Two series of Arabic Level 1 courses were successfully conducted in 2023. The Arabic Level 1 Series 1 course started on 23 May until 8 August 2023 with 24 participants from various ministries and government agencies, mainly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Human Resources, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The Arabic Level 1 Series 2 course was organised from 5 September to 23 November 2023. The 15 participants who enrolled in this second series were from The Energy Commission, the Minister of Natural Resources, the Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), the Malaysian Administrative Modernization and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), the MARA Technological University (UiTM), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM), and the Malaysia Civil Defence Force (APM).
This course consisted of 42 contact hours each and was held twice a week, every Tuesday and Thursday from 5.30 to 7.30 pm for a total of 21 sessions. Arabic Level 1 courses were designed to equip the participants with basic knowledge of the Arabic language and culture, the necessary expressions needed to greet and introduce one self and others, and expressions to convey wishes and preferences. This course gave the participants the opportunity to master the skills of listening, speaking and understanding basic conversation in Arabic, which served as a good foundation for them to develop their competencies in the language and instil in them an interest in further acquiring the language.
During the conduct of this course, all participants showed a great interest in the programme and conveyed their interest in pursuing the course at the next level. Participants were encouraged to continue practicing the basic skills in Arabic gained from this course via the online learning platforms available to sustain the ability enquired.
