Global Arc

A continuation of ARA 111. Focusing on Arabic dialects used in the Levant, especially Palestinian and Lebanese dialects, the material of the course further develops functional usage of the language stressing vocabulary and grammar in conversation of everyday life.

Continuation of ARA 107 with reading, writing, speaking, and listening development at the Intermediate High and Advanced levels of proficiency. After completion of the "Al-Kitaab," part 2 textbook, course will turn to reading in a variety of contemporary genres. Course will include review and expansion of students' grammatical knowledge. Students will be expected to communicate primarily in Arabic.

Continuation of 301. Class reading of more sophisticated discursive prose and short stories. Class discussion in Arabic of assigned texts not translated in class. Emphasis on the systematic study of syntax. Increased emphasis on speaking about a variety of topics. Arabic composition. Two 90-minute classes, two periods of drill.

In this course, students will develop their skills in reading and listening to Arabic news media, including newspapers, magazines, websites, radio and satellite TV broadcasts (including BBC and al-Jazeera, among others). Attention will also be given to informal discussion of current news, and we will also take a brief look at political cartoons. Language of instruction will be primarily Arabic.

An introduction to spoken Levantine dialect. Materials in the course are designed to promote functional usage of the language, stressing the vocabulary and grammar of conversation as used in daily life in the Levant, particularly Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon.

Semester two of a year-long introduction to Levantine Colloquial Arabic, also known as the "Shami" dialect. Designed for speakers of Arabic as a second language, this course trains students to use their Levantine colloquial skills, gained during the first semester of this course, to discuss a variety of topics, including but not limited to: politics, religion, culture, history, and education. In addition to the materials in the textbooks, students will watch and/or listen to excerpts from Syrian, Lebanese, and Jordanian television, radio, films, music, and theater in order to promote/deepen their understanding of Levantine and Arab culture.

An introduction to the spoken dialects of Egypt, particularly of Cairo. Students in this course are assumed to have a functional, working knowledge of classical Arabic, and the course will focus on developing the ability to use conversational language in common, everyday situations.

This course trains students in the practice of translating of Arabic texts from a wide variety of genres into English. Attention will be given to both theoretical and practical problems of translation for research and professional ends.

This course will use the genre of the Arabic short story to help students expand their reading and, to a lesser extent, their speaking skills in Modern Standard Arabic. In addition, students will learn about the development of the Arabic short story through reading representative examples of the genre from a variety of periods and authors. The course will focus on a new short story each week, with one class meeting devoted to close reading of a portion of the week's story and the second focusing on a more general discussion - part in English and part in Arabic - of the story under consideration.

A continuation of ARA 307. The course focuses on the informal Arabic dialect of Cairo. Students in this course are assumed to have a basic working knowledge of Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, having completed ARA 307. In this second term, students are trained to use Egyptian colloquial at higher registers, including discussions and debates on politics, religion, culture, history, education, and famous Egyptian and Arab personalities. In addition to the textbook, excerpts from Egyptian television, radio, film, music, and theater will be used as means to enhance students' understanding of Egyptian and Arab culture.