Arabic I (111-1-20)
Instructors
Fatima Zehra Khan
8474671637
Crowe Hall 4-111
Meeting Info
Kresge 4531 MENA Seminar Rm: Mon, Wed, Fri 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
First-Year Arabic, Arabic 111, is a three-quarter sequence providing a thorough grounding for listening, speaking, reading, and writing Arabic. The course follows the integrated approach which blends the standard Arabic, Fuṣḥā, and the dialect or colloquial language, āmmiyya, in a way that reflects the authentic practice of native Arabic speakers. To develop reading and writing skills we will be using Modern Standard Written Arabic called Fuṣḥā. To develop speaking and listening skills we will be using an educated spoken version of the āmmiyya of the Levantine dialect. The integrated approach is an effective, logical, and economical method of instruction that successfully teaches the complexities of the Arabic sociolinguistic and diglossic situation and prepares students fully for the realities of the Arabic world.
Arabic 111-1, taught in the Fall Quarter, is the first quarter of first-year Arabic. Topics covered during this quarter are: The writing system (alphabet); the number system; and about 200 basic everyday words covering self-identification, family, work, the weather, transportation, clothing, colors, and food.
Registration Requirements
None. Students with prior knowledge of Arabic (learned either though school or at home) will need to take the Arabic placement exam before being allowed to register.
Learning Objectives
Students completing three quarters of Arabic 111 will be able to read and comprehend simple, authentic texts on familiar topics, write informal notes and short paragraphs on topics connected to daily life, and initiate and sustain short conversations on daily-life topics with native speakers who are accustomed to conversing with learners of Arabic as a foreign language.
Teaching Method
First-Year Arabic uses a communicative, proficiency-oriented approach with fully integrated audiovisual media to teach modern Arabic as a living language. Instructors will use an interactive approach in the classroom, including conversational practice in class, reading practice, interactive small group exercises, and cultural presentations.
Evaluation Method
The final grade for the course will be based on the following: attendance and participation, homework assignments, several short quizzes, a final project. Heritage students with good verbal skills but no knowledge of the alphabet and reading skills will be evaluated on those new skills - not on the skills they already bring to class.
Class Materials (Required)
Arabiyyat al-Naas, Part One, Second Edition: An Introductory Course in Arabic. Younes, Weatherspoon, Foster. (2023) Publisher: Routledge. Print ISBN: 9781138492868.
Class Notes
All students (even heritage students) should plan on daily homework outside of class. The course meets MWF for 70 minutes and is taught in Arabic.