Bachelor of Arts in Arabic for Non-Native Speakers

Course Description

A - Compulsory Courses

Introduction to Arabic Phonetics

Prerequisite

NA

Description

This course provides a comprehensive overview of general phonetics, with a particular focus on the Arabic phonetic alphabet. It introduces Arabic consonants and vowels, detailing the characteristics of each. The curriculum also covers the classification of various Arabic sounds, explains the concept of the phoneme, and clarifies the impact of pause on Arabic sounds. Additionally, it examines the role of consonants and their influence on sound production. The course concludes with a thorough study and analysis of Arabic syllables.

Fundamentals of Arabic Spelling

This course examines the fundamentals of Arabic spelling, encompassing topics such as consonants and vowels, the orthography of the Hamza, and the conventions of Solar and Lunar Lām (Lām al-Shamsiyyah and Lām al-Qamariyyah). It further delves into the rules governing letters that are pronounced but not written, and those that are written but not pronounced. The curriculum also addresses the appropriate usage of the Tāʾ Marbūṭah and Hāʾ, principles concerning original versus augmentative letters, the general rules for letter addition and omission, and punctuation marks in Arabic orthography.

Reading and Listening 1

This course focuses on foundational reading and listening skills. Students will engage with texts by reading them accurately, ensuring proper vocalization (diacritics) and punctuation, or by listening attentively. A primary emphasis is placed on understanding sentence structure and its components, along with the various grammatical factors that influence both construction and inflection (i'rāb). These factors include, for example, incomplete verbs, abrogating particles, and particles governing the accusative and jussive moods. Furthermore, students will practice formulating and comprehending ideas, expressing themselves effectively, and interpreting spoken texts.

Beginner Conversation

This course on Beginner Conversation focuses on the words, sentences, and structures used in daily life. It presents these elements through dialogues designed to help learners communicate effectively with Arabs and other Arabic speakers.

Beginner Writing

This course covers the fundamentals of Arabic writing. It includes topics such as the Arabic alphabet, short and long vowels, and the pronunciation and writing of sounds at the beginning, middle, and end of words. The course aims to enable students to write words and sentences correctly, free of errors.

Reading and Listening 2

Reading and Listening 1

0201182

This course focuses on foundational reading and listening skills. Students will engage with texts by reading them accurately, ensuring proper vocalization (diacritics) and punctuation, or by listening attentively. A primary emphasis is placed on understanding sentence structure and its components, along with the various grammatical factors that influence both construction and inflection (i'rāb). These factors include, for example, incomplete verbs, abrogating particles, and particles governing the accusative and jussive moods. Furthermore, students will practice formulating and comprehending ideas, expressing themselves effectively, and interpreting spoken texts.

Functional Grammar I

This course delves into fundamental topics in Arabic grammar, including parts of speech, the concept of the grammatical governing agent ('āmil naḥwī), inflected (mu'rab) and uninflected (mabnī) words, overt (ẓāhir) and implied (taqdīrī) inflection (i'rāb), and inflection using primary and secondary case markers. Furthermore, it covers indefinite and definite nouns, sentence construction, and the nominative cases (marfū'āt), specifically the subject (mubtadaʾ) and predicate (khabar), and the doer/agent (fā'il) and its deputy (nā'ib al-fā'il).

Intermediate Writing

Beginner Writing 020184

This course focuses on Arabic essay writing, guiding students on selecting appropriate vocabulary and expressions, and identifying common errors or unsuitable phrases. It explains the academic principles of writing at the sentence, paragraph, and text levels, including the correct use of punctuation marks. The course also covers how to attribute information (Isnaad), adhere to grammatical rules, and master Arabic sentence structures, patterns, and styles. Furthermore, it delves into techniques for expanding or limiting expression through emphasis or negation, and the methods for constructing cohesive and coherent paragraphs.

Reading and Listening 3

Reading and Listening 2

0201182

This course covers advanced reading and listening skills. Students will engage with literary or scientific texts, reading them accurately while ensuring proper vocalization (diacritics) and punctuation, or listening to and analyzing them. The curriculum also focuses on summarizing and explaining the ideas presented in these texts, as well as comprehending the semantic nuances of vocabulary and the morphological and grammatical structures within them. Furthermore, students will practice expressing their own ideas and comprehending and analyzing spoken texts.

Intermediate Arabic Spelling

Fundamentals of Arabic Spelling 0201181

This course examines the fundamentals of Arabic spelling, encompassing topics such as consonants and vowels, the orthography of the Hamza, and the conventions of Solar and Lunar Lām (Lām al-Shamsiyyah and Lām al-Qamariyyah). It further delves into the rules governing letters that are pronounced but not written, and those that are written but not pronounced. The curriculum also addresses the appropriate usage of the Tāʾ Marbūṭah and Hāʾ, principles concerning original versus augmentative letters, the general rules for letter addition and omission, and punctuation marks in Arabic orthography.

