Middlebury College
ARBC/LNGT 0227A: Arabic Sociolinguistics/Spring 2013
Take-home Midterm Exam
Name: _______________________
Due date: Friday April 5th in my mailbox at Farrell by 12noon, or by e-mail also by 12noon.
Delay policy applies:
10% off if turned in on the same day it is due but after the deadline.
20% if turned in any time after that.
Instructions: Please read thoroughly and carefully!
- This take-home midterm exam consists of TWO exercises. Read each exercise carefully and
make sure you answer all the questions.
- The exam is worth 50 points (and 10% of your overall grade in this course, so please turn in
“neat” work). The way your answers will be graded for essay questions is explicitly explained
on the next page.
- Your answers to the questions must be typed in essay format. Please use double spacing, 12point size Times font, and 1" margins all around.
- If you plan to e-mail me the homework, please make sure to name the file
‘midterm_your_last_name’.
- This is an open book exam. So, feel free to refer to the course materials, including the textbook,
lecture slides, and your notes, while answering the questions. There’s no time limit, either.
Unlike with other homework assignments, however, you are NOT allowed to discuss questions
on this exam with your classmates or anyone else. You have to work individually on the exam.
Also, you can NOT rely on internet resources other than the materials on the class website to
answer any of the questions. Any failure to observe the instructions given here constitutes a
violation of the College’s Honor Code system and will be treated accordingly.
- Finally, please make sure you write and sign below (either by hand or electronically) the
Honor Code Pledge before turning it in.
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Grading guidelines for questions on this midterm: Please read carefully and thoroughly!
The following criteria will be used for grading your essay answers to the questions on this
midterm.
1. Content of the essay: 70%
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Discussion reflects comprehension of the articles, course material, and class discussions.
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Opinions are supported by specific, relevant, objective, and accurate evidence.
Important Note: In your answers to questions on this exam, please avoid quoting verbatim from
sources. While it is expected that you reference sources in your answers, when you do that, make
sure to express the ideas in your own language, rather than provide lengthy quotes from these
sources. Such lengthy quotes will receive no credit. Reasonable quotes of phrases or technical
expressions that occur naturally within the flow of your answer are of course allowed.
2. Organization of the essay: 20%
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Content is provided in a logical order and clear transition that makes the essay easy and
interesting to read. For example:
o An introduction gives clear background information about the topic and leads
smoothly to a thesis statement.
o The thesis statement names the topic of the essay and outlines the main points to
be discussed.
o A conclusion summarizes the content and leaves the reader with a take-home
message.
3. Language and formatting of the essay: 10%
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Essay contains no errors in grammar or mechanics that distract the reader from the
content.
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Essay is double-spaced with 1 inch margins all around and 12 point Times font.
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Question #1: Diglossia once again!
(15 points)
The current situation in the Arab world has been described as diglossic. In a short essay of about
500-words (font Times 12, double-spaced, 1-inch margins), answer the following two questions
based on your understanding of class readings and class discussions in the first half of the
semester.
a. Historically what factors led to the diglossic situation in Arabic-speaking speech
communities? What are the current characteristics of this situation?
b. The prestige that Arabic had in the first four or five centuries after the Islamic
conquests helped the language replace other languages in the conquered areas. The
prestige of so-called Modern Standard Arabic today is not likely to help it replace
local dialects such as Tunisian Arabic or Syrian Arabic. Why? What do you think is
the future of Modern Standard Arabic? Explain your answer.
Question #2: Diglossia again and again!
(35 points)
Read the following two articles and write an essay of at least 1000 words (font Times 12,
double-spaced, 1-inch margins) in response to the questions in (1) through (4) below. Your task
is to summarize/highlight the most relevant points and to present your opinion in a coherent and
organized essay. Since this question involves reading two articles, you should start working on it
as early as possible (ideally, no later than four days before the deadline), so you have enough
time to read the articles, write your response essay, and then revise, proofread, and finalize it.
Ayari, Salah. 1996. Diglossia and illiteracy in the Arab world. Language, Culture, and
Curriculum 9: 243-253.
Ryding, Karin. 1991. Proficiency despite diglossia: A new approach for Arabic. The Modern
Language Journal 75: 212-218.
a. According to Ayari, diglossia in the Arab world has a negative effect on literacy. This
negative effect is compounded by other factors such as politics, attitude, and
bilingualism. Explain. What solutions does Ayari put forth? In your opinion, are they
feasible? Why? Why not?
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b. How is the scope of Ryding’s article different from that of Ayari’s? What is FSA as
defined in the article? State briefly some of its linguistics features. Do you think FSA is a
viable speech variety for learning Arabic as a foreign language? Does it make Arabic
learning more complex? Less complex? Why? Why not?
c. Looking at both articles from the perspective of a learner of Arabic as a foreign language
as well as the perspective of a native speaker of a vernacular Arabic dialect who has to
learn MSA in school, do you think the problems they cite in the realm of Arabic literacy
and instruction are indeed serious? Why? Why not? How different is that situation from
the situation in countries you are familiar with, e.g., English-speaking countries such as
the US?
d. Finally, do you think the problems raised by the two articles can be solved if every Arab
country standardizes its own dialect? Explain the pros and cons of such a solution in light
of your understanding of the articles as well as your knowledge of the diglossic nature of
Arabic-speaking speech communities that we discussed in the first half of the semester.
‫بالتوفيق للجميع‬
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