At Noor Majan Arabic Institute we’re proud to serve the local community by offering afternoon and evening courses for Muscat residents that prepare them to immerse themselves into Omani society and learn the basics of Arabic speaking and grammar or help those with previous knowledge of teh language attain a higher proficiency level. The course timings are suitable for working professionals.
Academic Program Overview
The intensive Arabic program is designed to rapidly develop a student’s language abilities by enabling them to engage with Arabic speakers confidently.
Noor Majan believes that successful language acquisition occurs when students are repeatedly challenged to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities in a structured environment. Noor Majan’s intensive Arabic program thus reflects this idea by developing all four language skills with a focus on three distinct concentrations: 1) foundational knowledge in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), 2) skills development, and 3) application of knowledge and through media literacy. The program will provide intensive reading, writing, speaking, and listening practice for 20 formal contact hours per week over the course of 4-week terms. This makes for a total of 100 formal contact hours per month. In addition to the 20 weekly formal contact hours, Noor Majan’s intensive Arabic course strengthens students’ abilities with 2 hours of language partner sessions per week. During these language partner sessions, students apply their classroom knowledge in a real-life setting, thereby consolidating their knowledge.
Our institute uses authentic and genuine material from print and broadcast media and the internet. Students will acquire the competence to consume, understand, and comment on news broadcasts, articles, excerpts, and forum contributions using the adequate language register. Throughout the course, students will build on existing knowledge of Arabic grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, spoken, and written skill sets. Finally, students will be introduced to various spoken dialects, enhancing their ability to understand the greater Arabic-speaking world.
For information on our program dates, please see below.
Program Dates
Noor Majan offers intensive Arabic language courses on one-month and two-month cycles. Our scheduling is designed to accommodate the needs and time constraints of university students and professionals alike while providing the maximum number of hours to meet language acquisition goals. The continuous nature of Noor Majan’s programs enables students to enter at any point during the year and study for as short as a month or for as long as a year.
On average, each program consists of 100 formal contact hours per month. Classes meet for five teaching hours per day, five days a week, a total of 25 contact hours per week, or 200 hours per program cycle. In addition to summer, semester, and winter study abroad terms, we welcome students who desire to study at Noor Majan for any given month of the year. Please see the program offering table below for prices and program dates.
Between every program, there is a week-long break for the institute’s professional development workshops and preparation for the next session. Students often elect to use the break to travel around the Sultanate or visit new places in the region.
Schedule 2018 – 2019
| Code | Start date | End date | Notes | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1064 | 6 Dec 2017 | 1 Feb 2018 | 1900 OMR | |
| 1065 | 11 Feb 2018 | 5 Apr 2018 | 1900 OMR | |
| 1066 | 8 Apr 2018 | 31 May 2018 | Isra’ wal-Mi’raj on 13 April
Ramadan starts on 16 May |
1900 OMR |
| CLS
1067 |
1 Jun 2018 arrival
3 June 2018 start |
3/4 Aug 2018
2 Aug 2018 |
Eid al-Fitr will be on 15 June, Thursday 14 June will be the last day of Ramadan Eid Break 14 Jun 2018 – 19 Jun 2018
23 July Renaissance Day included in Eid holiday |
1900 OMR |
| 1068 | 5 Aug 2018 | 6 Sept 2018 | Eid break 19 Aug 2018 – 23 Aug 2018 | 1900 OMR |
| 1069 | 9 Sept 2018 | 1 Nov 2018 | 11 Sept Islamic New Year | 1900 OMR |
| 1070 | 4 Nov 2018 | 27 Dec 2018 | 18 Nov National Day
20 Nov Mawlid |
1900 OMR |
| 1071 | 30 Dec 2018 | 21 Feb 2019 | 1900 OMR | |
| 1072 | 24 Feb 2019 | 18 Apr 2019 | Isra’ wal-Mi’raj on 3 April | 1900 OMR |
| 1073 | 21 Apr 2019 | 23 May 2019 | Ramadan starts on 6 May | 5-week course
1100 OMR |
| Training | 26 May 2019 | 30 May 2019 | Training & planning | |