Functional Grammar 2

Functional Grammar 1 020181

This course delves into fundamental topics in Arabic grammar, including parts of speech, the concept of the grammatical governing agent ('āmil naḥwī), inflected (mu'rab) and uninflected (mabnī) words, overt (ẓāhir) and implied (taqdīrī) inflection (i'rāb), and inflection using primary and secondary case markers. Furthermore, it covers indefinite and definite nouns, sentence construction, and the nominative cases (marfū'āt), specifically the subject (mubtadaʾ) and predicate (khabar), and the doer/agent (fā'il) and its deputy (nā'ib al-fā'il).

Classical Arabic Literature 1

This course surveys Classical Arabic literature from the Pre-Islamic (Jahili) era and the early Islamic era (Ṣadr al-Islām). It examines the most prominent literary genres and figures of these periods, highlighting their thematic and artistic characteristics. The course achieves this through an in-depth study of key poets, orators, and writers from each era.

Intermediate Conversation

Beginner Conversation 0201183

This course on Intermediate Conversation covers the vocabulary, sentences, and structures used in daily life. It presents these elements through dialogues designed to help learners communicate effectively with others in Arabic. The curriculum also focuses on the expressive styles used in discourse, the construction of conversational sentences, and how to accurately express oneself and others in correct Arabic.

Functional Morphology 1

This course covers Arabic morphological terminology and the concepts behind it. It provides a necessary introduction to the derivation of Arabic words, focusing on both the theoretical and practical aspects of verb and noun conjugation. The curriculum examines the ten verbal forms (al-awzān al-'ashara) and addresses functional morphological issues related to derivation (ishtiqaq) and affixation (ilṣāq) in word conjugation.

Functional Grammar 3

Functional Grammar 2 0201380

This course covers advanced grammatical structures and rhetorical styles, including interrogation, exclamation, and praise and dispraise. It also delves into the conditional sentence, the oath sentence, and sentences with no grammatical case (i'rāb) value. The curriculum addresses the genitive construction (iḍāfah) and the grammatical dependencies (tawābi'), specifically adjectives (na't), emphasis (tawkīd), conjunction (aṭf), and apposition (badal). Furthermore, the course examines diptotes (mamnū' min al-ṣarf), numerals, and their associated figurative expressions (kināyāt).

Classical Arabic Literature 2

Classical Arabic Literature 1 0201381

This course surveys Arabic literature from the Umayyad and Abbasid eras. It examines the most prominent literary genres and figures of these periods, and studies their thematic and artistic characteristics. The curriculum achieves this through an in-depth study of key poets, orators, and writers from each era.

Advanced Conversation

Intermediate Conversation 0201384

This course on Advanced Conversation covers the vocabulary, sentences, and structures used in daily life, with a strong emphasis on rhetorical and figurative language. It presents these elements through dialogues designed to help learners communicate effectively with others in Arabic. The curriculum also focuses on the expressive styles used in discourse, the construction of conversational sentences, and how to accurately express oneself and others in correct Arabic.

Advanced Writing

Intermediate Writing 0201283

This course covers writing and expression skills, focusing on the proper use of punctuation, and the avoidance of common errors in spelling and style. It teaches students how to write and structure Arabic sentences, including how to expand or limit expression within them using techniques like emphasis, negation, and other rhetorical devices. The curriculum then progresses to paragraph construction, composition, and cohesion, focusing on the effective use of connectives to link sentences. Finally, the course addresses the structure of a complete text and explores various types of functional writing, such as letter writing and journalistic articles.

Functional Morphology 2

Functional Morphology 1 0201385

This course covers morphological issues that complement Functional Morphology I. It delves into the derivation of Arabic words, focusing on topics such as plurals and their types, derivatives and their types, and the structures and classifications of nouns. The curriculum also involves the study of texts that contain extensive exercises and practical applications of Arabic morphology.

Introduction to Modern Arabic Literature

Classical Arabic Literature 2 0201481

This course explores modern Arabic literature, examining its thematic and linguistic characteristics and the factors that contributed to its renaissance. It covers the most significant poetic themes of the modern era, including the Literary Heritage Revival Movement and the Modern Literary Renewal Movement, along with their most prominent figures. The curriculum also addresses the influence of various literary schools on modern poetry, illustrated through a study of key examples.

Arabic Rhetoric in Cultural Context

This course explores the cultural dimension of rhetorical styles and highlights the cultural and aesthetic features of texts during their analysis.

