Hebrew I (111-3-20)
Instructors
Ronit A Alexander
Crowe 4-103, 1860 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
Ronit Avitan Alexander was born and raised in Israel. She graduated from Middlebury College in 2018 with a Master's degree in Teaching Hebrew as a Second Language. She wrote her MA thesis on language anxiety and ways to increase participation in the language classroom. She has been part of the MA program working as a TA and Teaching Fellow for the last two years. Ronit earned her BA in Psychology and Ancient Near East & Biblical Studies from Ben Gurion University in Beer-Sheva, Israel. She is passionate about languages and has studied four foreign languages throughout her life.
Meeting Info
Locy Hall 106: Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30AM - 10:40AM
Overview of class
The three-quarter first-year course in Hebrew is designed to develop all four language skills (speaking, writing, listening, and reading comprehension) as well as provide a cultural foundation. In this quarter, students will learn more very forms (binyamin), nominal (verbless) sentences, the feminine form of numbers from 11 to 20, and more. Students will also learn about the history of Israeli film and about the cultural importance of Friday in Israel society and they will engage with interactive activities about these subjects. Hebrew 111-3, taught in the Spring Quarter, builds on material learned in the first two quarters. As always, these new topics, grammar structures, and new words and stuctures will be integrated into short texts and lively conversations which are part of the wider context of Israeli culture.
Registration Requirements
Hebrew 111- 2 or placement in Hebrew 111-3 after taking the placement exam.
Learning Objectives
Students completing three quarters of Hebrew 111 will be able to read and comprehend simple texts on familiar topics, write informal notes and short paragraphs on topics connected to daily life, initiate and sustain conversations on daily-life topics with educated native speakers who are accustomed to conversing with learners of Hebrew as a foreign language.
Teaching Method
This course is based on a communicative-cultural approach weaving together listening, reading, speaking, and writing exercises and practice sessions in each lesson. New vocabulary and new grammatical structures are introduced and practiced orally in anticipation of dealing with written dialogues and essays. Text-based exercises and exercises based on clips, pictures and visual and audio files expand and reinforce the new material.
Evaluation Method
A student's grade for this course will be based upon participation, homework and preparedness for class, attendance, four quizzes given throughout the quarter, and a final project (in lieu of a final exam) to be announced during the quarter by the instructor.
Class Materials (Required)
Hebrew From Scratch Part 1 (in Hebrew: Ivrit Min Ha-Hatchala Ha-Chadash Alef) Written by: Shlomit Chayat, Sarah Israeli, Hila Kobliner Printed by Akademon Press through Magnes Press, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 2012 ISBN-13: 978-9653501126 ISBN-10: 9653501127
Class Notes
This class is taught in Hebrew. Daily homework and occasional presentations are an integral part of class in order to maximize students' successful learning.