Course Syllabus - Fall 2011
ARAB 433: Reading in Social Science and Media
Tuesdays- Thursdays (3:00 P.M-4:30 P.M.)
Instructor: Abeer Aloush
office: Williams 302
Office hours: Tuesday from 2:15 to 3:00, Thursday 1:30 to 3:00 and by app.
E-mail: aaloush@sas.upenn.edu
Arabic Readings in the Social Sciences and the Media
This course is designed to train students in reading original Arabic materials
selected from recently published books, current newspapers, and from scholarly
journals. The choice of texts reflects various topics and styles. No vocabulary
lists are distributed, and students are expected to prepare for the readings on
their own with the help of a dictionary. Each text is read in class and its topic
discussed in Modern Standard Arabic. Generally, a written assignment is given at
the completion of the reading. The selection of specialized texts takes into
account the academic or professional interests of those enrolled in the course
and their input is usually solicited
Course Objectives: The aim is that all the activities together will lead to the
enhancement of your reading skills in general, by contributing to your ability to
comprehend and discuss materials relating to the specific fields selected for the
texts used in the course.
Outside
(1) Reading Comprehension texts and develop questions on them in written to be
discussed in class.
(2) Searching for other materials in Arabic on the same topic and preparing short
classroom presentations on them.
(3) Review the Audio materials of relevant issue.
For Class:
(1) Discussing assigned text (s).
(2) Presenting reports of Audio materials.
(3) Initial reading and preparing for next week class.
(3) Working on speed reading activities.
(4) Writing paragraph-length summaries of the Audio or the text.
Course Materials:
New reading material will be handed to you in each class and/or be posted on
the BB
Evaluation:
Evaluation will be based on performance in all these activities and on
presentations, mid term exam and a final written examination which will test
comprehension of a set of social-scientific texts.
Attendance Policies:
You are expected to come prepared for class. This means that before you come
to class you should listen to the tapes, read, and prepare for presenting your
reading in class, and be ready to answer questions. Three or more unsanctioned
absences during the semester will impact your grade negatively. Class will begin
and end on time; two late arrivals will count as one absence. You are responsible
to the last detail for material covered in class when you were absent or when you
arrived late.
Grading :
10 % attendance and participation in class.
15% work assignments and presentations (one to two). Homework handed in
late will NOT receive credit unless there are very clear extenuating
circumstances.
25 % posting weekly news and commenting on classmates’ other news. You
have to bring ‫ خ بر ق ص ير طري ف أو غري ب‬on Bb and to comment on one at least of
the other posted news. Last posting for Tuesday class is Monday at 8:00 PM and
for Thursday is Wednesday 8:00 PM.
10% Mid term exam
%15 final project.
25% final exam
N.b. manual dictionaries are allowed in both mid term and final exam.
Important Notes:
Come to my office hours regularly during the term, not only when there is a
problem or an upcoming exam.
You will listen and watch your DVDs on your own outside of class, and you will
have to prepare always before class. We will also watch the videos together in
class.
I strongly recommend that you form groups of 2–3 students and meet regularly
for an hour once or twice a week to practice your Arabic, to study together (not to
copy exact homework from each other), and to support each other. Take the
initiative in approaching your classmates.
Planned absences (for religious or other reasons) must be communicated to me
during the first two weeks of the term, even when the exact dates of the planned
absence are not known. Students will be responsible for making up any work
missed during absence.
Any student caught cheating or plagiarizing will receive an F for the course.
No food or chewing gum allowed in class. You may have water or tea and coffee.
No talking to your classmate while I am talking or while another student is asking
questions.
Be responsible for making up any work missed during absence.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Teaching the Revolutions:
This course is designed to train students interested in a professional career
involving the use of Arabic written materials and media. This class will explore
the Middle East through the region's media providing timely analysis of Arabic
media, as well as original analysis of ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and
religious trends in the Middle East that caused the current turmoil and
revolutions. The Egyptian and Tunisian revolutions, for example, will be
extensively studied through media. Regular attendance and thorough preparation
and presentation are essential to success in this course. It is intended that, upon
completion of this course, students will be able to work independently with a
variety of media texts at different levels. Students will work on a final project at
the end of the semester to analyze different phenomenon of the Middle East
through the media from a perspective of their choice.