GCSE Arabic Tutors
Arabic sits apart from the European languages: a different script, and a cohort where many already speak it at home. We have no Arabic specialist on the team today, so tell us what you need and we will be straight.
GCSE Arabic at a Glance
GCSE Arabic is graded 9 to 1 and entered at one of two tiers. Modern languages keep tiers, unlike most subjects outside maths and science.
Four skills are assessed: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each carries a quarter of the grade, so one weak skill costs a lot.
The speaking test is conducted by the school rather than sat in the exam hall, which is why rehearsing it out loud matters so much.
What GCSE Arabic Covers
The themes are familiar from any language GCSE. What differs is the script, the register and how much of it a student already owns.
How GCSE Arabic Is Examined
Four assessments, each worth a quarter, all taken at the same tier.
Listening paper
Recorded extracts in standard Arabic, with questions in English and in Arabic. Heard twice, then the paper moves on.
Role play and photo card
Run by the school. Fluent speakers still lose marks here by not knowing the format, so it rewards rehearsal either way.
Reading paper
Authentic texts in the written standard, plus a translation into English. Script fluency decides how far students get in the time.
Writing paper
Structured tasks and a translation. Accuracy, register and spelling carry the marks that spoken fluency does not.
Exam technique
Decoding command words, structuring 6-mark answers, and timing, the marks students leave on the table.
Where Arabic Marks Are Lost
Most lost marks come from spoken habits written down, the formal register missed, and script accuracy under time pressure.
Spoken dialect in writing
The paper wants the standard written form. Everyday spoken Arabic on the page loses marks a fluent speaker never expects to lose.
Register missed
Written tasks expect a formal register. Students who write as they speak are marked down for tone, not for meaning.
Script accuracy
Letter forms and spelling are examined. Under time pressure this is where confident speakers slip.
Speaking left until last
Even fluent students lose marks by not knowing the format of the test. The structure rewards rehearsal.
How we would run an Arabic hour.
We would start from the weakest skill
Any tutor we match would check all four skills first, then build lessons around the one costing the most marks. Students usually know which it is.
Spoken every lesson
Students answer out loud from the first minute, because fluency only comes from using the language.
Writing marked weekly
A short written task each lesson, marked against the criteria before the next one, so errors do not set.
The Reporting You Would Get
Whoever we match you with works the way the rest of the team does. These four reports come as standard.
- Notes after every lesson
- Topic checklist, red to green
- Monthly progress report
- A recording of each lesson
Families on Literary Arabic and Translation
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GCSE Arabic Questions
Do you cover this subject at the moment?
Not on the core team. Tell us what you need and we will either source a specialist from our wider network or say plainly that we cannot help.
Is it really tiered?
Yes. Modern languages keep tiers. Foundation caps the grade at 5, so the entry decision matters.
When is the speaking test?
The school runs it, usually earlier than the written papers, which is why rehearsal has to start well in advance.
Is Arabic graded differently for native speakers?
No. There is one qualification and one grade scale. Many candidates do speak it at home, which raises the standard across the cohort.
Which languages do you teach?
French, with one specialist covering AQA and Pearson Edexcel. That page is linked below.
Which subjects are staffed in house?
Thirteen GCSE subjects with specialists on the team, across AQA and Pearson Edexcel. You will find them further down this page.
Subjects Covered by Our Own Tutors
Thirteen GCSE subjects taught by specialists on our own team, each working to your exam board course.
Ask about Arabic tutoring.
Tell us the board, the year group and the grade you want. We will say what we can offer, and when.