L2L Curriculum
Live2Learn has a multi-level, integrated Tunisian Arabic Curriculum that utilizes the best of several language learning approaches. Below is an overview of each of our courses. Click on the course title to see a glimpse inside each book.
For new learners, we would recommend 20-hours of week of Arabic lessons. This would traditionally look like 2 classes a day (4 hours each day), 5 days a week. But we know that this might not be practical so please contact us to work out a customized learning plan for you!
Live2Learn's Arabic Course Offerings
Beginner
2–4 hours
A brief introduction to Arabic pronunciation and greetings and practical phrases designed for short-term visitors to the country.
30–40 hours
Students learn the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, focusing on all four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and progress to multiple syllable words. This course is generally studied in tandem with Mara7bé fi Tunis.
30–40 hours
The goal of MFT is to get new Arabic learners to communicate as quickly as possible. Students study dialogues involving common communicative scenarios. Vocabulary is presented in context and grammar is learned inductively. Transliteration and translation are employed to facilitate immediate communication. Grammar learning objectives focus on the basics of noun-based sentences (without verb conjugation). Typically, students study Arabic letters and sounds simultaneously with MFT.
Elementary
Tunisian Door
100 hours
Tunisian Door is a modified, structured GPA level 1 vocabulary-builder course which introduces students to 800 common Tunisian words. Often this course is studied in tandem with Salem 1 and 2.
40 hours
Like Marha7be Fi Tunis, Salem 1 utilizes dialogues about common communicative scenarios. The crutch of transliteration is removed, but repetition of content from MFT helps the student transition to reading Arabic script. Grammar content introduces verbal sentence structure using regular, form 1 present tense verbs.
40 hours
Like Salem 1, Salem 2 utilizes dialogues about common communicative scenarios, although with increased complexity. Grammatically, this book teaches more complex verb sentence structures (including relative and subordinate clauses), some ways to formulate present continuous ideas, as well as the active and passive participles.
Pre-Intermediate
80 hours
The Bridge Books begin to transition away from dialogues and introduce longer passages of text. These books are also in Arabic only, with no translation or transliteration. The texts are utilized for both listening comprehension and reading practice. Passages generally explain aspects of society and culture or tell traditional folk stories. Lessons include vocabulary, new grammatical structures, and discussion questions. From a grammar standpoint, the Bridge completes the student’s understanding of basic verb tenses and forms. It introduces past simple, past continuous, and future tenses; irregular form 1 verb conjugation (weak middle, weak ending, and double geminates) and the other most common verb patterns (forms 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 4 letter roots). The bridge course is often supplemented with GPA Level 2 & 3 activities.
80 hours
The Bridge Books begin to transition away from dialogues and introduce longer passages of text. These books are also in Arabic only, with no translation or transliteration. The texts are utilized for both listening comprehension and reading practice. Passages generally explain aspects of society and culture or tell traditional folk stories. Lessons include vocabulary, new grammatical structures, and discussion questions. From a grammar standpoint, the Bridge completes the student’s understanding of basic verb tenses and forms. It introduces past simple, past continuous, and future tenses; irregular form 1 verb conjugation (weak middle, weak ending, and double geminates) and the other most common verb patterns (forms 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 4 letter roots). The bridge course is often supplemented with GPA Level 2 & 3 activities.
Intermediate
Salem 3 Books 1–5
125 hours
Salem 3 includes 5 separate books, similar to the Bridge, but with longer passages and greater complexity. This curriculum presents more complex grammatical features such as Tunisian discourse markers, special auxiliary verbs, and conditional sentences. Salem 3 is often supplemented with GPA Level 3 & 4 activities.
Advanced
Salem 4 Prophet Stories
& Cultural Stories80 hours
The student studies the stories of several prominent prophets as they are presented in the Qur'an and Islamic religious tradition. The focus is on developing religious vocabulary. This course extends student’s awareness of aspects of the culture using more complex vocabulary than before.
Nes Methura
(ناس مأثورة)40–50 hours
This course introduces the student to impactful or well-known people in Tunisian history. The main grammar focus is reinforcement of the past tense forms. It also includes a review of additional grammar structures found in 9ontra.
Tunisian Sitcom or TV Program
60 hours
In this course, the student watches a popular local television series with the teacher and they identify new vocabulary and expressions. The focus is on comprehending native-to-native speech and learning to use idiomatic expressions. Essentially these are GPA level 5 exercises.
Tunisian Novel
40–80 hours
Using a novel of the student’s choice (most likely written by either Faten Fazaa or Tahar Fazaa), the student and teacher will read in Derja. This course can focus on reading fluency, gaining new vocabulary, listening comprehension, and/or reading comprehension depending on student interests and needs.
*Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German translations available.