Beginning Arabic I
Fall 2014
Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Arabic Program
Program Website http://cnelc.columbian.gwu.edu/arabic-language-literature-and-cultureprogram
Beginning Arabic I (ARAB 1001)
Instructor: Cory Jorgensen Office Hours: Mon. 1:45-3:45
E-mail: cjor@gwu.edu
Office Location: Rome Hall 457
Office Phone: (202) 994-3916
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will introduce students to Modern Standard Arabic and one spoken dialect at
the most basic level. It assumes no prior knowledge of Arabic. Therefore, the course
begins with an introduction to the Arabic alphabet together with a substantial amount of
basic vocabulary (approximately 250 vocabulary items), and basic grammar to allow
students to form phrases and simple sentences. The course is intended to enable students
to develop language and skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) at the NoviceMid level of the ACTFL Guidelines for proficiency, and to introduce them to culturally
appropriate social interactions. Please note that this course is the first of two in the
beginning level series for the academic year. In this course we will cover Alif Baa (Third
Edition) and Units 1 – 4 of al-Kitaab, Part One (Third Edition).
This course assumes students to be active learners and to take responsibility for their own
learning, under guidance from their instructor. The course material will be divided into
outside-of-class activities and in-class activities which complement each other. The
instructor will specify what students should do outside of class to prepare for each class
meeting. The textbook typically identifies activities as in class or at home. The outsideof-class activities include both book-based and online assignments, and students will
learn to type in Arabic in order to complete the online activities. Students are expected to
spend a minimum of two hours on outside-of-class preparation per class period. Outside
of class activities will include listening and writing exercises, grammar study and
practice, memorization of vocabulary, and memorizing dialogues and skits to present in
class. Class time will be spent on doing interactive activities, such as guided
conversation practice, presentation of skits, and simulation exercises, as well reading
activities. It is imperative that students come to class each day with assigned materials
thoroughly prepared. In order to succeed and perform well in this class, students are
required to implement the strategies detailed in the Preface to the Student in Alif Baa (to
be discussed on the second day of class) and the Introduction to the Third Edition for
Students in Al-Kitaab Part One.
IMPORTANT NOTE
Each section of this course will focus on Modern Standard Arabic and one spoken
dialect; this section uses Egyptian dialect. Students may choose to continue with this
dialect in future semesters or to change to Levantine dialect, as there is a high level of
mutual intelligibility among both. This course assumes that students have little or no
Arabic literacy skills. Students who are heritage speakers or who have learned more than
the alphabet should meet with the professor during the first week of classes to ensure that
they are enrolled in the appropriate course for their language level.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Alif Baa Third Edition Media Bundle
ISBN 9781626161221
Bundle includes
Brustad, Kristen, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi. Alif Baa With Multimedia:
Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, third edition. Georgetown UP, 2010.
DVD with audio and video materials
Companion website access key for Alif Baa
Al-Kitaab Part One Third Edition Media Bundle
ISBN 9781626161245
Brustad, Kristen, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi. al-Kitaab fii Ta’allum al‘Arabiyya with DVDs: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic: Part One, Third Edition.
Georgetown UP, 2011.
ACCESSING THE COMPANION WEBSITE
The website www.alkitaabtextbook.com is an integral part of our course. Please follow
the instructions on the inside front cover of your textbook in order to create an account on
the website.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
McCarrus, Ernest. English Grammar for Students of Arabic: The Study Guide for Those
Learning Arabic. Olivia & Hill Publishers, 2007
AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR ARABIC AT GW
(1) Practice with vocabulary and verb clinics (CD-ROMs) at the Language Center.
(2) View SCOLA for Arabic TV channels (programs and transcripts) online at
www.scola.com> The Language Center provides the user ID and password.
(3) Obtain free tutoring from the Arabic tutor at the Language Center (Phillips Hall
216). Check the Language Center for tutoring hours.
