Houston Community College System – Central College
World Languages
Course Outline for Beginning Arabic I 1411
Fall 2012
CRN 21747
Instructor
Dr.Muthanna Alkhaldi
Email: muthanna.alkhaldi@hccs.edu
Time and location
Mon/Wed 5:30 pm-8:45 p.m.
phone: 713-718-6678
Fine Art Center # 323
Course Semester Credit Hours
Credit: 4 (3 lecture, 2 lab)
12 weeks/80 hours
Textbook
- Alif Baa with DVDs: Introduction to Arabic Letters
& Sounds (Brustad, Al- Batal, Al-Tonsi)
ISBN: 9781589016446 (1589016440)
(Third Edition).
- Al-Kitaab fii Ta’allum al-‘Arabiyya with DVDs: A
Textbook for Beginning Arabic, Part One, second
edition ( Brustad, Al-Batal, Al-Tonsi)
ISBN: 9781589017368 (1589017366).
(Third Edition).
Course Description
Arabic 1411, Beginning Arabic I, is a four credit-hour course, which meets six &half
hours per week(Regular Term). It is part of the four-semester beginning and
intermediate (1411-1412, 2311-2312) sequence. The course transfers to universities as
foreign language credit. It also satisfies the cross-cultural component of the HCCS
core curriculum. Placement in this course is based on having had no previous formal
instruction in Arabic or lea than one year of high-school Arabic.
In Arabic 1411 you will listen to, speak, read and write Arabic. Vocabulary, language
patterns, and grammar are introduced and applied in the context of practical
communication. You will learn Arabic vocabulary, expressions, and structures
relating to college studies, personal identity, home and family, getting acquainted,
describing people and places, activities and leisure, dining and cuisine, transactions in
a store or restaurant.
You will also learn cultural information about values, beliefs, and practices related to
the above situations and to speakers of Arabic. In a more general sense, you will learn
about the cultural contexts of the Arabic language. The class includes dialogues,
tapes, and oral and written exercises, role-playing, partner or group work.
Program Learning Outcomes
1. The student will: Demonstrate the speaking skills required to handle
successfully a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in
straightforward social situations.
2. The student will: Comprehend the main points of (a) standard discourse,
even when the topic if not familiar and (b) authentic material (TV programs,
videos, movies, CDs) delivered at near-native speed.
3. The student will: 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.
4. The student will: Read consistently with increased understanding simple,
connected texts dealing with a variety of basic and social needs.
5. The student will: Demonstrate knowledge and awareness of aspects of
behavior, attitudes, and customs of the countries and communities where the
target language is spoken.
Course Student Learning Outcomes
1. The student will: Speak using words, phrases and short sentences in a limited
number of familiar contexts.
2. The student will: Comprehend words, phrases and sentences of the standard
spoken language where the context is familiar, mainly simple sentences and
conversations using high frequency vocabulary and language patterns.
3. The student will: Write short simple sentences using learned vocabulary and a
limited number of grammatical structures within familiar contexts.
4. The student will: Read and interpret language focused on high frequency and
practical situations or subject matter.
5. The student will: Demonstrate a basic knowledge of the behavior, attitudes, and
customs of countries and communities where the target language is spoken.
Learning Objectives
1.1 speak in complete sentences about everyday activities using the present tense.
1.2 construct dialogues in the present tense regarding family, festivities, university
life, and shopping
2.1 respond accurately in the present tense to questions asked by others regarding self,
family, and immediate surroundings.
2.2 elaborate in the present tense on elements of a given conversation
3.1 write short, cohesive sentences in the present tense that describe people, situations
and personal activities.
