ARAB 1001 Elementary Arabic (4 Credits)

The elementary Arabic three-quarter sequence aims at building practical communication skills to interact with speakers of Arabic and participate in multilingual communities, with a focus on interpersonal and interpretive communication. Considering the diglossic nature of Arabic, students learn to speak in the Levantine dialect and read and write in Modern Standard Arabic, just like native speakers do. Students will also explore and reflect on Arabic cultural practices and perspectives to develop cultural insight and the foundations of intercultural awareness and understanding. Learners that complete the beginning Arabic sequence will have the linguistic skills and foundational cultural knowledge to navigate straightforward situations and manage familiar tasks in an Arabic context, operating at the novice high to intermediate low proficiency level. Arabic 1001 is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Arabic. Students with experience with the Arabic language should complete the placement test to determine the appropriate course level for their background.

ARAB 1002 Elementary Arabic (4 Credits)

The elementary Arabic three-quarter sequence aims at building practical communication skills to interact with speakers of Arabic and participate in multilingual communities, with a focus on interpersonal and interpretive communication. Considering the diglossic nature of Arabic, students learn to speak in the Levantine dialect and read and write in Modern Standard Arabic, just like native speakers do. Students will also explore and reflect on Arabic cultural practices and perspectives to develop cultural insight and the foundations of intercultural awareness and understanding. Learners that complete the beginning Arabic sequence will have the linguistic skills and foundational cultural knowledge to navigate straightforward situations and manage familiar tasks in an Arabic context, operating at the novice high to intermediate low proficiency level. Prerequisite: ARAB 1001 or equivalent.

ARAB 1003 Elementary Arabic (4 Credits)

The elementary Arabic three-quarter sequence aims at building practical communication skills to interact with speakers of Arabic and participate in multilingual communities, with a focus on interpersonal and interpretive communication. Considering the diglossic nature of Arabic, students learn to speak in the Levantine dialect and read and write in Modern Standard Arabic, just like native speakers do. Students will also explore and reflect on Arabic cultural practices and perspectives to develop cultural insight and the foundations of intercultural awareness and understanding. Learners that complete the beginning Arabic sequence will have the linguistic skills and foundational cultural knowledge to navigate straightforward situations and manage familiar tasks in an Arabic context, operating at the novice high to intermediate low proficiency level. Prerequisite: ARAB 1002 or equivalent.

ARAB 1350 From Iraq to Morocco: Arabic Culture and Society Through Film (4 Credits)

This course examines cultural and societal aspects of the Middle East and North Africa and presents this vast area as a broad and diverse region with diverse history, religion, and culture. Students will learn how to approach films ethnographically by subjecting each movie to a rigorous social analysis. Among topics covered are colonialism and its lasting effects, child trafficking, religion, wars, Arab-Israeli conflict, and women in the Middle East. Screening of Arabic films with English subtitles is a central part of the course. Assigned readings are designed to provide background on the particular historical and cultural contexts in which the films are produced. The course will bring awareness and/or shatter the multiple stereotypes surrounding the Arabs; but additionally, the discussions will transcend national borders and uncover social issues that may be more severe in the Arab world, but are universal and certainly not unique to the Middle East and North Africa. The course is in English and open to all interested. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARAB 1351 Tales from the Arabian Nights: Reading across Time and Space (4 Credits)

No doubt that through their magical transformations and marvelous plots, the stories of the Arabian Nights, also known as One Thousand and One Nights, have a great entertainment value and that the imaginary setting of the tales has fascinated and inspired many authors and artists. However, this collection of stories has also significantly contributed to how the West views the Middle East: an exotic world populated by negative images such as conniving and manipulating harem women and violent and unscrupulous Arab men. The Tales of the Arabian Nights provide a unique platform for the discussion of current issues such as orientalism, stereotyping, and gender discrimination. In this course, we will select a handful of stories to serve as a catalyst for inquiry to show how this shared narrative passed on from generation to generation, has contributed to the creation of an ‘exotic’ East invented by the colonial West. We will show that the Middle East, like the rest of the world, is in a state of flux and the text is not a historical account of the medieval Arab world and cannot be viewed a-historically. We will unveil all the stereotypes that have been subtly, or not so subtly, implanted in the mind of the west through an often-erroneous portrayal of the Arab world. This course counts toward the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement.

ARAB 2001 Intermediate Arabic (4 Credits)

Continued study of Arabic language with an enhanced cultural component. Two quarter sequence. Prerequisite: ARAB 1003 or equivalent.

ARAB 2002 Intermediate Arabic (4 Credits)

Continued study of Arabic language with an enhanced cultural component. Two quarter sequence. Prerequisite: ARAB 2001 or equivalent.

ARAB 2100 Conversation & Composition (4 Credits)

This is the third quarter of the second year. Intensive practice in oral skills and grammar review. Writing, discussion and reading based on a topic or topics in Arabic language and culture. Increased attention paid to writing skills. Prerequisite: ARAB 2002, equivalent, or permission of instructor.

ARAB 3700 Topics in Arabic (1-4 Credits)

ARAB 3701 Topics in Arabic (1-4 Credits)

ARAB 3702 Topics in Arabic (1-4 Credits)

ARAB 3703 Topics in Arabic (1-4 Credits)

ARAB 3704 Topics in Arabic (1-4 Credits)

ARAB 3991 Independent Study (1-5 Credits)