| Eid Break | 2 Jun 2019 | 10 Jun 2019 | Eid al-Fitr 5 Jun | 5 days holiday |
| 1074
CLS |
12 Jun 2019
9 Jun 2019 |
8 Aug 2019
6 Aug 2019 (departure) |
23 July Renaissance Day
Hajj (4 Dhu-l-Hijja) starts on 4 Aug Eid al-Adha is on 12 Aug |
1900 OMR |
| Eid Break | 11 Aug 2019 | 15 Aug 2019 | 5 days holiday | |
| 1075 | 18 Aug 2019 | 10 Oct 2019 | 31 Aug Islamic New Year | 1900 OMR |
| 1076 | 13 Oct 2019 | 12 Dec 2019 | 10 Nov Mawlid
18 Nov National Day |
1900 OMR |
Course Objectives
Scolarships
Objective 1 : Grammar, Text production and discussion
Writing: Be introduced to new grammatical features that are part of a higher level of expression. Students will learn to construct sentences and express more complex thoughts independently. Students will be asked to produce texts departing from the texts treated in class. These include summaries, descriptions, narrations and argumentative pieces developing a personal standpoint according to their level.
Speaking: Students will discuss current topics in class or in debate groups using the studied grammar features. They will have awareness raised concerning typical mistakes in sentence structure and pronunciation. The course is completed by oral presentations in class.
Objective 2: Media literacy
Listening: Students will develop the ability to comprehend utterances in the target language in recorded from broadcast media, in both fusha (MSA) and commonly spoken Arabic as found in reports, interviews and talk shows.
Reading: Students will be introduced to texts from print media and internet using the grammatical structures under study. In this unit students will read different genres of texts, learn and apply skimming techniques according to their level, understand in-depth the given texts and analyse them grammatically and style-wise.
How We Evaluate Our Courses
Evaluate
Students receive continuous feedback from instructors throughout the course. Evaluation is a reflection of the student’s proficiency, participation, engagement, and progress. Feedback is based on oral participation in class, results in quizzes, tests, and final exams as well as oral presentations in class and homework completion. Students can request individual meetings with their teachers whenever they wish to discuss their performance and progress.
Noor Majan Grading Scale
| Grades % | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90 – 100 | x | |||
| 80 – 89 | x | |||
| 70 – 79 | x | |||
| 64 – 69 | x |
Course Material
The primary course book used by Noor Majan is Al-Kitaab fii ta’allum al-’Arabiyya by Brustad/Al-Battal (3rd edition). The selection is made to complement the course instruction used in North American universities, but is not the sole resource our instructors rely on. Coursework may be complemented with excerpts from other renowned sources, such as Al Kitab Al Asasi (El Seyyid Badawi), Modern Standard Arabic (Eckehard Schulz), and Ahlan wa Sahlan (Mahdi Alosh). For the media course, classes are based on authentic, real-time sources from print and broadcast media.
Our methodology is to engage the mind with a relevant and appropriate usage of the language. Thus, any opportunity to bring external sources and materials is exploited and very much encouraged by the Noor Majan methodology.
The material listed above serves as a base for our instruction. We are happy to accommodate our curricula for groups of students with specific needs and requirements. Our institute and teachers are flexible and experienced with a wide range of literature for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. Please contact us directly with any inquiries or requests related to the curriculum.
Block 1: Learning Outcomes (Beginner)
At the end of the unit/program, Arabic students with beginner proficiency will be able to form short and simple sentences. Students will possess a strong foundation of basic vocabulary as used in familiar and everyday situations, although with a limited ability to use this vocabulary in a grammatically correct fashion. They will be able to answer simple formulaic questions with only rare occurrences of mistakes in vocabulary and grammar. Students will start expressing their thoughts independently of memorized expressions, even if their utterances are at times incomplete or incorrect. Students will be able to understand the general content of speech on familiar topics, and will have developed a more accurate sense of differentiation between similar sounds of the Arabic alphabet for text production.
