Undergraduate Course: Arabic Coursework Essay (IMES10054)
This course is taken during Arabic Language Acquisition Through Residence/Study Abroad in
all Arabic degrees excepting those with a modern language. It consists of a 2,000 word original
composition in Arabic.
Breakdown of assessment method: 2000 word essay 100%.
Suggested change of the assessment:
2000 word Arabic essay 60%
10 minutes oral presentation 40%
Rationale for changing the assessment of IMES ARABIC ESSAY
Currently 4th year students write 2000 words essay (exclusive of any notes and bibliography)
or one 2000 word short story in Modern Standard Arabic. It is intended to strengthen and
further develop knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic in the area of writing and composition,
enhance students’ vocabulary, and improve their skills in the idiomatic use of Arabic
constructions.
However, due to the fact there has been one confirmed case of plagiarism this year and other
3 suspected cases which were not proved, in addition to the external examiner’s comment
on including other means of assessment for the year abroad, the Arabic course organisers
think that it is necessary to include a separate unit of assessment in addition to the 2000 word
Arabic essay which students are supposed to hand in the first week of their 4th year. The oral
presentation will allow the course organisers to determine whether the respective linguistic
levels demonstrated in the essay, the oral presentation and oral responses to the examiners
questions on the latter are conspicuously different.
The 2000 word Arabic essay will still be essential, however in addition to it, the course
organisers are suggesting a 10 minutes oral presentation given by each individual student
which will be an opportunity for students to expand upon and answer questions about the
topic of their 2000 word Arabic essay.