Introduction to Methods of Teaching Arabic for Non-Native Speakers

This course covers the most significant teaching methods, explaining their importance and presenting theories and approaches for teaching the Arabic language. Furthermore, it addresses specific methods for teaching the core Arabic language skills to non-native speakers, including conversation, reading, and writing.

Introduction to Arabic Lexicography

This course covers the science of Arabic lexicography and its importance, tracing the stages of the collection of the Arabic language. It discusses the types, functions, and components of Arabic dictionaries, and provides a comprehensive overview of the reasons for the emergence of lexicography and its relationship to other linguistic sciences. Furthermore, the course traces the evolution of Arabic dictionaries, offering selected examples that reflect each historical stage. It concludes with an analysis of the various arrangement methods used in Arabic dictionaries.

Electives

Language Skills for Special Purposes

This course explores the concept of teaching Arabic for special purposes, presenting its history and main classifications. It also outlines the characteristics and features of teaching Arabic for special purposes and distinguishes it from teaching for general purposes. The curriculum covers the tools that meet learners' specific needs and examines the most significant approaches and curricula for teaching language for special purposes.

Introduction to Classical Arabic Prose

This course surveys Arabic prose across successive historical periods: Pre-Islamic, early Islamic, Umayyad, Abbasid, and Andalusian. It examines the reasons for the emergence of prose in each era and studies selected examples of prose literary genres from each period.

Techniques of Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers

This course explores the concept of teaching techniques and their interactive, integrative, and individual characteristics. It covers their importance and the principles for selecting and using these techniques in teaching the Arabic language. The curriculum also classifies various techniques for teaching Arabic, focusing on both visual techniques and modern technologies for teaching and assessing the four core skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Introduction to Modern Arabic Prose

This course explores the manifestations and factors of the modern era's renaissance and introduces the most prominent figures and works of modern Arabic prose. It also covers the art of the novel, drama, the short story, the essay, the autobiography, and letter writing, using selected examples.

Arabic Calligraphy and Writing

This course introduces students to the origin and development of Arabic calligraphy, its renowned styles, the characteristics and tools of each, and its unique aesthetics. It also explores the challenges that calligraphy faces from contemporary technologies. The main styles covered are Naskh, Ruq'ah, Thuluth, Nasta'liq, Diwani, and Kufic.

Functional Grammar 4

This course covers advanced complements and formative elements of the Arabic sentence. Topics include the active participle (ism al-fā'il), passive participle (ism al-maf'ūl), adjectival participle (al-ṣifah al-mushabbahah), and the verbal noun's function. The curriculum also addresses the nisba adjective, pause, the extended and restricted nouns, the heavy and light nuns of emphasis, and the dualization and pluralization of extended and hamza-bearing nouns. Other topics include the superlative form, the vocative of lament (al-nudbah), elision (al-tarkhīm), and hyperbole forms (ṣiyagh al-mubālaghah).

Curricula for Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers

This course explores the concept and types of curricula for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. It provides a historical background on the field and examines the various types of curricula, as well as the linguistic and communicative competencies they aim to develop. The curriculum also addresses the role of bilingualism, the foundational principles and design theories for teaching Arabic, and the process of constructing curricula based on the language's cultural foundations. The course concludes by analyzing the challenges of teaching Arabic and the practical steps for curriculum design.

Sources of Literary and Linguistic Studies

This course introduces students to the most important sources for literary and linguistic studies, categorized by field. It covers key references in language, literature, proverbs, lexicography, and biographies, tracing their development through successive historical periods, from the beginnings of the codification of knowledge in the Arab world.

Arabic Prosody and Rhyme

This course covers the origin of Arabic prosody and its importance in the field of poetry. It includes a study of the meters of classical Arabic poetry, known as the Khaliilian seas, and the ability to distinguish correct meters from flawed ones. The curriculum addresses the phonetic units, prosodic feet (taf'īlāt), prosodic transcription, and the permissible metrical variations (ziḥāfāt) and defects ('ilal). It also provides a brief overview of the prosodic circles (al-dawā'ir al-'arūḍiyyah) and the types of rhyme. The course examines the musical framework of free verse and explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and the fields of prosody and rhyme.

Academic Research and its Methodologies

This course covers academic research and the various methodologies students need to master. It explores the importance, structure, and practical and theoretical steps of research, from the initial idea, selection, and planning to information gathering, documentation, and final output. The curriculum also addresses the skills of presentation and discussion, the ethics of the researcher (including regulations and precautions), and the use of digital platforms and artificial intelligence in research. Furthermore, the course provides a brief overview of the methodology for manuscript verification.