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University of Notre DameDepartment of Classics
Program of Arabic Language and Culture
Fall 2015
MEAR 10001-03: First-Year Arabic I
Dr. Amaya [email protected]
339 Decio Hall
Phone: 574-631-2794
Office Hours: T W 4:30P5:30P
By appointment
Course Meeting Times:
M T W R F 3:30P4:20P DeBartolo Hall 202
Course Description:
This course introduces the Arabic language through a
comprehensive and integrated
approach. While this course focuses on learning how to speak
Arabic, we will also coverreading, writing, and applying the
fundamentals of Arabic grammar. Modern Standard
Arabic (MSA) will be the main language of communication in
class. You will also beexposed to other varieties of ArabicArabic
dialects and Classical Arabic - and some aspectsof Arab
culture.
A mutual commitment by all students and instructors is
fundamental and required forour learning experience. Both students
and instructors commit to prepare all assignments,
attend all classes, and be available if needed during office
hours.
Texts:
Alif Baa: An Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds; Brustad,
Al-Batal, &Al-Tonsi; Third Edition, Georgetown University
Press.
Al-Kitaab fii Tacallum al-cArabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning
Arabic, Part 1;
Brustad, Al-Batal, & Al-Tonsi; Third Edition; Georgetown
University Press.
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Companion Website
You need to register into Al-Kitaab Companion Website. You need
to create anaccount first and purchase the book key to do so. We
will do some of the homework
through the website, so it is important that you have access to
the companion website the
first week of classes. For information, go
tohttp://www.alkitaabtextbook.com.The coursecode for this class is
MJAFRH986.
Course Objectives:
By the end ofFirst Year Arabic, you, the student, are expected
to:
1.) Be able to read short texts on familiar topics and
understand the main ideas withoutusing the dictionary;
2.) Be able to speak about yourself and your daily life and
initiate and sustain
conversations on your environment;3.) Be able to write simple
correspondence related to daily life; and
4.) Be able to form and understand the basic sentence structures
of Arabic.
Course Requirements:
I. All students must familiarize themselves with the Honor Code
on the Universitys website
and pledge to observe its provisions in all written and oral
work, including oral presentations,quizzes and exams, and drafts
and final versions of essays.The full Codeand a Student Guide
to the Academic code of Honor are available
at:http://honorcode.nd.edu.
II. Attendance, preparation, and active participation in all
class sessions are essential
factors of the final grade.II.1. Missing four or more classes
without official university approval will probably
result in failure.
II.2. Missing three classes without official university approval
will lower your grade.For example, a student who would otherwise
receive a B will receive a B- if he or she
has three unjustified absences.
III. Drills in class, daily homework, and assignments must be
handed in on time.III.1. Late homework will be marked late and not
always be corrected. A trend of
late and low-quality homework will negatively affect your final
grade.
IV. Quizzes, tests, and final exam.IV.1. Make-up quizzes or
tests should be taken before the next class session. For
example, if a student misses a quiz on Monday, he or she must
take that quiz before Tuesdaysclass begins. In case this is not
possible because of justified absence, the quiz or test should
be taken as soon as possible.
V. All students will prepare one presentation during the
semester.
http://www.alkitaabtextbook.com/http://www.alkitaabtextbook.com/http://www.alkitaabtextbook.com/http://honorcode.nd.edu/http://honorcode.nd.edu/http://honorcode.nd.edu/http://honorcode.nd.edu/http://www.alkitaabtextbook.com/
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Grading:
15 % Daily class work, participation, and assignments.5%
Presentation40% Tests
20% Quizzes
20% Final exam
Note well: Your final grade will be based not only on your
knowledge of the language but
also on your class performance, homework and attendance. Missing
classes and not handing
in your homework on time will lower your grade.
The grading system employed by the University of Notre Dame in
the evaluation of student
performance is shown below, and may be consulted at website
http://registrar.nd.edu/pdf/gradingsystems.pdf:
A (95-100%) Truly Exceptional. Work meets or exceeds the highest
expectations for the
course.A- (90-95%) Outstanding. Superior work in all areas of
the course.
B+ (87-90%) Very Good. Superior work in most areas of the
course.B (83-87%) Good. Solid work across the board.B- (80-83%)
More than acceptable, but falls short of solid work.C+ (77-80%)
Acceptable. Work meets all the basic requirements and standards.C
(73-77%) Acceptable: Meets Most Basic Standards. Work meets most of
the basic
requirement and standards in several areas.C- (70-73%)
Acceptable: Meets Some Basic Standards. While acceptable, work
falls short of
meeting basic standards in several areas.
D (65-70%) Minimally Passing Work. Work just over the threshold
of acceptability. F (0-65%) Failing. Unacceptable performance.
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The pace of the semester will be determined by the degree of
difficulty of the particular
lessons in the textbook and by the needs and progress of the
students. In the Fall Semester,
we will finish Alif Baa: An Introduction to Arabic Letters and
Sounds, and the first fivelessons ofAl-Kitaab fii Tacallum
al-cArabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic, Part 1.
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Arabic Language Peer Tutors
Please, be aware that the Center for the Study of Languages and
Cultures (CSLC) offersArabic language peer tutors, together with
other useful resources that can help you learn
Arabic better. In the CSLC, you will have the opportunity to
study with a tutor, do second
and third drafts of your writings, get help on your daily
homework, and practice speakingand conversation as well. Going to
see a tutor is strongly recommended when you miss a
class or when your grades are less than A-. It is also
recommended for all students to practice
speaking and conversation outside the classroom environment.
http://registrar.nd.edu/pdf/gradingsystems.pdfhttp://registrar.nd.edu/pdf/gradingsystems.pdfhttp://registrar.nd.edu/pdf/gradingsystems.pdf