AVAILABLE RESOURCES FOR ARABIC ON THE INTERNET
(1) funwitharabic.com (alphabet song, vocabulary practice, interactive exercises)
(2) Aswaat `Arabiyya http://www.laits.utexas.edu/aswaat/index.php (listening
exercises)
(3) Arabic typing practice http://www.studyarabic.com/arabic-typing-tutor
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
This course aims to develop language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) and
cultural understanding at the Novice-Mid level of the ACTFL Guidelines for proficiency.
As a result of completing this course, students will be able to
1. Recognize and produce the letters and sounds of the Arabic alphabet, and
handwrite and type Arabic words with accuracy
2. Engage in basic social interactions in a culturally appropriate manner
3. Identify objects in their immediate environment
4. Elicit and provide personal information relating to family, friends, and studies
5. Have listening comprehension of short sentences, monologues, and dialogues
relating to family, friends, and studies
6. Read lists containing highly contextualized words and phrases on familiar topics
7. Complete forms by providing basic personal information
8. Write discrete and linked sentences about familiar topics
9. Recognize differences in language varieties (Modern Standard Arabic and
Egyptian dialect), and sustain a basic conversation in both MSA and one dialect
GRADING
Assignment
Active Participation
4 Tests
10 Quizzes
Homework
Skit/Presentation
Oral Interview
Final Exam
% of Final Grade
20%
20%
10%
20%
10%
5%
15%
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADE COMPONENTS
Participation
Students can earn up to 5 participation points per class session, according to the
following criteria. You will earn one point for each criterion successfully fulfilled.
i- PREPARATION: Demonstrate that you have prepared thoroughly for class, including
but not limited to reading and listening to assigned materials, memorizing new
vocabulary items, and studying grammar explanations and examples.
ii- FOCUS: You are awake and alert and engaged in class activities. Avoid distractions,
such as using technological devices for purposes unrelated to class, using class time to
work on homework for this or other classes, and off-task interactions with classmates.
iii- OPTIMAL USE OF COOPERATIVE ACTIVITY TIME: When working in pairs or
groups, students should complete the assigned task within the allotted times. If your
group has completed the task while other groups are still working, ask your instructor for
further instructions.
iv- OPTIMAL USE OF WHOLE-CLASS ACTIVITY TIME: You participate actively
when we are working together as a class.
v- MAXIMUM USE OF ARABIC: You will not earn this point if you use English to say
something that you could say in Arabic.
Homework
You can earn up to 5 points for homework assignments. You will earn 5 points for an A
on a homework assignment (90% or more of the answers correct), 4 points for a B, etc. If
you earn less than a C on an assignment, you will have the opportunity to redo the
assignment and to raise your grade on that assignment to a maximum of 3 points. Redone
assignments must be submitted by the next class session. You cannot earn more than 3
points on an assignment that is not complete.
Quizzes
There will be weekly quizzes. Quizzes will take place each Monday, except on the
weeks when we have tests. If you miss a quiz because of an excused absence, make
arrangements with the instructor to make up the quiz.
Skit/Presentation
During the tenth week of class, you will perform a monologue or skit in Arabic. Your
instructor will give you further guidelines on how to prepare for this.
Tests
There will be four tests, not including the final exam. One test will take place at the end
of Alif Baa, and tests 2-4 will take place upon the completion of chapters 1, 2, and 3 of
AlKitaab Part One, respectively.
Oral Interview
The oral interview will consist of a conversation between the student and the instructor.
You should be able to demonstrate your oral skills in Arabic by speaking about yourself,
your family, your friends, your studies, etc. Your instructor will give you further
information about the interview.
Final Exam
The final exam will take place on the exam date published by the Office of the Registrar.
The final exam will be a comprehensive test of reading, writing, and listening, in addition
to vocabulary and grammar.