Block 2: Learning Outcomes (Advanced Beginner)
At the end of the unit/program, Arabic students with advanced beginner proficiency will be able to express themselves about personal topics and issues relating to daily life in short sentences. Students will be able to express their needs, requirements, and wishes (in a restaurant, hotel, taxi, or shop) and speak about their hobbies. They will be able to answer non-formulaic questions to a certain extent, and will sometimes be able to correct themselves while speaking or writing. Students will have a more fluent reading ability and develop a better sense of Arabic written expression. Students will be able to understand the general content of speech, and will have developed a more accurate sense of differentiation between similar sounds of the Arabic alphabet.
Block 3: Learning Outcomes (Intermediate)
At the end of the unit/program, Arabic students with intermediate proficiency will be able to converse confidently about social issues. They can retell stories and speak about events that happened in the past. Students at this level will be able to express themselves on a variety of topics in all tenses. They can be understood by native speakers and partake in their conversations. Students will be able to understand and analyze Arabic grammar as used in diverse sources. Students will be able to use new grammar and vocabulary in order to produce coherent texts about social, historical, and personal topics.
Block 4: Learning Outcomes (Advanced)
At the end of the unit/program, Arabic students with advanced proficiency will be able to express their opinion supported by arguments and can coherently reply to other opinions being expressed. Students at this level will be able to speak and write about varied and complex topics and issues that do not pertain to their direct environment and life. They are able to understand abstract texts and speech and can express themselves on these topics intelligibly. They are able to process authentic text sources of the target language such as print and broadcast media, books, and websites. Likewise, they can independently develop on the issues raised in these source texts and organize written and oral texts on a formal language level.
Block 5 Learning Outcomes (Higher Advanced)
At the end of the unit/program, Arabic students with higher advanced proficiency will be able to express their opinion supported by arguments and can coherently reply to other opinions being expressed. Students at this level will be able to speak and write about varied and complex topics and issues that do not pertain to their direct environment and life. They are able to understand abstract texts and speech and can express themselves on these topics intelligibly. They are able to process authentic text sources of the target language such as print and broadcast media, books, and websites. They can independently develop on the issues raised in these source texts and organize written and oral texts on a formal language level.
Daily schedule – Ibri
| Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | 10:10 | MSA Textbook work |
| 10:10 | 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 | 11:20 | MSA Skills focus |
| 11:20 | 11:30 | Break |
| 11:30 | 01:10 | Media Arabic |
| 01:10 | 01:50 | Lunch |
Daily schedule – Muscat
| Start | Finish | |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | 09:35 | First lesson |
| 09:45 | 10:55 | Second lesson |
| 11:15 | 12:15 | Third lesson |
| 12:25 | 01:25 | Fourth lesson |
Language Partners
At Noor Majan we recognize that successful language acquisition comes from repetitive application of concepts and knowledge in real life situations. Thus, to support language growth we pair students with local Omani language partners for two hours every week. These individuals are given training on intercultural communication and strategies on how to support students studying Arabic. They encourage students to speak Arabic freely and to be confident in their language abilities. More than often language partners become students’ friends and serve as a mentor in engaging in the local culture. Friendships between language partners often leads to students being invited to their homes or to family events.
We offer general English courses from novice to advanced levels to school students, college students, professionals, job seekers, and homemakers alike. Additionally, we offer specialized courses to prepare students for international exams like the IELTS and TOEFL exams, to build up their skills to score higher on these exams, or develop their oral communication skills. We also assist interested students to organize a language course abroad with our partner, InLingua Cheltenham in England.
At Noor Majan all our teachers are certified English instructors; some of them even native English speakers, while others hail from Azerbaijan or Oman. We use The Headway Plus series (adapted to the Gulf region) for our general English courses, the Action Plan for IELTS for our exam preparation courses, and authentic media materials for the conversation courses. Courses for young learners are supplemented with themed stories, films, songs, or crafts.
