE.

Meet the Languages Coordinator

June 16, 2022 / / 4 Comments

In a new series of interviews we meet some of the team behind City’s short courses. First up, our languages coordinator, Agnes Shepherd

 

Agnes Shepherd, Languages Coordinator

1.Please tell us a bit about yourself

My name is Agnes Shepherd and I’m the Course Coordinator for languages at City’s short courses – which means that I organise how the languages courses are run. I am also a native French speaker and a French teacher who is passionate about teaching. I love to watch students progress and get a great sense of achievement when I see that lightbulb moment as students start to learn. I think it’s also important to teach students about the culture of a country, not just the language. In my spare time I like travelling, learning about ancient history and gardening.

2. What’s your role at City and how does it work?

I coordinate the language courses at City where we offer ten different languages across a variety of levels from beginners up to advanced. City is actually one of the few language providers to offer Japanese language courses right the way up to advanced level. In total I look after more than 25 courses and manage all the visiting lecturers, language enquiries, relevant marketing, social media, and administrative issues. I also come up with new ideas for courses, such as our recent holiday French course. And watch this space for our brand-new simple conversation classes!

3. Why do you think it’s important to learn a foreign language?

First of all, it’s important for effective communication. While English might be the most commonly spoken international language, if you want to communicate well while abroad or when you work with colleagues from overseas, I would say it’s crucial to learn that language.

Secondly, it is excellent gymnastics for the brain. You get to stretch yourself and fire up those neurons in a way that research has proven to be beneficial. Whether you learn Spanish, Korean or German you get to extend yourself.

Finally, but not least, it’s fun. When you learn a language, you are with peers of a similar level. It’s great to discover together the intricacy and pronunciation of a language. You get an extraordinary buzz when you realise that you are making proper sentences. Maybe you’ll find yourself abroad and suddenly the waiters understand your order, or your French colleagues will invite you for lunch and you can finally participate in the conversation!

Ready to order?

4. What are your three top tips for learning a foreign language?

  1. Immerse yourself as much as possible: join a language course where speaking in the target language is prioritised. Having to speak in a foreign language, with feedback from your tutor, will accelerate your language skills.
  2. A little bit every day: while on your language course make sure you practice even a tiny bit each day, whether that’s grammar, vocabulary or even reading packet labels in the target language, it all helps to build your knowledge and understanding.
  3. Develop a peer group within your class and do some fun activities together through Whatsapp, or even go to see a film together.

 

5. Why would you recommend studying a language short course at City?

City’s teachers are all qualified, native speakers who follow the European framework (CEFR) for language learning. Through interactive and engaging methods of teaching, they will teach you more than just a language; they will teach you about the culture too. You’ll be with peers and slowly you will find, even if you’re really shy about learning and speaking a language, you’ll make good friends. Our teachers will put you at ease and before you know it, you’ll be speaking and understanding your chosen language. For example, if you learn Arabic, our tutor Ahmed will provide you with lots of relevant material which will help you quickly progress.

 

Agnes Shepherd coordinates City’s language short courses.

Agnes also teaches City’s short online French language courses.

For more about our other online language courses visit our website.

Five Reasons Why You Should Learn Korean

June 15, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Research has shown that learning a foreign language boosts brain power. But which language should you choose to learn? Read on for five reasons why you should learn Korean.

 

 

1. Korean has one of the most logical alphabets in the world

 

The Korean alphabet has 24 letters each of which is spelled phonetically. Languages with phonetically spelt words are far easier to learn as there are no tricky spellings (unlike there are in English!) The mastermind behind this simplicity was King Sejong ‘the Great’ of the Joseon dynasty, who tasked Korean scholars with creating an easily learned writing system which could be understood by all.

 

2. Conjugating verbs in Korean is much easier than in other languages

 

Many languages conjugate their verbs into first, second and third person. But with Korean you don’t have to worry which form of the verb to use depending on whether you’re referring to ‘I’, ‘you’ or ‘she/he’. All you need to learn are the conjugations for the different levels of formality and tenses. Similarly, the Korean language does not have gendered nouns which means you won’t need to learn if a noun takes the masculine or the feminine form, another common obstacle when learning a foreign language.

 

3. Learning Korean just might help with your career

 

Employers increasingly value language skills amongst their employees, so learning any foreign language is a solid investment in your career. With Samsung rivalling Apple for innovation and market share, South Korea has the twelfth largest global economy and is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world. Learn Korean and you might find yourself working for one of the ever-expanding South Korean companies based in the UK, or even in Korea itself. At the very least you’ll have improved your employability prospects.

 

4. Korean arts and culture are taking over the world

 

First there was Gangnam style, then K-pop, now Squid Game (Netflix’s biggest debut success) and the Oscar winning Parasite. Known in Korea as The Korean Wave, or Hallyu, the South Korean pop culture has taken the world by storm and become a major influence on global culture. Learn Korean and you’ll be able to tap into a rich, dynamic culture. With over 70 million Korean speakers worldwide, and Europe’s largest Korean community resident in London, start learning Korean and you’ll be able to fully absorb this fascinating and ever-changing culture.

 

5. Learning a foreign language can help your mental health

 

The pandemic has had a negative effect on many people’s mental health with the World Health Organisation reporting a 25% increase worldwide in anxiety and depression. Conversely, learning a new language can improve your confidence, flexibility and sense of purpose. Plus, it’s fun. You get to meet other learners and practice your language skills in small, interactive groups. So, what are you waiting for?

 

Want to find out more about learning Korean at City, University of London? Visit our Korean language short course page.

 

Interested in our other online language courses? We offer short courses in ten modern languages, from Arabic to Portuguese. Find out more here.

 

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