This course allows students to achieve near-native proficiency in modern Arabic and to study the language within its cultural and historical context. Students start as absolute beginners and go through to an advanced level over four years. The course also looks more widely at Arab culture and literature and introduces students to social and cultural trends in the Arab Middle East and beyond. The course is carefully structured so that students can measure their progress step by step. Learning modern Arabic also opens the door to the vast literature of classical Arabic, including religious and secular texts, and provides a perfect platform from which to learn one or more of the colloquial dialects. The third year of study is spent at an academic institution in an Arab country, an ideal way to improve students' fluency in the language while gaining a fascinating first hand experience of the Arab world. Course includes: Modern Arabic language courses: Gain competence in reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension, while developing knowledge and understanding of the Arab World. Arabic-based thematic courses: Study documents which introduce you to the cultures of the medieval Arab World; read contemporary literature reflecting life and social trends in modern Arab countries. Our programmes are assessed in various ways: examinations, oral examinations (where language study is part of your degree), presentations and coursework. Coursework may include library research, linguistic fieldwork and data collection, or web-based research. Many courses are assessed through a mixture of techniques. In your final year, you can choose to write a dissertation.