Arabic 1 (PG)

Important! Students who have already studied Arabic should take a placement test.

This is a beginner's course in Modern Standard Arabic. The main emphasis is on mastering the basic structures of Modern Standard Arabic as a means of communication, particularly in relation to journalism, with equal emphasis on reading, writing, speaking and hearing.

Prerequisites

None

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

On successful completion of the module, a student should:

• have a solid beginner level of competence in both productive (speaking/writing) and receptive (reading/ listening) skills in Arabic
• have some knowledge of cultural issues in relation to uses of the language, which also forms part of the course requirements
• begin learning the basic structures of Modern Standard Arabic as a means of written communication, particularly in relation to journalism
• develop oral competence through extensive use of language laboratory facilities, as well as in small-group conversation classes, where some elements of colloquial Arabic are also introduced
• be able to handle basic materials in Arabic and communicate in Arabic at a beginner's level

Workload

This module is taught over 22 weeks with 10 hours of classroom contact per week.

Scope and syllabus

A graded internally-produced syllabus is followed. This provides grammar, vocabulary, exercises, passages for translation and comprehension.

Method of assessment

Assessment for this module consists of the following:

• One x 1-hour term test (30%)
• One x 2-hour end-of-term test (70%)
• The exact assessment deadline dates are published on the relevant module Moodle/BLE page

Suggested reading

Background reading (already available at the Library)

• Crystal, David. 2004. Rediscover Grammar. Third edition. London: Pearson Longman. [Recommended as a general introduction to the kind of grammatical concepts that will be employed on this module].
• Ryding, Karin C. 2005. A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Weninger, Stefan ed. 2011. The Semitic Languages: An International Handbook. Berlin: de Gruyter Mouton. [Gives an overview of the family of languages to which Arabic belongs. Students are advised to begin by reading Part VI, which deals with Arabic specifically].

Convenor

• Dr Nada Elzeer

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.