ARAB 201
Intermediate Arabic I
1. Catalog Entry
ARAB 201
Intermediate Arabic I
Credit hours (4)
Prerequisites: ARAB 102 or placement by examinations
ARAB201 is conducted primarily in Arabic and represents the third semester of a four-semester sequence. The course is designed to develop the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in addition to instruction in basic information about Arab world countries. This course has been approved for Core Curriculum credit in College Core B in Humanities. If students have taken ARAB 200, they are not eligible to take ARAB 201.
2. Detailed Description of Course
ARAB201 is conducted primarily in Arabic and represents the third semester of a four-semester sequence. The course is designed to develop the speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in addition to instruction in basic information about Arab world cultures. Task functions focus on: writing brief compositions; reading authentic materials (i.e. produced for native speakers) for information and pleasure; listening to and following directions. The communicative tasks covered are: talking about possessions, asking permission, talking about and naming colors, expressing an opinion, going places, talking about destinations, means of transportation, expressing surprise, talking about past actions, talking about time, talking about the family, explaining with whom or with what, talking about the weather and the seasons, talking about activities, about age, about choosing a profession, about desires and intentions, and telling what needs to be done. Other cultural topics include famous Arabs, current events, geography, culinary arts, and shopping.
Cultural sections include information on: Levant countries and Egypt; shopping hours; city profiles; family structure; leisure activities; food, weather, music, literature and art; economy and politics.
3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course
Class instruction focuses on communication practice utilizing the situations, communication tasks, vocabulary, culture, and grammar introduced in a given chapter. Other activities include: simulation of culturally relevant activities, grammar and vocabulary explanations, pronunciation practice, listening comprehension exercises, and grammatical drills. More class activities are conducted in the target language.
4. Goals and Objectives of the Course
Students will be able to demonstrate language skills appropriate to the level of study. As regards morphology and syntax, students will be able to analyze most basic grammar in graded sentences. Students will demonstrate language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing appropriate to the level of study and necessary for everyday life in an Arabic speaking country.
Speaking and listening goals (standardized ACTFL proficiency criteria): Students will be able to speak the language by relying heavily on learned utterances but occasionally expanding these through simple re-combinations of their elements. Students can ask questions or make statements involving learned material. There will be some spontaneity, but speech will continue to consist primarily of learned utterances. Students will be able to pronounce nearly all Arabic sounds accurately when uttered in isolation and a growing number even in rapid speech. As regards listening skills, students will be able to understand short, learned utterances and some sentence length utterances; particularly where context strongly supports understanding and speech is clearly audible.
Reading and writing goals (standardized ACTFL proficiency criteria): Students will be able to identify an increasing amount of learned material without assistance and to understand a limited amount of new material when supported by context or dictionary assistance. In writing, students will be able to reproduce a variety of learned phrases and some basic sentences by recombining learned material.
Students will be able to analyze similarities and differences between their own and the target cultures.
Students will be able to explain contemporary international issues from the perspectives of their own and the target cultures
5. Assessment Measures
Speaking progress is evaluated in class and in conversational practice. In addition, each student is required to pass two oral interviews. Written homework assignments provide a basis for the evaluation of writing progress. Listening and reading comprehension and grammatical accuracy are tested in homework assignments, hourly exams, chapter tests, and on the final exam. In most of these testing situations, ARAB201 students will also either demonstrate or further expand their familiarity with cultural topics and current global issues. Students鈥� success in using Arabic will therefore reveal not only their linguistic abilities but also their cultural competence to anticipate and to simulate the use of different cultural perceptions and behaviors through the new language.
6. Other Course Information
This course is designed for intermediate students in Arabic language and can help students fulfill the B.A. foreign language requirement. Arabic 201 targets intermediate language learners with the equivalent of two semester of college Arabic, but can accommodate learners with two or three years in high school. If students have taken ARAB 200, they are not eligible to take ARAB 201.
Review and Approval
June 28, 2012
June 20, 2015