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Modern Standard Arabic

To access information about the course content and schedule, please visit the corresponding page in French.

Modern Standard Arabic, intensive cours, beginner level – Elodie Hibon (ENS-PSL, EPHE-PSL, PROCLAC)

Spoken by nearly 300 million people worldwide, Modern Standard Arabic (glottocode: stan1318) serves as the official language in 18 countries, collectively forming what is known as the Arabic-speaking world. Arabic belongs to the Semitic language family, alongside Hebrew, Aramaic, Syriac, and others. Predating the rise of Islam, Arabic, as the language of the Koran, played a pivotal role in disseminating Islamic culture. However, it is important to note that Arabic and Islam are not synonymous; not all Muslim-majority countries are Arab, and not all Arabs are Muslim. Arabic was historically also the language of Jews and Christians in the region.

The Arabic language is pluricentric in nature. Its speakers use a literary form of Arabic, serving as a unifying factor across these countries. It serves as the predominant written language, encompassing literature, journalism, administration, online content, religious texts, and more. Additionally, Arabic holds significance in oral communication, particularly in media broadcasts, public speeches and academic conferences.