ARAB 102: Introduction to Modern Arabic Language and Culture II (Spring Semester)

Course Syllabus

 

 

Instructor:

 

Instructor:             Maher Awad

Office:                    Rayzor Hall 329

Office phone:        (713) 348-3260

E-mail:                    awad@rice.edu

 

 

Course Description:

 

Using an interactive approach, students will expand on the four language skills, acquiring additional basic structures and vocabulary. The content will focus on their immediate environment and multiple aspects of the Arab world. Multimedia material is an integral part of the course. Students will reach the Intermediate-Low level. Prerequisite: ARAB 101, placement test, or permission of the instructor. (5 credits)

 

 

Course Goals in Terms of Proficiency:

 

By the end of this course, students will reach the Intermediate-Low level on the scale devised by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The following statements will roughly describe your four language skills at the end of this course (taken from the ACTFL guidelines):

 

SPEAKING:  Speakers at the Intermediate‑Low level are able to handle successfully a limited number of uncomplicated communicative tasks by creating with the language in straightforward social situations. Conversation is restricted to some of the concrete exchanges and predictable topics necessary for survival in the target language culture. These topics relate to basic personal information covering, for example, self and family, some daily activities and personal preferences, as well as to some immediate needs, such as ordering food and making simple purchases. At the Intermediate‑Low level, speakers are primarily reactive and struggle to answer direct questions or requests for information, but they are also able to ask a few appropriate questions. Intermediate‑Low speakers express personal meaning by combining and recombining into short statements what they know and what they hear from their interlocutors. Their utterances are often filled with hesitancy and inaccuracies as they search for appropriate linguistic forms and vocabulary while attempting to give form to the message. Their speech is characterized by frequent pauses, ineffective reformulations and self‑corrections. Their pronunciation, vocabulary and syntax are strongly influenced by their first language but, in spite of frequent misunderstandings that require repetition or rephrasing, Intermediate‑Low speakers can generally be understood by sympathetic interlocutors, particularly by those accustomed to dealing with non‑natives.

 

LISTENING:  Learners at the Intermediate-Low level are able to understand sentence‑length utterances which consist of recombinations of learned elements in a limited number of content areas, particularly if strongly supported by the situational context. Content refers to basic personal background and needs, social conventions and routine tasks, such as getting meals and receiving simple instructions and directions. Listening tasks pertain primarily to spontaneous face‑to‑face conversa­tions. Understanding is often uneven; repetition and rewording may be necessary. Misunderstandings in both main ideas and details arise frequently.

 

READING:  Learners at the Intermediate-Low level are able to understand main ideas and/or some facts from the simplest connected texts dealing with basic per­sonal and social needs. Such texts are linguistically noncomplex and have a clear underlying internal structure, for example chronological sequencing. They impart basic information about which the reader has to make only minimal suppositions or to which the reader brings personal interest and/or knowledge. Examples in­clude messages with social purposes or information for the widest possible audience, such as public announcements and short, straightforward instructions dealing with public life. Some misunderstandings will occur.

 

WRITING:  Writers at the Intermediate-Low level are able to meet some limited practical writing needs. They can create statements and formulate questions based on familiar material. Most sentences are recombinations of learned vocabulary and structures. These are short and simple conversational sentences with basic subject-verb-object order. They are written mostly in present time with occasional and often incorrect use of past or future time. Writing tends to be a few simple sentences, often with repetitive structure. Vocabulary is limited to common objects and routine activities, and is adequate to express elementary needs. Writing is somewhat mechanistic and topics are limited to highly predictable content areas and personal information tied to limited language experience. There may be basic errors in grammar, word choice, punctuation, spelling, and in the formation and use of nonalphabetical symbols. When Intermediate-Low writers attempt to perform writing tasks at the Advanced level, their writing will deteriorate significantly and their message may be left incomplete. Their writing is understood by natives familiar with the writing of non-natives, although additional effort may be required.

 

In addition to the above four linguistic skills, students will gain information about and insight into the culture of the Arabic-speaking world.

 

 

Course Materials:

 

These books are required:

 

·         Al-Kitaab with DVDs: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic, Part One, 2nd  edn., 2004, by Brustad et al.

·         A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edn., 1994, by Hans Wehr.

 

The following book is not required. It is a classic, concise, and brief description of the Arabic language:

 

·         Arabic Language Handbook, Georgetown University Press, 2003, by Mary Catherine Bateson (updated reprint of the original 1967 edition).

