Introducing the Arabic Language and Alphabet

Levenshulme and Longsight Library

Levenshulme Language Day & International Mother Language Day 2015-2019

We are Manchester Arabic School, based at Chorlton High School and established in November 2017. We teach Arabic to pupils from four years old to A level. We prepare students to sit their Arabic GCSE. We strongly believe in mother tongue as an identity badge and work sincerely to maintain our culture and heritage. Find us on Facebook: @ManchesterArabicSchoolChorlton.

The purpose of our activities was to make Arabic present and known in our multilingual community. We wrote some words in the Arabic calligraphy to show how our alphabet is written from right to left and to explain why Arabic is a different language.

Guests could practice Arabic calligraphy by writing their names. They were very happy to see their names in a different way! We prepared pre-cut colourful cardboard to write on and to wear as a wrist band. Pencils, papers to try writing the letters, and colouring sheets with Arabic words reading “We speak different accents, but formal Arabic unites us all!” were prepared on an “Arabic table” decorated with traditional food and ornaments.

It was a great opportunity to gather as many Arab citizens as possible to meet and communicate in a social event and speak Arabic as well. Every year, it was a very successful, colourful and informative day.