Our courses are offered either as intensive block courses or stretched out over one or two months with classes meeting twice per week. Courses take place in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. We have courses specifically catering to school students that meet in the afternoon or during school holidays, as well as courses catered to oilfield professionals that follow their specific two-weeks on/two-weeks off schedule. All courses at Noor Majan are recognized and certified by the Ministry of Manpower.
For our current and upcoming course schedules, please see here (download PDF file). To inquire, register, join the waiting list, or schedule a placement test appointment. Our administration is happy to counsel you between 8:00 am and 2:00 pm from Sunday through Thursday.
Since our inception in 2012, our social responsibility for our host community and the creation of opportunities for cultural exchange have always be part and parcel of Noor Majan’s vision and mission. Therefore we offer a variety of English language courses for the Ibri and Dhahira community to participate in the region’s professional capacity building.
Noor Majan is committed to supporting the growth of advanced English literacy for all Omanis and residents of Oman. This is why Noor Majan offers English language courses to the local community in Ibri. Noor Majan is an active supporter of the professional development and strengthening of English teaching in Oman, we have co-sponsored workshops and contributed our experiences to improve the field of English language education.
We believe that the act of learning a language leads to more than just the ability to communicate, rather a language introduces the best of a culture and people to an individual. Thus, at Noor Majan we are more than just a language institute, our programs facilitate opportunities for students to engage and learn about the Sultanate and its people: leading to a greater appreciation and understanding of the Middle East.
These intimate and positive language experiences led to more interest in visiting and traveling to Oman, which is crucial as the Sultanate continues to develop its tourism industry. Although our contribution to the growth of tourism is small, we are still proud to support the growth of educational and cultural tourism in Oman.
Noor Majan is committed to designing its goals and vision in line with the Sultanate’s 2020 & 2040 visions. We believe in investing and developing the talents and abilities of our valued employees, strengthening their capacity to teach and compete in a competitive global economy. Our commitment to developing strong human capital enables usto be among the leading Arabic institutes in the Middle East.
The Sultanate’s 2020 and 2040 vision call upon us to develop human capital and strengthen Omani skills and competencies so that Oman sits among the world’s most competitive nations in a globalized economy. We believe in this and have developed capacity building workshops aimed at professionalizing the field of Arabic and English language teaching in the Sultanate. We have organized workshops with the Dhadh Institute, at the University of Nizwa and The Sultan Qaboos College for Teaching Arabic as a Second Language in Manah. We hold that mutual strengthening of skills and knowledge will lead to a more innovative and healthier economy.
Noor Majan participates in U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) training and capacity building workshops aimed at improving the institute’s performance in foreign language teaching, immersive best practices, and health/safety, logistics of study abroad programs. Noor Majan’s managers, admin personnel, faculty and language partners have participated in these training opportunities online, in the United States,and in Jordan. These training workshops serve as general training for all CLS institutes and then there are specific ones for Arabic institutes, which culminated in a collaborative agreement between Noor Majan and Arab American Language Institute in Morocco (AALIM).
The course fee includes one larger two-day excursion outside of Ibri and another smaller one-day excursion to an Omani village with its farms and falajs (irrigation canals) near to Ibri.
Upon arrival students take an assessment to determine their level. Throughout the course students take weekly quizzes and a final exam at the end of the course. Students are furthermore assessed through their homework and weekly oral presentations. Additionally students may take international language proficiency courses at their own expense (for further information on these tests refer to https://www.noormajan-institute.com/language-proficiency-test)
Noor Majan provides all course materials. They are included in the course fee.
Our classes have a maximum of eight students per level.