 

 

Course Requirements and Grade Distribution:

 

1.  Attendance and participation – 20%. You are expected to come to every class meeting and to come prepared for class activities. This means that before you come to class you should do the assigned reading, watch the DVDs, study the new vocabulary, preview the exercises that are to be done in class, and be ready to answer questions. Quality participation in class is crucial for success. ‘Quality participation’ is a cover phrase for active, engaged, voluntary, non-disruptive, and consistent participation. Missing class not only means extra time for you to catch up, it is also unfair to your classmates as you will undoubtedly slow everyone down. You are allowed three absences during the semester for any reason and without any justification. Use these absences if you really need to. If you don’t need to, don’t use them. An absence beyond the three which is not excused will impact your grade negatively. For an absence to be excused, it must be for a compelling reason (e.g. illness, job interview, conference presentation, etc.) and it must be documented. Furthermore, note that class will begin and end on time and that two instances of tardiness will count as one absence. You are responsible in detail for material and information covered in class when you were absent or when you arrived late or left early. Check with your classmates or with me about what you may have missed. Note further that your participation grade is affected by whether or not you stay in touch with me in office hours on a semi-regular basis throughout the semester.

 

2.  Homework – 15%. There will be two main kinds of homework: (1) homework that will be turned in to be corrected and graded, and (2) homework that will be spot-checked in class for verification that it was done. Expect one or the other kind of homework every class. At the beginning of class, all written homework that is not for turn-in must be visible for spot-checking. No late homework will be accepted without a compelling reason. It is your responsibility to arrange to turn in your homework on time even if you must miss class on the day the homework is due. The following grading scale will be used to grade homework (out of 10 points):

10     =    A   =    excellent/very good

9       =    B    =    good/above average

8       =    C    =    okay/average

7       =    D   =    acceptable/below average

1–6   =    F    =    failing

 

3.  Lab requirement – 5%. You will log at least 60 minutes of work in the language lab (Language Resource Center) every week. Your time there must be spent doing things above and beyond the normal class requirements—that is to say, things other than preparing for tests, working on homework assignments, using the Al-Kitaab DVDs, etc. The purpose and spirit of this requirement is to encourage you to interact with and explore the Arabic language and culture beyond the normal class requirements. The following are some examples of creditable lab work: teaching yourself how to type in Arabic, watching and listening to Arabic programs on the Internet (e.g. SCOLA), reading Arabic texts on the Internet (e.g. newspapers), watching Arabic films, listening to Arabic songs and writing down their words (passive listening to music does not count), using Arabic learning software such as TMM, and so on. If you are not sure whether something counts toward fulfilling this requirement or not, ask me. To get credit for this requirement, students must log their time in the LRC log system.

 

4.  Conversation tutorial requirement – 5%. Along with a small group of your classmates, you will meet with a native speaker “tutor” for an hour a week to practice your conversation skills in Arabic.

 

5.  Vocabulary quizzes – 5%. There will be approximately 5 vocabulary quizzes, one every time we begin a new chapter in Al-Kitaab.

 

6.  Chapter tests – 25%. There will be 3 chapter tests, one every time we cover two chapters in Al-Kitaab. These tests will be scheduled as we go and will be announced a week or two in advance.

 

7.  Oral presentation – 10%. There will be one oral presentation due in class in the last two weeks of the semester. The script of the oral presentation is due a few days before the oral presentation is due.

 

8.  Final exam – 15%. There will be a cumulative final exam during the final exam period. The date of the final exam will be announced a few weeks into the semester, as soon as the Registrar’s office releases that information.

 

 

Grading Scale:  This is the scale that will be used to calculate your final course grade:

 

98–100%   =    A+                    89–91  =    B+                    80–82  =    C+                    71–73  =    D+                    0–64    =    F

95–97         =    A                      86–88  =    B                       77–79  =    C                       68–70  =    D

92–94         =    A-                     83–85  =    B-                     74–76  =    C-                     65–67  =    D-

 

Your goal is to learn Arabic, not to obsess over grades. The point of the grades is merely to keep you on track toward that goal. Do your work well, and the grades will take care of themselves.

 

 

Other Requirements and Expectations:

 

1.        It is highly unadvisable to take this course on a pass/fail grading basis as this tends to create two performance levels in class, the lower-level students being the ones opting for pass/fail.

 

2.        You should expect to spend at least two hours preparing for every in-class hour.

 

3.        You should come to office hours often during the semester, not only when there is a problem or an upcoming test. Your participation grade is affected by whether or not you stay in touch with me in office hours on a semi-regular basis throughout the semester.

 

4.        You are required to form groups of 3–4 students each and meet at a regular time for an hour once a week to practice your Arabic and to study together. Take the initiative in approaching your classmates to form your group.

 

5.        Planned absences (e.g., for religious observance, a job interview, a medical procedure, a conference presentation, etc.) must be communicated to me during the first two weeks of class, even if the exact dates of the planned absence are not known. In general, let me know as soon as you become aware that you must be absent on a given day. You will be responsible for making up any work you miss during your absence.

 

6.        No makeup exam or test will be given without a compelling documented reason.

 

7.        You are required to save every test and assignment returned to you in an organized folder until after the final grades are assigned at the end of the semester. This includes assignments that you send me electronically.

 

8.        Every requirement in this course, from the smallest to the biggest, will be carried out in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Rice Honor Code.

 

 

Special Needs:

 

Any student with a documented disability who needs academic adjustments or accommodations is requested to speak with me during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will remain confidential. Students with disabilities will also need to contact Disability Support Services in the Student Center (RMC).