Textbooks:
Al-Kitaab fi ta`allum al-`arabiyya by Brustad et al
Dictionaries: A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (Wehr), edited by J M. Cowan
During this semester we will begin by retracing some of our final steps in LG-598 before continuing our work in Egyptian Colloquial and Modern Standard Arabic.
Homework assignments will be graded and will account for 20% of the final mark. Vocabulary Quizzes, one per unit, will cumulatively account for 20% of the grade.
The mid-term will also come to 20%.
The Final Exam counts for 20% of the semester’s grade.
The remaining 20% will be based on attendance and class participation.
While ANY syllabus is tentative, every effort will be made to adhere to the following schedule:
| September 10 |
Grammar Review |
| September 15 |
Lesson 6 – Review |
September 17
|
Lesson 6 – Completion |
| September 22 |
Lesson 7 - Vocabulary Quiz |
| September 24 |
Lesson 7 - Grammer |
September 29
|
Lesson 8 - Completion |
| October 1 |
NO CLASSES - Eid al-Fitr |
| October 6 |
Lesson 8 - Vocabulary Quiz |
October 8
|
Lesson 8 - Grammer |
| October 13 |
Lesson 8 - Grammer |
| October 15 |
Lesson 8 - Completion |
| October 20 |
Lesson 9 - Vocabulary Quiz |
October 22
|
Lesson 9 - Completion |
| October 27 |
MID-TERM EXAM - Lesson 7-9 |
| October 29 |
Lesson 10 - Introduction |
November 3
|
Lesson 10 - Vocabulary Quiz |
| November 5 |
Lesson 10 - Completion |
| November 10 |
Lesson 11 - Vocabulary Quiz |
| November 12 |
Lesson 11 - Grammer |
| November 17 |
Lesson 11 - Grammer |
| November 19 |
Lesson 11 - Completion |
| November 24 |
NO CLASS - READING WEEK |
| November 26 |
NO CLASS - READING WEEK |
| December 1 |
Lesson 12 - Vocabulary Quiz |
| December 3 |
Lesson 12 - Grammer |
| December 8 |
Lesson 12 - Grammer |
| December 10 |
Lesson 12 - Completion |
| December 15 |
Review Lessons 7-12 |
| December 17 |
FINAL EXAM - Lessons 7-12 |
NB: When learning a language, it is (infinitely?) better to work a little each day than to cram on weekends or over large chunks of time. In other words, an hour each day of review and preparation during the week is to be preferred over spending the entirety of a Saturday or Sunday trying to catch-up.
Also, in learning a language, it is better to use your out-of-class time to work on material that has already been presented in class, rather than to “work ahead”. Working ahead risks internalizing faulty linguistic input: This is NOT a “teach yourself” course!
“I’m not here to hand out bad grades” is one of my mottos. Every effort will be made to keep you all up to speed, that being one of the luxuries of having a small class.
Most importantly: HAVE FUN! Even though Arabic is NOT an easy language, it CAN be enjoyable. I’ll try to make it that way; if you work, there is that much more chance of making it that way for yourself.
