Opportunity to Study Arabic

• Articulate practical knowledge of Arab language, history, traditions, and culture.
• Advance students’ comparative insights between his or her worldview and the Arab worldview.
• Provide students with an opportunity to experience and cope with culture shock and cultural immersion in a safe environment.
• Mark student progression in reading, hearing, speaking, and writing Arabic.
• See students reach, at minimal, the intermediate-low level of language proficiency, as assessed by their field supervisor.
• Assess student achievement using the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Oral Proficiency Assessment (OPI).

ARB 102, Contemporary Arabic 2: This course builds on Arabic 1 and introduces basic syntax including conjugation of key subject pronouns, suffix pronouns, and auxiliary verbs. Students will grow in their ability to express themselves in simple, noun-based sentences while preparing for the complexities of the Arabic verb system.

ARB 201, Contemporary Arabic 3: This course solidifies student proficiency in basic Arabic grammar and syntax enabling students to communicate in functional noun-based sentences. Students will begin learning the Ten Forms of the Arabic Verb, beginning with the past tense of Form 1 verbs. Additionally, students will continue growth in cultural competencies by learning idioms, sayings, and proverbs common in conversational Arabic.

ARB 202, Contemporary Arabic 4: This course focuses on mastery of the Ten Forms of the Arabic Verb in both past and present tense. Students will have foundational mastery of Arabic grammar and syntax along with a vocabulary of at least 350 words and will be able to express themselves and carry out common tasks using both simple and complex sentences.

We will give emphasis to proper pronunciation as this is of special consequence in Arabic. In-class role play and comprehension exercises will be given from a select number of simple conversation exercises in addition to drilling. Students will be given assignments/tasks requiring them to work individually, in pairs, or in small groups. Some grammatical principles will be taught in lecture format.

Practical daily scenarios in the form of dialogue will be presented by the instructor as well as practiced and role-played with peers. Students will be presented with some basic lessons in Arab culture and traditions and encouraged to speak and practice their Arabic with native Arabic speakers in the community. We will use Fridrik Tiedemann’s vocabulary acquisition method, called “The Notebook Method.”