ARAB 201: Intermediate Modern
Arabic Language and Culture I (Fall Semester)
Course Syllabus
Instructor:
Instructor: Maher Awad
Office: Rayzor
Hall 329
Office
phone: (713) 348-3260
E-mail: awad@rice.edu
Course Description:
In
this course, students will further their proficiency in reading, writing,
speaking, and listening, utilizing complex semantic and syntactic structures.
Students will be encouraged to participate in discussions, discourse, and
analysis, featuring historical, geographic, and cultural topics specific to the
Arab world. Multimedia material is an integral part of the course. Students
will reach the Intermediate-Mid level. Prerequisite:
ARAB 102, placement test, or permission of the instructor. This is a
Distribution Group I course. (4 credits)
Course Goals in Terms of Proficiency:
By the end of this course, students will
reach the Intermediate-Mid 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-Mid level are able to handle successfully a variety of uncomplicated
communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Conversation is
generally limited to those predictable and concrete exchanges necessary for
survival in the target culture; these include personal information covering
self, family, home, daily activities, interests and personal preferences, as
well as physical and social needs, such as food, shopping, travel and lodging.
Intermediate-Mid speakers tend to function reactively, for example, by
responding to direct questions or requests for information. However, they are
capable of asking a variety of questions when necessary to obtain simple
information to satisfy basic needs, such as directions, prices and services.
When called on to perform functions or handle topics at the Advanced level, they
provide some information but have difficulty linking ideas, manipulating time
and aspect, and using communicative strategies, such as circumlocution.
Intermediate-Mid speakers are able to express personal meaning by creating with
the language, in part by combining and recombining known elements and
conversational input to make utterances of sentence length and some strings of
sentences. Their speech may contain pauses, reformulations and self-corrections
as they search for adequate vocabulary and appropriate language forms to
express themselves. Because of inaccuracies in their vocabulary and/or
pronunciation and/or grammar and/or syntax, misunderstandings can occur, but
Intermediate-Mid speakers are generally understood by sympathetic interlocutors
accustomed to dealing with non-natives.
LISTENING: Learners at
the Intermediate-Mid level are able to understand sentence-length utterances
which consist of recombinations of learned utterances
on a variety of topics. Content continues to refer primarily to basic personal
background and needs, social conventions and somewhat more complex tasks, such
as lodging, transportation, and shopping. Additional content areas include some
personal interests and activities, and a greater diversity of instructions and directions.
Listening tasks not only pertain to spontaneous face-to-face conversations but
also to short routine telephone conversations and some deliberate speech, such
as simple announcements and reports over the media. Understanding continues to
be uneven.
READING: Learners at
the Intermediate-Mid level are able to read consistently with increased
understanding simple connected texts dealing with a variety of basic and social
needs. Such texts are still linguistically noncomplex and have a clear underlying
internal structure. They impart basic information about which the reader has to
make minimal suppositions and to which the reader brings personal interest
and/or knowledge. Examples may include short, straightforward descriptions of
persons, places, and things written for a wide audience.
WRITING: Writers at the
Intermediate-Mid level are able to meet a number of practical writing needs.
They can write short simple communications, compositions, descriptions, and
requests for information in loosely connected texts that are based on personal
preferences, daily routines, common events, and other topics related to
personal experiences and immediate surroundings. Most writing is framed in
present time, with inconsistent references to other time frames. The writing
style closely resembles the grammar and lexicon of oral discourse. Writers at
the Intermediate-Mid level show evidence of control of syntax in noncomplex
sentences and in basic verb forms, and they may
demonstrate some ability to use grammatical and stylistic cohesive elements.
This writing is best defined as a collection of discreet sentences and/or
questions loosely strung together; there is little evidence of deliberate
organization. Writers at the Intermediate-Mid level pay only sporadic attention
to the reader of their texts; they focus their energies on the production of
the writing rather than on the reception of the text. When Intermediate-Mid
writers attempt Advanced-level writing tasks, the quality and/or quantity of
their writing declines and the message may be unclear. Intermediate-Mid writers
can be understood readily by natives familiar with the writing of non-natives.
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 (
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 2 or 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).