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Year Abroad with Work Placement

Module description

Having completed the first year at IAIS, you will spend your second year of the MArabic programme in an Arabic-speaking country. There you will advance your knowledge of grammar and syntax, as well as reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will also learn a dialect of Arabic. The year abroad is an excellent opportunity for you to immerse yourself in an Arabic-speaking environment and to gain first-hand experience of Arab society and culture. It is a great opportunity for you to interact with Arabic-speakers and to become fluent in an Arabic dialect. The experience you gain from studying abroad will feed into your third and fourth year at IAIS. During the year abroad you will be supported in your studies by both colleagues in the study abroad institution and by IAIS colleagues who will visit you abroad. The Module Convenor will act as your named IAIS contact. There will also be scheduled regular (usually at least fortnightly) contact with IAIS colleagues by e-mail and/or Skype.

Pre-requisites: successful completion of ARA1033A and ARA1033B (Elementary Arabic Language) with a grade average of 50 or higher

There are 120 credits associated specifically with the year abroad, and students need to ‘pass’ the year abroad to progress to year 3 of the MArabic. Marking conventions will be applied to the host institution’s assessments.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The aims of this module are to advance your knowledge of Arabic grammar and syntax as well as reading, writing, speaking and listening skills through a wide range of authentic Arabic texts, to facilitate your acquisition of a spoken dialect of Arabic, and to immerse you in first-hand experience of Arab society and culture. This is done via Arabic language teaching, a media project as well as a work placement towards the end of your stay.

The work placement component of the module aims to guide you through the process of obtaining a work placement for an organisation/company based in the Middle East. It will promote knowledge and understanding of communicating in a practical working environment, whether in local/regional projects or as part of global frameworks within NGOs, media agencies and other organisations. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of individual projects and programmes in the context of working in a specific field in the Middle East. You will also monitor your own personal development through work experience before, during and after the work placement.

The Media project aims to encourage you to pursue your own independent in-field research or creative project in Arabic dealing with a subject or theme relevant to your year-abroad experience. It provides an opportunity for you to develop your skills as a producer, director, editor, documenter and communicator of this research using digital media such as audio, video, and web content. It also gives you an opportunity to develop further your core Arabic language skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing – and increase your confidence as a communicator in a foreign language. You will also develop your skills in collating, assessing, analysing and ordering material from relevant types of sources, and the ability to communicate ideas, arguments and findings in digital format.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. read and understand a variety of Arabic texts including a range of linguistic styles such as in literature, poetry, religious texts and media; and demonstrate the ability to communicate in a spoken Arabic dialect and Compose spoken and written Arabic using correct grammar
• 2. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the institutional and political context of at least one type of organization working in the Middle East
• 3. describe, analyse and deploy one methodology in the area of Middle East and Islamic Studies in the final reflective placement report; and relate your personal experience on your work placement to existing scholarly literature in the context of working in your specific field in the Middle East; and
• 4. demonstrate familiarity with the specific academic fields relevant to the chosen project topic with regard to these fields’ methods and conventions; relevant bibliographies and secondary literature (in your available languages); and the current state of issues and problems in the relevant fields;

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. demonstrate fluency in a spoken Arabic dialect and identify, describe and use a range of linguistic forms and structures in writing and in conversation;
• 6. demonstrate that you have assimilated information about another culture and have experienced at first hand the cultural and social aspects of an Arab country; and
• 7. exercise informed judgement concerning the practical constraints of organizations working in the region; understand the effect of the organization’s institutional and political contexts on its policies and programmes; exhibit an understanding of the relationship between knowledge and practice and demonstrate knowledge of relevant literature in the field;
• 8. collate, analyse and assess material from a range of sources, including primary sources (where relevant); and understand and use relevant terminology, and handle different approaches in the field;

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 9. Adapt to living in a new environment and confidence in the use of a foreign language.
• 10. work independently and organise your own time to produce a substantial piece of research to a deadline and demonstrate time management skills through independent study, as well as working in pairs and groups in conversation and on text-based work;
• 11. conduct independent research; exercise critical judgment in the form of cogent and persuasive writing and collate and critique material to produce a coherent, well-planned, well-presented and well-argued piece of academic research; and
• 12. develop a personal profile and curriculum vitae for work in the Middle East that demonstrates skills in Middle East and Islamic Studies; perform in a work environment in a manner in keeping with the expectations of the host organisation;

Syllabus plan

The syllabus is set by host institutions and approved by IAIS. Assessment is conducted by host institutions and reported to IAIS. This may include coursework assignments and/or end of term exams.

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

 If required a student will be offered a referred or deferred examination at the IAIS in August/September. The papers for the referred/deferred examinations will be set by the host institution and marked by IAIS (This includes oral, listening and written examinations). In cases of failure, students may be asked to withdraw from the MArabic programme, repeat the year abroad at their own expense, or potentially transfer to a three year degree programme.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Set by host institutions.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/

Key words search

Arabic Year Abroad