Binghamton University – SUNY
Department of Classical & Near Eastern Studies
COURSE SYLLABUS
‫اللغة العربية‬
Elementary Arabic II - Arabic 102 – Section 01
Spring 2015
Scheduled Meeting Times: MWF, 12:00-01:00 PM, SL 302
TR, 11:40 - 12:40 PM, LN 1404
Instructor: Mr. Lotfi Zekraoui
Office: LT (Library Tower) 1104
Office Hours: TR: 02:00 – 03:00 pm or by appointment
E-mail: lzekraou@binghamton.edu
۞ Course Description and Objectives
This is the second course 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 the Gulf. In this course, students build on the basic MSA language
skills in the areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking that they have already learned in
101. Culture mediated through the language is also an integral part of the curriculum in this
course.
We will use one volume of the al-Kitaab textbook series and its audio-visual materials that are
included conveniently in the form of a DVD. This second edition of al-Kitaab fii Taᶜallum alᶜArabiyya, Part One, presents a realistic story of an Egyptian family whose members reside in
New York and Cairo. Al-Kitaab Part One also presents different aspects of Arab culture by
embedding cultural features in the main story plot or by discussing them in isolation. In-class
activities may include watching short video clips and listening to Arabic popular music.
By the end of the course, students will have covered 12 lessons starting from lesson 5 of alKitaab, Part One. Students will acquire advanced command in talking and writing about
themselves using the vocabulary with which they have become familiar with during the course.
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 Modern Standard Arabic, which is the formal/written variation of
Arabic used and understood in all Arabic-speaking countries. Colloquial variations are certainly
1
no less important, but learning MSA first will make learning colloquial Arabic easier in the
future. Some Egyptian dialect, especially a few of the common features and vocabulary on which
al-Kitaab focuses as part of the story of Maha and her family, will be introduced in class. 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.
By the end of Arabic 102 students will in shaa’a-llaah:
1. Have improved their social interactions, asking for more information, and being more
aware of cultural aspects of social interaction in the Arab world;
2. Have had better command in talking about themselves, their education, and their family
with any native speaker of Arabic;
3. Have had better comprehension of written texts on familiar topics;
4. Have had better comprehension of audio/video texts on familiar topics;
5. Have had better command composing paragraphs about themselves;
6. Have been more familiar with the differences between formal and spoken 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) 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).
(2) Arabic-English Dictionary: The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic |
Edition: 4
(3) Handouts and websites to be used from various sources.
۞ Requirements
Attendance: Students must attend all classes throughout the semester and arrive to class on
time. Class attendance and active participation are required. Three unexcused absences or
tardy arrivals results in one-half a letter grade being deducted from your final course
2
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 the class assignments.
Participation: You must come to each class prepared to participate fully in class activities.
Preparation includes listening to DVDs/online materials, completing assigned drills and
exercises, and learning new vocabulary and grammatical structures so that you can actively
practice using them in class. Class time should be viewed as laboratory for you to test and
activate the learning and preparation you have done outside of the classroom. Class participation
will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
(1) evidence of preparation of materials prior to class session;
(2) readiness to respond to the instructors’ questions on the content of the materials;
(3) full and active participation in all class activities and tasks;
(4) cooperation and respect for classmates in carrying out group activities. Note: Cell phones,
laptop and the like may not be used in class. Your participation grade will be adversely
affected if you use any such tools.
Homework: Students should expect to spend approximately two hours per day on homework,
material review, and preparation for the material of the following day (by reading ahead in the
textbook). This is a language class that meets five times per week and there is homework
assigned every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (for the weekend). The instructor
will collect homework a total of 10 times during the course of the semester at the beginning of
class. The days on which homework will be collected will not be announced in advance. Late
assignments will not be accepted. On all other days, the answer key will be posted to Blackboard
for select drills. Students must check their own work as part of their daily preparation and
review.
Please hand in homework written out clearly on a separate sheet of paper; pages xeroxed out of
the book will not be accepted. Each of the 10 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 two oral presentations (5-7 minutes)
during the midterms and (12-15) during the final week of classes (details including a schedule
will be posted on Blackboard).
3
The instructor will communicate with students outside of class via Blackboard.
۞ Assessment
It is imperative that all students regularly check their Blackboard accounts.
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
Attendance and class participation
Homework assignments
4 periodic quizzes [four quizzes will be counted at 5% each]
Oral presentations (10% each)
Comprehensive Final Exam (will cover vocabulary, grammar, listening comprehension,
reading comprehension, and writing)
Note: Oral presentations will substitute for the midterm in this course.