Noor Majan provides lunches at the institute on school days (Sundays through Thursdays). Students living with a host family will share the family’s meals. All other students are responsible for their breakfast and dinner during the week and for all meals on weekends except on excursions. The apartments are equipped with a stove, oven, microwave, water cooker and kitchen ware. Students take a weekly bus trip to the supermarket to stock up on groceries. Prices at the supermarket are similar to Europe while eating out or take away from small restaurants is rather cheap (2-5 OMR per meal).
Dormitories
All students live in our student apartments. This type of accommodation is covered by the course fee. The apartments consist of shared two-, three- or four-bedroom apartments. Bedrooms are double occupancy. The fully equipped kitchen, lounge area, bathrooms, an automatic washing machine and flat screen TV are for shared usage within one apartment. All apartments are equipped with WiFi internet access. Bed linen is provided but you need to bring your own towels.
Host Families
Female students have the opportunity to live with Omani host families for the duration of their course. For this arrangement Noor Majan has to charge an additional 150 OMR/month. The family provides a bed, wardrobe, desk, and bed linen but you need to bring your own towels. Students will share the regular family meals.
| Code | Start date | End date | Notes | Fees |
| 1064 | 6 Dec 2017 | 1 Feb 2018 | 1900 OMR | |
| 1065 | 11 Feb 2018 | 5 Apr 2018 | 1900 OMR | |
| 1066 | 8 Apr 2018 | 31 May 2018 | Israa wa Miraj on 13 April
Ramadan starts on 16 May |
1900 OMR |
| 1067 |
3 June 2018 |
2 Aug 2018 | Eid-Al-Fitr will be on 15 June, Thursday 14 June will be the last day of Ramadan Eid Break 14 Jun 2018 – 19 Jun 2018
23 July Renaissance Day included in Eid holiday |
1900 OMR |
| 1068 | 5 Aug 2018 | 6 Sept 2018 | Eid Break 19 Aug 2018 – 23 Aug 2018 | 5-Week Course
1100 OMR |
| 1069 | 9 Sept 2018 | 1 Nov 2018 | 11 Sept Islamic New Year | 1900 OMR |
| 1070 | 4 Nov 2018 | 27 Dec 2018 | 18 Nov National Day
20 Nov Mawlid |
1900 OMR |
| 1071 | 30 Dec 2018 | 21 Feb 2019 | 1900 OMR | |
| 1072 | 24 Feb 2019 | 18 Apr 2019 | Israa wa Miraj on 3 April | 1900 OMR |
| 1073 | 21 Apr 2019 | 23 May 2019 | Ramadan starts on 6 May | 5-week course
1100 OMR |
| Training | 26 May 2019 | 30 May 2019 | Training & planning | |
| Eid Break | 2 Jun 2019 | 10 Jun 2019 | Eid Al Fitr 5 Jun | 5 days holiday |
| 1074
|
12 Jun 2019
|
8 Aug 2019
|
23 July Renaissance Day
Hajj (4 Dhu-l-Hijja) starts on 4 Aug Eid Al Adha is on 12 Aug |
1900 OMR |
| Eid Break | 11 Aug 2019 | 15 Aug 2019 | 5 days holiday | |
| 1075 | 18 Aug 2019 | 10 Oct 2019 | 31 Aug Islamic New Year | 1900 OMR |
| 1076 | 13 Oct 2019 | 12 Dec 2019 | 10 Nov Mawlid
18 Nov National Day |
1900 OMR |
Noor Majan Training Institute applies for student visa for all of our students. These student visa cover the entire period of your stay with us as Noor Majan students. The student visa costs 30 OMR and has to be paid by the student. We need a scan of the participant’s valid passport and passport picture in order to apply for the visa. Once the visa is granted we’ll send a scan of the visa slip to the student who has to print it and present it to the immigration officer upon arrival at Muscat airport, where the actual visa is stamped into the passport. Student visas are non-extendable and multiple entry. Students entering from other border posts than Muscat airport, need to inform us ahead of time.
