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Elementary Arabic for Arabic Speakers I (01:013:148)

Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick Campus
Fall 2015

Course Title: Elementary Arabic I for Speakers of Arabic

Course Number: 01:013:140:02
Course Meeting Times & Locations:
Instructor:
Office Hours:
Email:

Course Description

Elementary Arabic I is an introduction to Modern Standard Arabic for students who have had prior
knowledge and minimal exposure to the Arabic script and/or an Arabic dialect, but may not necessarily
have enough competencies to speak, read, or write it. This series is distinguishable from the regular
Arabic track for non-natives by working from the Arabic Ahlan Wa Sahlan textbook by Mahdi Alosh,
focusing more on formal standard Arabic usage and grammar. This course is not intended for students
who have no exposure to the spoken Arabic dialect.

Elementary Arabic I covers the five Cs of the ACTFL standards: communication, cultures, connections,
comparisons, and communities (see below). By the end of this course, students will range in proficiency
from Novice Low to Novice Mid based on the ACTFL scale. By means of a communicative and
proficiency-based approach, students will develop basic communicative skills in the language through a
combination of interactive classroom activities, take-home assignments and group work. All language
skills will be equally emphasized: reading, writing, speaking and listening. In addition to the acquisition
of a core vocabulary, students are prepared to manipulate basic grammatical structures of Arabic for
purposes of basic communication in a variety of situations. Students will also be introduced to various
aspects of the Arabic culture.

Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to comprehend, speak, read, write, and
know about the cultural aspects of the Arabic Language at a Novice low to Novice Mid level as defined
by the ACTFL Guidelines.

Students will be able to:

COMMUNICATION

Interpretive Mode:
 Understand key words, true aural cognates, and formulaic expressions that are highly
contextualized and highly predictable.
 Recognize and begin to understand a number of high frequency, highly contextualized words and
phrases.
 Understand predictable language and messages such as those found on work, school and house.

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Interpersonal Mode:
 Understand words and phrases from simple questions, statements, and high-frequency commands,
sentence-length speech, one utterance at a time, in basic personal and social contexts.
 Communicate minimally by using a number of isolated words and memorized phrases limited by
the particular context.
 Respond to simple and direct questions.
 Reproduce, from memory, a modest number of words and phrases in context.
 Express themselves, in writing, on common elements of daily life, relying mainly on practiced
material.

Presentational Mode:
 Give informal oral presentations on common elements of their daily life.
 Express personal meaning by relying heavily on learned phrases using short and sometimes
incomplete sentences in the present, and may be hesitant or inaccurate.
 Recombine learned vocabulary and structures to create simple sentences on very familiar topics.
 Meet limited basic practical writing needs using lists, short messages, postcards, and simple
notes.

CULTURES/ COMMUNITIES

 Students will demonstrate an understanding and identity.

 The relationship between the practices (food, family relationships, youth life, campus life, etc.)
and perspectives (values and beliefs) of the Arabic culture.
 The relationship between the products (media, traditional objects, etc.) and perspectives (values
and beliefs) that are often used to characterize the Arab culture.
 Diversity in the Arabic language and culture (e.g., identify different language registers, dialects,
and language/cultural differences.)
 Students will use Arabic and appreciate Arabic culture in communities and activities outside the
language classroom (e.g., watching films, eating food, participating in cultural events.)

CONNECTIONS

 Students will reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the Arabic
language.
 Students will acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available
through the Arabic language and its culture.

COMPARISONS

 Students will engage in class discussions as they compare and contrast language use and cultural
practices between the Arabic language/culture and their own, in order to develop insight into
language and culture.

Prerequisites
SAS Foreign Language Policy
Students with two or more years of a foreign language in high school or whose native language
is other than English may not receive degree credit for elementary-level courses. Degree credit in
that language begins with an intermediate or review course even if the Rutgers Placement Test

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indicates elementary-level placement or if there has been an interruption in language study. For
more, please consult the SAS advising offices, as well as visit SAS website:
http://sasundergrad.rutgers.edu/academics/courses/registration-and-course-policies/foreign-
language-courses

Required Textbooks/Materials

Workbook: Ahlan wa Sahlan: Letters and Sounds of the Arabic Language, by Mahdi Alosh,
revised with Allen Clark, ISBN: 978-0-300-14048-4

Textbook: Ahlan wa Sahlan: Functional Modern Standard Arabic for Beginners 2md Edition,
by Mahdi Alosh, revised with Allen Clark, ISBN: 978-0-300-12272-5

Audio and video materials included in discs with books

Online Interactive Exercise program at http://yalebooks.com/awsexercises
https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal

The textbooks are available from The Rutgers Bookstore.

 Hans Wehr Dictionary (Arabic to English Dictionary) ISBN: 0-87950-003-4

 Concise Oxford Dictionary (English to Arabic Dictionary) ISBN: 0-19-864321-7

Required Assignments and Grading Policies

92-100 = A (4.0) 88-91 = B+ (3.5) 82-87 = B (3.0)
77-81 = C+ (2.5) 70-76 = C (2.0) 60-69 = D (1.0) below 60 = F

To pass this course, students must complete all required assignments listed below. Students must also
follow the attendance requirements. Please contact the instructor at your earliest convenience if there is a
problem with either the assignments or the attendance—exceptions can always be made at instructor’s
discretion.

