Follows ARA-132 and is the first of two intermediate-level Modern Standard Arabic courses focusing on communication in a cultural context. Develops students' reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in Modern Standard Arabic, expands their vocabulary, and deepens their knowledge of pronunciation and grammatical principles in order to comprehend and express essential ideas in both spoken and written Modern Standard Arabic. Presents Arabic culture.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
ARA-231 is designed to enable students to reach the Intermediate Low level on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency scale, focusing on language learning through communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.
- Nominal sentences
- Present tense in "jussive" case
- Definite and indefinite "idafa" (possessive phrase)
- Verb patterns
- Relative pronouns
- Coordinating and subordinating clauses
- Case endings for nouns and verbs
- Vocabulary
- Narrative writing
- Arabic culture and literature
- Describe places using the nominal sentence structure
- Recognize and produce present tense verbs in the jussive case
- Distinguish between definite and indefinite idafa and accurately produce possessive phrases
- Explain and compare the verb patterns and provide examples of each
- Interpret and demonstrate correct usage of relative pronouns
- Interpret and demonstrate correct usage of coordinating and some subordinating clauses
- Use verbal markers to indicate tense and aspect
- Write about, speak about, and interpret situations using level-appropriate vocabulary
- Write simple descriptive and narrative essays on everyday themes
- Describe national, religious, and cultural festivities and traditions in the Arab world and how they compare to U.S. norms
Note: A grade of C- is not transferrable and is not accepted by some programs at HFC.
Assessment and Requirements
Assessment of academic achievement will be identified and implemented by the class instructor. Methods will include, but not be limited to:
- Participation
- Homework assignments
- Weekly/regular quizzes
- Weekly/regular compositions
- Chapter/unit tests
- Oral presentation(s)/project(s)
- Midterm/final exam
All sections of this level will use a textbook (and any accompanying materials) selected by the course coordinator and approved by the World Languages Committee.
Outcomes
- Humanities and Fine Arts
- Category 5: Humanities and Fine Arts