Yemen Institute for Arabic Language (YIAL)

We highly developed curriculum for the advanced courses listed below and have additionally taught many other advanced courses upon request, including, but not limited to: Arabic calligraphy, Arabic poetry, and classical Arabic (with focus on a variety of topics such as Islamic Law).

All advanced courses can be molded to fit the individual needs of the student, though a student must have a sufficiently solid foundation in Arabic to begin taking advanced courses (passing level 3 of our standard course in MSA with excellent marks is generally sufficient to begin at the lowest levels of the advanced courses).

Advanced Courses in Arabic of the Qur’an and Hadith:

These courses are popular both with Muslim students and students of other faiths seeking a greater understanding of Islam. The main focus is on the sayings of the Prophet, the Hadith, that progressively become more difficult in structure, grammar, and content. Our Hadith text is supplemented by stories of the Prophets, both from the Qur’an and other sources.

Advanced Courses in Media Arabic:

The institute has published a three-level series of Arabic for the media textbooks that intermediate-level students of Modern Standard Arabic can successfully use. The first level begins with news headlines where the English meanings of new words are provided. By the third level, longer texts and news transcripts are both read and listened to, with definitions in Arabic for new words and exercises designed to push comprehension and listening skills.

Advanced Courses in Yemeni Colloquial Arabic:

Many students who study in Yemen for a longer period of time choose to study the Yemeni dialect in addition to Modern Standard Arabic. Our program in Yemeni colloquial begins with our textbooks for the first two levels in order to provide students with a solid foundation in the common words and structure of the dialect. In subsequent levels, a variety of plays and short stories written in Yemeni dialect are read; the most notable being the humorous play “A Tribesman Searches for a Political Party”.

Advanced Courses in Grammar & Morphology:

Students of advanced grammar and morphology will encounter the following topics: the parts of speech, the ten verb forms, the verb roots, word derivation, prepositional phrases, genitive case constructions, the case endings and declension, and words with special declensions.

Advanced Courses in Literature and Literary Criticism:

Those with a love of literature and advanced Arabic skills will enjoy courses in which both poetry and prose are examined and discussed. Texts are read studied, and reacted to within the context of their historical background and genre. Students are provided with samples of poetry from different ages and are introduced to the various approaches of Arab literary criticism.

Advanced Courses in Yemeni Culture:

The Institute has prepared a unique opportunity for hands-on study of the culture, customs, and traditions of Yemen. Topics for workshops, study, and discussion include the following: Yemeni cultural heritage, intellectual history, arts and literature, holidays and special occasions, women’s issues, current affairs, and societal challenges. This course is an extra-curricular experience, with most of the learning taking place during visits and excursions.