SCHEDULE OF EXAMS AND QUIZZES
NOTE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNIVERSITY POLICY, THE FINAL EXAM WILL
BE GIVEN DURING THE FINAL EXAM PERIOD AND NOT THE LAST WEEK OF
THE SEMESTER
GRADING SCALE
A 93-100%
A- 90-92%
B+ 87-89%
B 84-86%
B- 80-83%
C+ 77-79%
C 74-76%
C- 70-73%
D+ 67-69%
D 64-66%
D- 60-63%
F Below 60%
CLASS POLICIES
A. ATTENDANCE, EARLY DEPARTURE & PUNCTUALITY
Attendance and punctuality are required. In order to acquire the Arabic language
effectively and to keep up with the intensive pace of this course, it is necessary that
students interact with their instructor and with their classmates in all classroom
activities. Students are not permitted to be absent without penalty more than four
class meetings per semester. If you must miss class, use those permitted absences
judiciously. Religious holidays, as defined by the University, are the only exception
to this policy. Excessive absences will adversely affect your grade. Tardiness and
early departure that exceeds ten minutes of class time, and for more than three times,
will be counted as an absence. Each additional absence beyond the four permitted for
excused reasons will affect your final grade in the following ways:
5-8 absences
9 or more absences
final grade is lowered by one-half letter grade (e.g. A to A-)
may lead to de-registration from the course
University Policy on Religious Holidays:
1. Students should notify faculty during the first week of the semester of their
intention to be absent from class on their day(s) of religious observance;
2. Faculty should extend to these students the courtesy of absence without penalty
on such occasions, including permission to make up examinations;
3. Faculty who intend to observe a religious holiday should arrange at the
beginning of the semester to reschedule missed classes or to make other
provisions for their course-related activities
B. MISCELLANEOUS
Eating and chewing gum are not permitted in the classroom, and drinking is
discouraged. In addition, students may not conduct side chats, read other materials
(such as magazines or books for another class), sleep, or work on homework
assignments during class time. If clarification is needed, please direct all questions to
the instructor rather than to a classmate. Students are expected to observe the GW
code of conduct and civility when interacting with their peers and their professor in
class. Violation of this code may lead to de-registration from the course.
C. ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES, AND EXAMS
Students are expected to come well-prepared to class and to have completed
assignments on time. All assignments must be handed in at the beginning of class on
the due date (unless the professor instructs differently). Absence from class or
missing part of a class does not exempt students from the materials covered in their
absence. Late homework may be accepted and corrected, but no grade will be
awarded. There are no make-up quizzes or exams in case of unexcused absences and
a score of zero will be recorded.
D. HELP DURING OFFICE HOURS
Students are always welcome to seek help from the professor during office hours. To
use office hours efficiently, students should prepare their questions before meeting
with the instructor. Students are encouraged to seek help as quickly as possible rather
than to wait until the day before a test is scheduled. If a student is unable to attend
the designated office hours, he or she should contact the instructor to arrange a
mutually convenient appointment.
Students should feel free to ask for assistance. The goal is to optimize the student’s
learning of the Arabic language, and the course instructor is willing to assist students
in reaching this goal as much as possible.
E. SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
A detailed schedule of class activities and homework assignments is given
periodically, and will be accessible via Blackboard.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
I personally support the GW Code of Academic Integrity. It states:: “Academic
dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one's own work,
taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate
authorization, and the fabrication of information.” For the remainder of the code, see:
http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity/code.html
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES (DSS)
Any student who may need an accommodation based on the potential impact of a
disability should contact the Disability Support Services office at 202-994-8250 in the
Marvin Center, Suite 242, to establish eligibility and to coordinate reasonable
accommodations. For additional information please refer to: http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/
UNIVERSITY COUNSELING CENTER (UCC) 202-994-5300
The University Counseling Center (UCC) offers 24/7 assistance and referral to
address students' personal, social, career, and study skills problems. Services for students
include:
- crisis and emergency mental health consultations
- confidential assessment, counseling services (individual and small group), and
referrals
http://gwired.gwu.edu/counsel/CounselingServices/AcademicSupportServices
SECURITY
In the case of an emergency, if at all possible, the class should shelter in place. If the
building that the class is in is affected, follow the evacuation procedures for the building.
After evacuation, seek shelter at a predetermined rendezvous location.