Binghamton University SUNY Department of Classical & Near Eastern Studies COURSE SYLLABUS اللغة العربية Elementary Arabic I - Arabic 101 Section 01 Fall 2015 Scheduled Meeting Times: MWF, 10:50-11:50AM, S2 G35 TR, 11:40-12:40AM, RC 260 Instructor: Saqer Almarri Office: LT (Library Tower) 1111 Office Hours: Wednesdays 2:00-3:00, Thursdays 2:00-3:00, or by appointment E-mail: salmarr1@binghamton.edu Course Description and Objectives This course is the first in a sequence of courses in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the language of all official forms of communication and media throughout the Arab world and the register of Arabic taught in schools from Morocco to Oman. In this course, students will learn basic MSA skills in the areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This course and all subsequent courses in the MSA track at Binghamton University, in keeping with the methodology of the al-kitaab textbook series as well as the goals of the University s Arabic program, focuses on MSA, which is the formal/written variation of Arabic used and understood in all Arabic-speaking countries. Colloquial variations are certainly not less important and while some Egyptian dialect will be introduced, the Arabic program has a separate track for Egyptian Colloquial Arabic consisting of 2 semesters of study which all students who have completed at least one year of training in MSA are encouraged to pursue. In this course, we will complete the textbook, Alif Baa, followed by the first volume of the al- Kitaab series. Alif Baa is accompanied by audio, video, and interactive exercises available on a DVD or a companion website, www.alkitaabtextbook.com, to be used outside of class. Upon completing Alif Baa, students will be able to read and write the alphabet, recognize and produce all letters and sounds, and use some basic greetings and daily expressions from the approximately 200 vocabulary words they will have learned. 1
The second textbook, al-kitaab fii Taᶜallum al-ᶜarabiyya, Part One (2nd edition), presents the story of an Egyptian family whose members reside in New York and Cairo. Each chapter devotes attention to all skills - listening, reading, writing, and speaking as well culture, using the basic building blocks of vocabulary and grammar in the format of drills and activities. We will complete the first four chapters of this textbook. By the end of Arabic 101 students will in shaa allaah: * have mastered the Arabic alphabet and sound system, be able to distinguish and pronounce all Arabic sounds, and write accurately from dictation; * talk and write about themselves, their education, and their family in short sentences ; * comprehend simple written texts on familiar topics; * comprehend simple audio/video texts on familiar topics; * be aware of basic cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world; * be familiar with some of the differences between formal and colloquial Arabic. SUNY Learning Outcomes for General Education Requirements Students who satisfy the Foreign Language requirement will demonstrate: 1. Basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language. 2. Knowledge of the distinctive features of cultures(s) associated with the languages they are studying. Required Course Materials (1) Kristen Brustad and Mahmoud Al-Batal. Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, 3rd edition, Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2011 (with accompanying DVD or access to companion website [www.alkitaabtextbook.com]). (2) Al-Tonsi, A., Al-Batal, M., Brustad, K. al-kitaab fii Taᶜallum al-ᶜarabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic, Part One, 2nd edition, Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2011 (with accompanying DVDs). (3) Handouts to be distributed by the instructor. Requirements Attendance: Attendance and active participation are required. Students must attend all classes and arrive to class on time. Three unexcused absences or tardy arrivals results in one-half a letter grade being deducted from your final course grade. An additional half a letter is then deducted for every subsequent absence. Thus, for example, if a student receives 90% for her/his final grade but has missed three classes, the final grade will be lowered to 89.5%. If a student misses a class, it is her/his responsibility to catch up with class assignments. 2
Participation: Students must come to each class prepared to participate fully in class activities. Preparation includes listening to exercises on the DVD or the companion website, completing assigned drills and exercises, and learning new vocabulary and grammatical structures. Class time should be viewed as a laboratory for students to test and activate the learning and preparation they do at home. Due to the importance of getting ample opportunity to participate and practice, and with a large class size, after completing Alif Baa and moving into the first volume of al-kitaab, we will spend at least 65% of class time working in pairs. Respect for each other at all times will ensure a positive and fruitful learning experience. Help and encourage your colleagues: each of you can learn with and from everyone else. Work with different people on a regular basis because each student has her/his own particular strengths. Learning a language is a lot like going to the gym. Rather than arm muscle, however, we need to build mental and throat muscles and train brain-mouth coordination. During group activities, the instructor plays the role of a personal trainer. Class participation will be evaluated based on the following criteria: (1) evidence of preparation prior to class; (2) readiness to respond to the instructors questions; (3) full and active participation in all assigned tasks; (4) cooperation and respect for classmates in