۞ Letter Grading Scale
A
AB+
B
B-
93%-100%
90%92.99%
87%89.99%
83%86.99%
80-82.99%
C+
C
77%-79.99%
73%-76.99%
C-
70%-72.99%
D
60%-69.99%
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 on a weekly basis to Blackboard.
Week 01 (Jan. 26 - 30): Introduction to the objectives of the course; Lesson 5
Week 02 (Feb. 02 - 06): Lesson 6
Week 03 (Feb. 09 - 13): Lesson 7
QUIZ 01 (FEB. 16)
Week 04 (Feb. 16 - 20): Lesson 8
Week 05 (Feb. 23 - 27): Lesson 9
Week 06 (Mar. 02 - 06): Lesson 10
QUIZ 02 (Mar. 09)
Week 07 (Mar. 09 - 13): Lesson 11
Week 08 (Mar. 16 - 20): Lesson 12
Week 09 (Mar. 23 - 27): Lesson 13
QUIZ 03 (Mar. 30)
4
Week 10 (Mar. 30 – Apr. 03): Midterm Oral Presentations
Week 11 (Apr. 13 – 17): Lesson 14
Week 12 (Apr. 20 – 14): Lesson 15
Week 13 (Apr. 20 – 24): Lesson 16
QUIZ 04 (Apr. 27)
Week 14 (Apr. 27 – May 01): Final Oral Presentations
Week 15 (May. 04 – May. 08): Final Oral Presentations
**Information on the Place and Time of the Final Exam Will Be Provided to You**
۞ Additional Resource: The Arabic Fulbright Teaching Assistant, Ms. Bochra Kouraichi
(bkourai1@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.
How to Excel in Arabic 101
This class is a group effort! We can make much more progress as a class than as individuals
by creating a community of which you will be a fully participating member. The following
suggestions will help you get the most out of the course:
1. Prepare for active participation in class. You should soon be able to predict what kinds
of questions will be asked and what kinds of activities will be performed. Be ready for
them by guessing what they will be and practicing beforehand.
5
2. Once is not enough. When you are pronouncing new vocabulary along with the DVD or
practicing a new grammatical pattern, you should repeat the activity several times. It is
best to pronounce new vocabulary words at least ten times, so that you can say them
easily. Remember: if you cannot pronounce a new word easily, you haven't really
learned it yet.
3. Study out loud. The only way to train your brain and your mouth to speak this language
is by doing. Thinking about it is not enough!
4. Study in pairs/groups. This is a great way to prepare for class and review-as long as you
do the work in Arabic as much as possible, of course! Ask each other questions, brainstorm
about assignments, go over materials covered together.
5. Personalize vocabulary. Make words relevant by thinking of what you can say about
yourself with them. Write extra sentences that are meaningful to you so that the
vocabulary becomes yours.
6. Learn to guess. Think about how you acquired your native language: you learned new
words by guessing their meaning from context, and you learned how to produce
sentences by imitating and using patterns. As adult learners, we can take some shortcuts,
but guessing skills remain central to language acquisition. Do not leave blanks on the
homework, but do not allow yourself to become frustrated; give it your best shot, and
move on.
7. Good language learners learn from their own mistakes and those of others.
Correcting mistakes is an essential part of the learning process. In this class, you will
never be penalized for a mistake that you make when trying something new. When your
classmates are speaking, be an active listener by listening both to what they are saying and
how they are saying it. Think about how you would correct their sentences.
8. The first month of class requires an extra time investment on your part.
Expect to spend extra time per day during the first month while we are doing the alphabet
drills. This investment will pay off later: by learning to write what you hear and vice-versa,
you will not have spelling problems, you will memorize vocabulary more easily, and you
will be better able to speak with and understand native speakers of the language.
Group Activities: In our community, 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 everyone
has her/his own particular strengths.
Due to the importance of getting ample opportunity to participate and practice, and with a
large class size, we will spend at least 60% of class time in small group or pair activities.
During these activities the instructor plays the role of personal trainer. Learning a language is
6
a lot like going to the gym. Rather than arm muscle, however, we need to build mental and
throat muscles and train that brain-mouth coordination :)


Come prepared. Don’t be someone who slows down a colleague by not being ready. If
an emergency or that chemistry midterm has prevented you from preparing, let the
instructor know before class begins.
Stay focused on the task at hand without rushing to finish. Most activities are
designed to elicit creative play with vocabulary and structures on which we are working.
The instructor will often call time before everyone is finished.
‫بالتوفيق إن شاء هللا‬
7