 Class Attendance 10%

 Participation 10%
 Homework Assignments 15%
 Quizzes 15%
 Midterm exam 15%
 Final Exam 25%
 Presentation 10%

Total 100%

Midterm Exam: TBA

Final Exam: TBA

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Attendance Policies
Attendance is a requirement for this course and up to three absences are allowed per semester with no
penalty. Due to the participatory nature of the class, you will miss 3 points (3%) for each class you miss
over three. In other words, an A student who misses 3 classes (three more over the three) will drop to a B.
Absences will be excused only if you submit proper documentation or in the case of a religious holiday
(of which you must notify the instructor in advance). You are still responsible for any homework
scheduled for the day/s you are absent. Exceptions will be made in extraordinary circumstances at the
instructor’s discretion. You are also expected to attend the class on time as coming late will be highly
disruptive to the flow of the course and to your peers. Two late arrivals to the class will be counted as one
absence. If you are ill or anticipate a problem to be absent from class, you are encouraged to work with
another student to borrow their notes or have them fill you in on what you missed. If possible, please
discuss with the instructor any classes you anticipate missing before any assignment is due. Incompletes
are very strongly discouraged.

Academic Integrity Policy of Rutgers University

Rutgers University regards acts of dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair
advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of
intellectual honesty. See the link here for details:
http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/integrity.shtml

Weekly Schedule
This schedule is negotiable and subject to alterations
Syllabus
Review the script
Introducing oneself
Week 1 (Wkbk) Introductions / Unit 1
One-way connector letters
Arabic numbers
Two-way connector letters
Week 2 (Wkbk) Unit 2 Long and short vowels
Separate and Personal pronouns
Greetings
Week 3 (Wkbk) Unit 3 Letters continued
Quiz 1
Letters
Place of Origin
Week 4 (Wkbk) Unit 4
Subject Predicate
Arab cities and capitols
Letters
First, second, third pronouns
Week 5 (Wkbk) Unit 5 and Review
Diacritical Marks (Tanwin)
Review
Week 6 Lesson 1 Begin AWS book Written midterm
Objects in the school environment
Demonstrative Pronouns
‫ ليس‬Negation

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Definite/Indefinite nouns
School surroundings
Nisba
Idafa Structure
Week 7 Lesson 2
Dual and Plural Demonstratives
Quiz 2

Seeking and Providing information

Question particles ‫هل‬/‫كم‬
Week 8 Lesson 3 Introduction to the Arabic Verb
Cardinal numbers

Describing Background
Week 9 Lesson 4 Dual nouns
Non-rational noun plurals
2nd Written midterm
Family members
Week 10 Lesson 5 Objects of Verbs
Objects of prepositions
Ordinal numbers
Terns of Address
Negation
Week 11 Lesson 6
Present tense verbs
Quiz 3
Arabic print media
Describing activities
Week 12 Lesson 7 The imperative
Doubly transitive verbs
Cases of the noun
Requesting/Declining things
Expressing Likes/Dislikes
Week 13 Lesson 8 Food and Drink
Plurals of nouns
Quiz 4
Telling Time
Describing daily activities
Week 14 Lesson 9/Thanksgiving Holidays
Counting in the hundreds and
thousands
Week 15 /Review Oral finals/ Presentations

Undergraduate Program
Major Program

The Bachelor of Arts in African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures is open to
students admitted to and enrolled in any of the campuses and schools in Rutgers-New Brunswick.

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The Major requires the successful completion of at least 33 credit hours, with the first two years of
language study/proficiency as a prerequisite. The Major has two options:

Regional Option

This option is designed to allow students to explore in depth one of the literatures offered by AMESALL
within the context of the region or regions in which it is most common.  All majors must take 01:013:201
(Classical Literatures of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia).  Majors choosing this option must take
at least 6 credits of language courses at the advanced level.  Regional option majors must also take
01:013:211 (Literatures of Africa) or 01:013:221 (Literatures of the Middle East) or 01:013:231
(Literatures of South Asia), whichever is most appropriate to their language of expertise.  They must take
21 credits of additional literature, sociolinguistics or linguistics courses offered by the department on the
region of their concentration, 12 of which must be at the 300-level or above.

Comparative Option

This option is designed to allow students to engage in comparative work among the three regions
represented under AMESALL.  All majors must take 01:013:201 (Classical Literatures of Africa, the
Middle East and South Asia).  Majors choosing this option must demonstrate intermediate level or higher
proficiency in one of the languages of the three regions, either through coursework or placement. 
Comparative option majors must also take at least 6 credits of a second language at the advanced level. 
Majors in the Comparative option must also take 01:013:211 (Literatures of Africa) and 01:013:221
(Literatures of the Middle East) and 01:013:231 (Literatures of South Asia).  They must take 15 credits of
additional literature, sociolinguistics or linguistics courses offered by the department, 12 of which must
be at the 300-level or above.

Majors in both options are highly encouraged to join a study abroad program before graduation.
Depending on the curriculum of the specific Study Abroad Program, Majors could fulfill up to 8 credits
of language/literature requirements through the study abroad experience.

Undergraduate Program
Minor Program

The minor in African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures consists
of 18-20 credits, completed with a grade of C or better in each course.

What are the requirements?

Two courses beyond the elementary level in one of the languages offered by the
department; 01:013:201 (Crossroads: Classical Literatures of Africa, the Middle East and
South Asia); 01:013:211 (Introduction to the Literatures of Africa) or 01:013:221
(Introduction to the Literatures of the Middle East) or 01:013:231 (Introduction to the
Literatures of South Asia), whichever is most appropriate to one’s language of study; and 6
credits of additional literature, sociolinguistics or linguistics courses at the 300 level or
above offered by the department.  

The objective of the Minor in AMESALL is to provide familiarity with a cross-section of the
classical literatures of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, and a broad understanding of
the modern literatures of one of the three regions.  Minors will also develop listening, speaking,
writing and reading skills in one of the languages of their chosen region of study
(Africa/the Middle East/South Asia) at a proficiency level of Intermediate-Low or higher,

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based on the guidelines of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages
(ACTFL).