carrying out group activities. Homework: Students should expect to spend approximately two hours each day on homework, review, and preparation. Homework will be assigned every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (for the weekend). Homework is thus due every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The instructor will collect homework a total of approximately 15 times during the course of the semester at the beginning of class. The days on which homework is collected will not be announced in advance and late submissions will not be accepted. On all other days, an answer key will be posted on Blackboard for select drills. Students must check their work as part of their daily preparation and review. On days on which more than one drill has been assigned, each drill should be completed on a separate sheet of paper since the instructor may choose to collect select drill(s). Homework must be completed in pencil and be double-spaced at all times. Each of the approximately 15 assignments that are collected will be graded on a range of 1 to 3 [3 = completed with few or no errors; 2 = completed with numerous errors; 1 = incomplete or with an inordinate number of errors]. Again, late assignments will not be accepted. It is important to follow up on any special instructor comments on your homework, and it is your responsibility to come to office hours or make an appointment to see the instructor when needed. Oral Presentation: Each student will be expected to make an oral presentation (5-7 minutes) during the final week of classes. Details will be posted on Blackboard. 3
Blackboard: The instructor will communicate with the class through Blackboard. It is your responsibility to check Blackboard for assignments and updates. Assessment 20% Attendance and class participation. 20% Homework assignments. 20% 5 periodic quizzes. Four quizzes will be counted at 5% each of your total grade while the lowest grade will be dropped. 10% Oral presentation. 30% Comprehensive Final Exam. The final exam will cover vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and writing. Note: There is no midterm for this course. Letter Grading Scale A 93%-100% C+ 77%-79.99% A- 90%- C 73%-76.99% 92.99% B+ 87%- C- 70%-72.99% 89.99% B 83%- D 60%-69.99% 86.99% B- 80-82.99% F 59.99% and below Tentative Weekly Schedule: The following schedule is subject to necessary changes and amendments at the instructor s discretion. A detailed weekly schedule with pages, drills, class activities and precise homework requirements will be posted each weekend to Blackboard. Week 1 (beginning August 31): Introduction to the objectives of the course; introduction to the Arabic alphabet and sounds; basic greetings. Complete Unit 1 and begin Unit 2 in Alif Baa Week 2 (beginning September 7): Complete Units 2 and 3 in Alif Baa Note: No class on Monday September 7 (Labor Day) Friday, September 11: Course add/drop (delete) deadline 4
Week 3 (beginning September 14): Unit 4 in Alif Baa Note: No class on Monday and Tuesday (Rosh Hashanah) *** Quiz 1 will be administered on Thursday, September 17 (covers Units 1 3) *** Week 4 (beginning September 21): Complete Unit 4, Unit 5 in Alif Baa Note: No class on Wednesday (Yom Kippur) Week 5 (beginning September 28): Unit 6 in Alif Baa *** Quiz 2 will be administered on Thursday October 1 (covers Units 4 6) *** Week 6 (beginning October 5): Unit 7 in Alif Baa Week 7 (beginning October 12): Unit 8 and Begin Unit 9 Week 8 (beginning October 19): Complete Units 9 and 10 *** Quiz 3 will be administered on Thursday, October 22 (covers Units 7-10) *** Week 9 (beginning October 26): Begin Lesson 1 in al-kitaab Note: October 30: Course withdrawal (with a w )/change grade option deadline Week 10 (beginning November 2): Complete Lesson 1 and begin Lesson 2 in al-kitaab Week 11 (beginning November 9): Complete Lesson 2 and begin Lesson 3 al-kitaab *** Quiz 4 will be administered on Thursday, November 12 (covers Lessons 1-2) *** 5
Week 12 (beginning November 16): Complete Lesson 3 in al-kitaab Week 13 (beginning November 23): Begin Lesson 4 in al-kitaab Note: No class on Thursday and Friday this week (Thanksgiving) Week 14 (beginning November 30): Complete Lesson 4 in al-kitaab *** Quiz 5 will be administered on Thursday, December 3 (covers Lesson 3) *** Week 15 (beginning December 7): Oral presentations **Information on the Place and Time of the Final Exam Will Be Provided to You** Additional Resource: The Arabic Fulbright Teaching Assistant, Mr. Jamal Al-Sulaiman (jalsula1@binghamton.edu), will hold regular office hours which students are encouraged to attend to have additional time to practice the language and pose any questions. Time and location to be announced. Academic Honesty: As signatories to the Binghamton University Academic Honesty Code, and indeed simply as good scholars and citizens, you are required to uphold academic honesty in all aspects of this course. You may find the Student Academic Honesty Code at the following website: <http://goo.gl/6pek8s>. Any student who has previous knowledge of Arabic should speak with the instructor so they can be placed in the proper level. To remain in the incorrect level constitutes a violation of the honesty code. Disability-related Equal Access Accommodations: Students wishing to request academic accommodations to insure their equitable access and participation in this course should notify the instructor by the second week of class. Authorizations from Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) are generally required. We encourage you to contact SSD at (607) 777-2686 to schedule an appointment with the Director or Learning Disabilities Specialist. Their website (www.binghamton.edu/ssd) includes information regarding their Disability Documentation Guidelines. The office is located in UU 119. 6