3.2 narrate everyday events in a short paragraph using the present tense
4.1 read a short passage and respond accurately to questions in different modalities
4.2 restate and explain significant points from the reading
5.1 recognize and differentiate among the many aspects that characterize the target
culture
5.2 compare and contrast the cultural aspects of daily life between the United States
and target cultures
Instructional Methods
On site
Core Curriculum Competences
Reading, Writing, Speaking/Listening, Critical Thinking, Computer Information,
Literacy
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1: Introduction; Diglossia; Units 1-2
Week 2: Units 3-5
Week 3: Units 6-8
Week 4: Unit 9-10
Week 5: Lesson 1
Week 6: Lesson 1
Week 7: Lesson 2
Week 8: Lesson 2
Week 9: Lesson 3
Week 10: Lesson 3
Week 11: Lesson 4
Week 12: Review + Final
HCCS Grading System:
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
59 & below
=
=
=
=
=
A
B
C
D
F/FX
Course Grade
50% 3 major tests (Oral and Written Portions)
20% final exam (Oral and Written Portions)
20% written homework
10% attendance
Attendance and Promptness
Class will begin at 5:30 PM. Please be on time, as coming and going disrupt the class.
Attendance is essential.
Class will begin at the scheduled time. Please be on time, as coming and going is disruptive.
The class roll will be called every day at the beginning of class. Students are expected to
attend classes every day and will be responsible for materials covered during their absence,
as per the course lesson plan and additional materials assigned by instructor. Students will
lose points on the participation grade for every class missed. As per HCCS policies, stated in
the Student Handbook (P. 2), the instructor has full authority to drop a student after the
student has accumulated absences in excess of 10 hours, including lecture and laboratory
time. However, it is recommended that the student be responsible for dropping the course if
he/she has been absent more than 10 hours of class. This policy will be strictly enforced,
particularly for veterans. If a student is late by more than 10 minutes or leaves class 15
minutes before the class ends, the student will receive one 1/2 absence. After 2 of these
absences the student will get one full absence. Poor attendance records tend to correlate with
poor grades. There are no excused or unexcused absences; they are all absences.
Absences will be counted from the first class day of the semester, no matter when the
student registers or first attend.
IMPORTANT DATES THIS SEMESTER AND WITHDRAWAL INFORMATION
First day of classes
February 13
Last day to withdraw March 29
Presidents Day
February 20
Spring Break
March 12-18
Instruction ends
May 6
Final Exam
May 8
It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from my class before the last day
for Administrative/Student Withdrawal, which is March 29, 2012 before 4:30
p.m. If you fail to withdraw, you will receive a grade of FX.
Class Buddies
It is your responsibility to find a class buddy, who can get handouts for you if you are
absent and who will let you know about any assignments that you miss.
Makeup Policy
There is no makeup for any major test made during any absence. Therefore, your
grade will be ZERO if you miss any test. Therefore, try not to miss any class and be
on time.
Cell Phones and Beepers
Please turn off all cell phones and beepers before class. Their use disrupts the class.
Policy on Academic Dishonesty
Students are expected to do their own work, unless an assignment is made specifically
as a group assignment. Plagiarism (handing in another person’s work as your own), or
cheating will result in a grade of F for the assignment, or test in question. For a
second offense, the student may receive a grade of F for the course.
Reasonable Accommodations: Any student with a documented disability (e.g.
physical, learning,, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) who needs to arrange reasonable
accommodations must contact the Disability Services Office-Room LHSB 106,or call
713-718-6164 at the beginning of each semester. Faculty are authorized to provide
only the accommodations requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
REPEATED COURSE FEE
Students who repeat a course for a third or more times may soon face significant
tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please
ask your professor / counselor about opportunities for tutoring / other assistance prior
to considering course withdrawal or if you are not receiving passing grades.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR
The guidelines for student conducts and consequences for their violation are
specifically defined in The Student Handbook " [As] mature, responsible adults., they
will voluntarily observe these rules as a matter of training and habit. Students [will]
not interfere with or disrupt the orderly educational process of the College System."
It is expected that the students will demonstrate both courtesy and cooperation in the
classroom. A student who either cannot or will not extend both courtesy and
cooperation may not continue the course.
USE OF RECORDING DEVICES IN HCC FACILITIES
Per HCCS Policy, “Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape
recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and other locations
where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to
use a recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for
Students with Disabilities for information regarding reasonable accommodations.”
Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback
is necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be
asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to
instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your
professor and division chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the
survey as part of the Houston Community College Student System online near the end
of the term
I hope you find Arabic an interesting and rewarding subject. I look forward to
working with you this semester!
GOOD LUCK