Reading Classical Arabic Texts (316-2-20)
Instructors
Ragy H Ibrahim Mikhaeel
8474670927
Crowe Hall 4-117
Ragy Mikhaeel is a native of Cairo, Egypt. He taught Arabic at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges before coming to Northwestern ten years ago. He is the author of Barron’s Learn Arabic: The Fast and Fun Way (as Ragy H. Ibrahim), He received the 2015 Excellence in Foreign Language Teaching Award from the Council on Language Instruction (CLI) and the 2017-2018 Provost's Fellowship for Digital Learning Award.
Meeting Info
Kresge 4531 MENA Seminar Rm: Mon, Wed 3:30PM - 4:50PM
Overview of class
This course is for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in exploring the multi-faceted language and cultural history of The Thousand and One Nights, also called The Arabian Nights (Arabic Alf laylah wa Laylah). This rich collection of middle eastern and South Asian folk tales, encompassing the real and the supernatural, wealth and poverty, love and marriage, power and punishment, and the endless tests and uncertainties of fate, has long been considered a treasure of literary styles and genres. The stories were told and retold over a period of several centuries incorporating material from Arab, Persian, Turkish, Greek, and Indian sources before they were written down. As such, the stories offer an invaluable opportunity for students to engage with and learn from the power of storytelling.
Registration Requirements
Strong performance in Arabic 211-2 or equivalent; or permission from the instructor.
Learning Objectives
The overall goal for this class is for students to reach a proficiency level that is close or equivalent to Advanced Low or Advanced Mid in reading, speaking and writing Modern Standard Arabic. Specifically, by the end of the quarter students will:
• be able to read and comprehend authentic Arabic literary texts with the help of Hans Wehr on their own;
• be able to identify essential elements of rhetoric and figures of speech when reading authentic literary texts;
• have mastered several advanced grammatical concepts and learnt how to integrate them in their writing;
• be more confident when holding conversations with native Arabic speakers on advanced topics of Arabic culture and Islamic heritage.
Teaching Method
This course emphasizes the analysis and understanding of the use and function of Arabic in its literary context as presented by the stories: in their critical reading and discussion of the text, students will not only learn to appreciate the different writing styles incorporating oral traditions, they will be encouraged to analyze each story through the lens of death, sacrifice, miraculous healing, gender, sexuality, and feminism. Each story discussed is fully supported by a range of comprehension, vocabulary- and grammar-building exercises and activities. In-class discussions will reinforce the use of new vocabulary and grammatical function, as well as enhance the understanding and appreciation of different layers of Arab culture and history with a focus on perception of women in the narrative and social justice issues.
Evaluation Method
The final grade for the course will be based on the following: attendance and participation, completion of pre- and post-class assignments, and writing assignments that reflect student's understanding of the meaning of the stories.
Class Materials (Required)
Bualuan, Ghada. (2018). Stories from One Thousand and One Nights: For Intermediate and Advanced Students of Arabic. 10.4324/9781315669687.
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area