Noor Majan provides transportation to and from the institute for classes for all its students as part of the language course. We also provide the bus for the weekly supermarket trip. All other outings need to be arranged individually. There is no system of public transportation in Ibri. The taxi station for trips inside and outside of Ibri is in proximity to the students’ dormitory and there is also a bus station for trips to other Omani towns and Dubai. A taxi trip inside Ibri costs around 300 – 500 bz per person, and a taxi trip to Muscat 5OMR per person in a shared taxi. If you rent a taxi on your own to Muscat/Burj Al Sahwa that will cost 20- 25 OMR regardless of the number of passengers. A bus trip to Muscat/Ruwi is 3.800 OMR.
Noor Majan also provides airport transfer between Muscat International Airport and Ibri. On the day prior to the course start our driver will meet students in the arrival hall of Muscat International Airport (Ooredoo telecommunications stall) between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. and the bus leaves to Ibri at 11:30 a.m. A bus or taxi will be arranged to take students back to the airport in the afternoon of the last course day. Students arriving in Muscat late at night will have to spend the night in a hotel in Muscat and meet the group in the morning at the airport. Students arriving after the meeting time will have to make their way to Ibri individually by taxi or bus and we’ll meet them at the station in Ibri.
No cases of MERS have been reported from Oman so far, but we’d still recommend you keep a safety distance to unknown camels, especially as they may bite as well.
Snakes and scorpions might be encountered in Oman, especially during outdoor trips to the desert or wadis. Their bites are painful and potentially harmful but all health centers and hospitals dispose of the necessary anti-venom for all varieties found in Oman. Please inform the administration immediately of any snake or scorpion bite incidents and we’ll take you to the hospital.
Due to Ibri’s hot climate you’re likely to encounter some ants and spiders as well as the occasional cockroach. Our janitor is responsible for cleaning the floors of shared spaces in the apartments once a week but apart from that the apartments’ cleanliness is the students’ responsibility. Especially the dustbins/garbage should be emptied in a timely manner to avoid bad smells and insect infestations.
Men should wear long pants at all times. Sleeveless shirts or transparent fabrics worn without undershirts are not acceptable. Shirts should be long enough to cover the small of your back, even while sitting, preferably longer.
Women should wear loose-fitting long and opaque pants or skirts at all times. Shirt sleeves should be 3/4 length or long sleeves. Shirts should be long enough to cover the small of your back, even while sitting, or preferably longer.
Winters (November – February) in Ibri are mild with temperatures around 20-25°C. Lowest temperatures in winter will be around 10°C at night. Summers (June – August) are hottest with average temperatures around 45°C. It can get as hot as 50°C during the summer months. Rainfall is most likely to occur between February and April; after heavy rainfalls wadis may be flooded.
Voltage: 220-240 Volts (U.S./Canada are 110-120 Volts), Primary Socket Type: British BS-1363; Multi-voltage appliances (laptops, etc.): Plug adapter; 110-120V electronics: Plug adapter + step-down transformer; Hair dryers, curling irons, etc.: Plug adapter + voltage converter (source: http://www.adaptelec.com/index.php?main_page=document_general_info&products_id=218)
The institute and the student apartments are equipped with wireless internet access. We encourage students to bring along their own laptops as Noor Majan does not provide computers for students to use.
We recommend purchasing an Omani SIM card upon your arrival in Oman. A SIM card is 2 OMR and contains 2 OMR credit already. You can call, text or WhatsApp us on +968 994 333 81 (Sultan Al Farsi) to inform us about your arrival in Oman.
At the end of your course the administration will provide you with a course certificate stating the numbers of contact hours, the course level and your final result. These certificates have been recognized for credit by several US, UK and European universities as well as government bodies in the US, Germany, and Austria.
Studying abroad has become a significant component of the U.S. higher education journey, offering valuable experiences. However, the financial burden associated with studying abroad can pose challenges for students. Recognizing this, we have collected a list of scholarships and resources for students aiming to study in the Middle East and hopefully at Noor Majan.
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (select universities)
Boren Scholarship and Fellowship
