Lower Advanced Arabic
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY
ARABIC 103a
Fall 2014
Lecture: M – Th, 1:00 – 1:50 p.m.
Location: TBA
Instructor:
Ustadha Rasha Azoni
Course Content and Objectives:
1. Mastering intermediate-level Arabic grammar, consisting of nominal and adjectival structures
more intricate than those taught in Intermediate Modern Arabic I. In addition to such central
topics of Arabic grammar as the h}a>l-clause, the tamyi>z, the adjectival id}a>fa and others,
students will be expected, by the end of the course, to have gained a full command of hollow,
doubled, defective and passive voice verbs in all of the ten principal morphological forms
(awza>n);
2. Expanding significantly the student’s stock of vocabulary, especially by stressing the
assimilation of entire roots at a time (rather than isolated vocabulary items), as well as
developing the ability to make educated guesses at the meanings of new words based on the
student’s knowledge of Arabic morphological patterns and derivations;
3. Developing upper-intermediate reading comprehension skills, as well as the ability to scan
comfortably advanced-level texts for general themes and basic information;
4. Acquiring the ability to converse confidently and comfortably at the upper-intermediate level
on a wide range of topics relevant to the student’s interests and to various aspects relating to
Arab life and culture. Oral proficiency will be improved primarily through the daily use of
Arabic in the classroom, in addition to two formal oral presentations, a 10-12 min.
presentation given near the middle of the semester and a 12-15 min. final presentation
delivered towards the end of the semester;
5. Developing upper-intermediate level aural comprehension skills, with the amount of English
used in the classroom kept to a minimum outside the context of grammatical explanations and
other technical details;
6. Increasing the ability to express ideas in writing through periodic composition assignments;
and,
7. Gaining a greater familiarity with important figures and ideas in Arabic cultural history, as
well as developing a heightened appreciation of the richness and beauty of the Arabic
language.
Requirements:
Given the intensive nature of Arabic language study, both regular attendance and the
timely completion of homework assignments are absolutely essential, as these form the twin
pillars which alone can assure smooth and consistent progress throughout the semester. Students
are allowed no more than two (2) unexcused absences over the course of the semester. Any
additional unexcused absences will cost the student ½ (.5) point each in the final calculation of
the “Attendance and Participation” grade for the course. Late homework assignments will only
receive half credit.
In addition, it is essential that students come properly prepared to each and every class by
having thoroughly completed whatever advance work is required for each day’s lesson (e.g.,
listening to the vocabulary and text on tape several times over, carefully preparing drills to be
reviewed and discussed in class, diligently preparing for speaking activities, etc.).
Over the course of the semester, students will take: (A) three full-period vocabulary &
verb quizzes, each of which will cover one chapter’s worth of vocabulary from the textbook, in
addition to increasingly complex verb conjugations and Form derivations; (B) two 1-hr. class
tests, each of which will cover the grammatical points of two chapters in the textbook; and, (C)
one 3-hr. comprehensive final examination to be administered during the official university
examination period.
At the beginning of the course, students will be divided into groups with each group being
assigned a poem to work on over the course of the semester. The members of each group will be
expected to coordinate among themselves for the purpose of meeting together and working on the
poem as frequently as necessary throughout the semester. In early December, each student will
recite his/her poem in front of the class from memory, then the members of the group will
collectively walk the rest of the class through the poem line by line, explaining its vocabulary,
grammar and structure, then conclude by reading out to the class a carefully worked out, polished
English translation of the piece in question.
Lastly, as mentioned in the preceding section, each student will deliver two oral
presentations over the course of the semester, the first ranging between 10 and 12 minutes, and
the second between 12 and 15 minutes. These presentations are meant to be taken very seriously
by students, with evaluation — worth 10% of the final mark for the course — being based on the
creativity of the topic chosen, the sophistication of the vocabulary and grammatical structures
used commensurate with the level of the course and the competence of each individual student,
and the fluency, smoothness and overall appeal of the oral presentation itself.
Evaluation:
Students’ final marks for the course will be calculated according to the following scheme:
Attendance & Participation
Homework
Written essays (2)
Oral presentations (4% & 6%)
Final poetry project
Vocabulary quizzes (3)
Grammar tests (2)
Final exam
Total
10%
10%
15%
10%
6%
15%
14%
20%
100%
Required Materials:
Al-Kitaab fii Ta‘allum al-‘Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic, Part Two, K. Brustad, et. al.
The Connectors in Modern Standard Arabic, Nariman Naili Al-Warraki and Ahmed Taher
Hassanein
A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, H. Wehr
Office Hours & Location:
Hours:
TBA
Location:
Lown 207
e-mail:
rashazoni@brandeis.edu
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