Living and Communicating in the Arab World
| Module title | Living and Communicating in the Arab World |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARA2173 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | |
| Module staff | no title Fatima Rawan (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 2 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
Arabic is spoken by millions of people across the world, yet its resultant dialectic diversity remains intimidating for learners. This module provides you with an introduction to a given dialect ahead of your study year abroad, and in doing so supplies you with a model for dialect acquisition that you can apply to other countries in the region. Learning dialect as a complement to Modern Standard Arabic is necessary for your understanding the culture and civilisation of the Arab World, and your acquisition of the full range of Arabic register necessary for a non-native Arabic speaker.
This is an intensive core module of the MArabic taken in term 3 of year 1 in preparation for the year abroad. It is taught intensively for two weeks in term 3 (immediately following the examination period in May). Any face-to-face teaching will conclude by the end of term (mid-June) but guided independent study tasks will continue over the summer period and assessments will be completed within two weeks after the end of teaching. As this is a no-credit-baring module,students must pass it to progress to the year abroad. The results would be given as pass or fail not as marks.
The module introduces you to the grammatical and lexical basics of the Arabic dialect of the country in which you will be residing during your study year abroad. It will introduce you to the morphology and syntax of the dialect, as well as the two particular skills required to function linguistically within it: namely speaking and listening. Written forms of dialect will be explored insofar as they occur in advertising and social media, but the focus will be on speaking and understanding the spoken language in practical situations.
The module will prepare you for living in the Middle East on both a linguistic and a practical level. You will work with fellow students and with your teachers on practical linguistic scenarios that reflect situations you are likely to encounter while living in the Middle East. In addition you will be introduced to ways of dealing with the practical aspects of living in the region, from bureaucratic, social, cultural, travel, political, security, health and wellbeing perspectives.
The course will prepare you for a successful study year abroad and subsequent more advanced Arabic language studies. You will be required to have completed the two core Elementary Arabic Language modules (ARA1033A and ARA1033B) before embarking on the module. This is a zero credit module but you must pass this module before you can start the Year Abroad module ARA2174 .
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the basics of a given Arabic dialect, starting with the basic morphology and syntax and progressing to simple sentence structures. You will learn how to speak the dialect with confidence, and to understand what you hear through listening and workshop activities. You will also be trained in practical aspects of living in the region – both through scenarios in Arabic dialect and lectures focusing on the successful management of life in the region. The practical aspects of the course will prepare you to deal with the ordinary situations that you will encounter in the region, and the unlikely ones for which you should be prepared. It opens the way for you to appreciate and enjoy the full potential of living and speaking Arabic in the Arab world.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Listen to spoken dialect dealing with practical daily topics and understand the main ideas with and without a dictionary, and finding specific information.
- 2. Speak about yourself, your environment and your needs in Arabic dialect, and carry out conversations on a variety of practical and daily-life topics.
- 3. Listen to simple Arabic dialect passages and read dialect texts, demonstrating an understanding of what you hear and read.
- 4. Compose simple spoken and written phrases in Arabic dialect using correct dialect grammar and translate simple dialect sentences from English to Arabic and from Arabic to English.
- 5. Demonstrate an understanding of basic Media Arabic texts.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Identify and use linguistic structures in writing and in conversation.
- 7. Demonstrate the necessary skills in social interaction, personal wellbeing, life management and risk assessment for living in the Middle East.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Demonstrate time management skills, the ability to conduct independent study and the ability to work in pairs and groups in conversation and on text-based work.
- 9. Exhibit confidence in the use of a foreign language including the use of audio-visual material, online resources and the language laboratory.
- 10. Deploy skills necessary for successful independent living overseas, including the abilities to communicate your needs in a foreign language, assess risk, and plan for and manage life overseas.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction to the concept of Arabic diglossia, dialect and register.
- Fundamentals of comparative Arabic dialectology.
- Introduction to the phonetics and phonology of an Arabic dialect.
- Introduction to the grammar, morphology and syntax of an Arabic dialect.
- Lexical development through vocabulary drill and role-play scenarios.
- Reading handwriting, reading signage, reading basic media Arabic texts.
- Health and wellbeing in the Arab World.
- Social conventions and social behaviour in the Arab World.
- Risk assessment techniques.
- Staying in touch.
- Personal financial planning and management.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 22 | Lectures: These focus on explaining grammar topics and acquiring practical skills for life in the Middle East. (11 hours per week over 2 weeks) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 33 | Language Workshops and Seminars: These are conducted in small groups and include Pair work, Group work, Language games and Language Lab work. (16.5 hours per week over 2 weeks) |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Homework assignments and preparation for class |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Learning grammar. |
| Guided Independent Study | 35 | Learning vocabulary. |
| Guided Independent Study | 35 | Listening and speaking practice. |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Preparation of assignments and for exams |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily homework assignments and preparation for classes. These include grammar drills, short pieces of writing and translation. | Throughout taught period of the module in term 3 | 1-10 | Written and oral feedback in the classroom and outside. |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 0 | 90 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning and Risk Assessment Report | 10 | 1500 words | 7,8,10 | Written and verbal feedback |
| Class Presentation | 25 | 15 minutes | 7,8,10 | Written and verbal feedback |
| Oral test | 35 | 10 minutes | 1,2,4,5,9,10 | Verbal feedback |
| Listening test | 30 | 30 minutes | 1,2,3,4,5,9 | Written and verbal feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning and Risk Assessment Report | Essay (1,500 words) | 7,8,10 | August assessment period |
| Class Presentation | Presentation to two members of staff (15 minutes) | 7,8,10 | August assessment period |
| Oral test | Oral test(10 minutes) | 1,2,4,5,9,10 | August assessment period |
| Listening test | Listening test (up to 30 minutes) | 1,2,3,4,5,9 | August assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Liddicoat, M., Lennane R., and Abdul Rahim, I. 2008. Syrian Colloquial Arabic, a Functional Course (third edition). Online Resource
Lutfi Hussein. 1993. Levantine Arabic for Non-Natives: A Proficiency-Oriented Approach . New Haven: Yale University Press.
Mitchell, T.F. 1956. An Introduction to Egyptian Colloquial Arabic . Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Mitchell, T.F. 1962. Colloquial Arabic: the Living Language of Egypt . London: The English Universities Press.
Pipes, D. 1983 An Arabist’s Guide to Egyptian Colloquial .
Younes, M, Weatherspoon, M., and Saliba Foster, M. 2013. Arabiyyat al-Naas: An Introductory Course in Arabic. Vol. 1 Oxford: Routledge.
Supporting Materials:
Wehr, Hans 1979. A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic. Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz.
| Credit value | |
|---|---|
| Module pre-requisites | ARA1033A and ARA1033B |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 25/03/2014 |
| Last revision date | 04/07/2017 |