Intermediate Arabic I

Course details

In this two-course sequence learners continue to develop the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing and grammar foundation through the extensive use of graded materials on a wide variety of topics. While more attention is given to developing native-like pronunciation and to grammatical accuracy than in Arabic 1a and Arabic 1b, the main focus of the course will be on encouraging fluency and facility in understanding the language and communicating ideas in it. The student who successfully completes this two-course sequence will have mastered over 1500 new words and will be able, within context of the 21 new and recycled themes covered in the textbook (refer to the table of contents, to: 1) understand and actively participate in conversations, 2) read and understand, with the help of a short list of words, passages of up to 300 words, and 3) discuss orally in class and write a 150-word paragraph in Arabic with fewer grammatical errors than in Arabic 1b. The successful student will also have mastered the following grammar topics in addition to those mastered in Arabic 1a and 1b: agreement in non-human plural nouns, stems and patterns (Õawzaan) in nouns and verbs, the use of qad with the imperfect, the basics of the case and mood system (IÔraab) as expressed in letters, more practice of the comparative/superlative, the passive voice, assimilation of Form VIII verbs and verbal nouns, inna and its sisters, more practice with the construct (IDaafa), expressing the future with sa, sawfa and raayiH, basic mastery of the case system, particularly instances affecting the shapes of words (Õabuu/Õabii, more uses of the accusative case), more practice with equational sentences, adjective-noun phrases, and the construct, nominal and verbal sentences, different types of connectors, verbal nouns derived from weak roots, relative pronouns, deletion of the nuun in iDaafa constructions, the maa of wonder (maa al-taÔajjub), and exceptional noun derivations.

The two-course sequence aims to take the student from the Intermediate Mid to the Advanced Mid level according to the ACTFL proficiency guidelines.