OPAL Arabic Bridgei
Prerequisites, aims and outcomes:
The course is aimed at those who have successfully completed the Vantage OPAL course (for more
information please see the Learning Outcomes for Vantage OPAL) and is designed to enable learners
to communicate at an advanced level in Modern Standard Arabic using speaking, listening, reading
and writing.
The course further develops learners’ understanding of and engagement with a variety of
interconnected topics such as personal and work-related correspondences in the form of emails,
letters, and/or a curriculum vitae, transmitting or receiving instructions, describing and comparing
locations and individuals, narrating events in diaries and (auto)biographies, and, finally, developing
an academic argument in favour or against a given position. Grammar is presented as an integral part
of these topics throughout. By the end of the course learners will be able to read, write and present on
a set of sophisticated topics in the target language. Participants are expected to prepare before each
class, and to complete short assignments between sessions; preparation and coursework will amount
to approximately two to three hours of extra-curricular work per week. A high level of commitment
and regular attendance are therefore essential for the successful completion of this course.
Course material:
The course is taught entirely in Arabic.
The sessions draw on the textbook Developing Writing Skills in Arabic (1st Edition) by Taoufik Ben
Amor (Routledge, 2013) as well as contemporary printed and audio/video materials and exercises
tailored by the tutor.
Course description:
Please note that OPAL tutors will provide a detailed 'week-by-week' course syllabus and a self-study
guide at the beginning of each term.
Structural content:
Verb Forms and (Ir)regular Verbs
Uses of Qad
Al-Ism Al-ManquS
(Negative) Imperative, Indirect Command, Emphatic Nuun, and Interjections
Passive Voice
Adjectives (Emphatics and Diminutives), Five Nouns: Dhu/Dhat, and Relative Clauses
Nominal Sentences, Unreal Idaafa, and Nouns of Stance or Posture
Comparatives and Superlatives, Tamyeez of Comparison, and Both in Arabic
Review of Verbal Sentences, Tenses and Uses of Kaana
Adverb of Manner, Adverb of Comparison, Adverb of Purpose, Emphasis, Concession and Exception,
and Al-Hal
Conditional Sentences
Communicative content:
Personal and Professional Correspondences: Letters, Emails and Résumés
Giving and Receiving Instructions
Describing and Comparing Individuals and Sites
Narration in Diaries and (Auto)biographies
Argumentation, Opinion Pieces and Academic Writing
Selected pieces by the following writers will also be examined during Michaelmas and Hilary:
 Ghassan Kanafani
 Abdelrahman Munif
 Radwa Ashour
 Tayib Salih
 Taha Hussein
 Latifa Baqa
 Hanan Al-Sheikh
 Samih Al-Qasim
 Abdu Wazen
 Al-Taher Al-Hadad
 Edwar Al-Kharrat
Prerequisites: ALTE LEVEL 3
- Can follow or give a talk on a familiar topic or keep up a conversation on a fairly wide range of
topics such as personal and professional experience, and events currently in the news
- Can deliver a clear presentation on a familiar topic and answer predictable or factual questions
- Can read texts for relevant information and understand detailed instructions or advice
- Can take simple notes that will be of relevance for essays or revision purposes
- Can write a letter including non-standard requests
Arabic Vantage Assessment Framework:
Continuous Assessment [Participation and Coursework]
Progress Test [Week 8 in Michaelmas Term]
Final Exam [Week 1 in Trinity Term]
Project Presentation
15%
15%
35%
35%
Final Mark and Recommended Grade:
50 – 59 Pass
60 – 69 Good Pass
70 – 79 Pass with Merit
80 +
Distinction
Learning Outcomes:
Approx. ALTE LEVEL 4
- Can contribute effectively to seminars within own area of work or keep up a casual conversation
with a good degree of fluency
- Can follow abstract argumentation
- Can read quickly enough to cope with an academic course
- Can prepare/draft professional correspondence, take reasonably accurate notes in meetings or write
an essay which shows an ability to communicate
i
The Bridge course has been designed to ensure a smooth transition between Vantage and Higher levels in
Arabic.