- 2023–2024 Courses:
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Fall 2023
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ARBC 100: Arabs Encountering the West
The encounter between Arabs and Westerners has been marked by its fair share of sorrow and suspicion. In this seminar we will read literary works by Arab authors written over approximately 1000 years–from the Crusades, the height of European imperialism, and on into the age of Iraq, Obama and ISIS. Through our readings and discussions, we will ask along with Arab authors: Is conflict between Arabs and Westerners the inevitable and unbridgeable result of differing world-views, religions and cultures? Are differences just a result of poor communication? Or is this “cultural conflict” something that can be understood historically?
6 credits; Argument and Inquiry Seminar, International Studies, Writing Requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Zaki Haidar -
ARBC 101: Elementary Arabic
This is the first course in the Elementary Arabic sequence. This sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic-the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music.
6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Zaki Haidar, Yaron Klein -
ARBC 204: Intermediate Arabic
In this course sequence students will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while building a solid foundation of Arabic grammar (morphology and syntax). Students will develop their ability to express ideas in Modern Standard Arabic by writing essays and preparing oral presentations. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 103 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Fall 2023 · Zaki Haidar, Yaron Klein
Winter 2024
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ARBC 102: Elementary Arabic
This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic–the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 101 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Zaki Haidar -
ARBC 205: Intermediate Arabic
In this course sequence students will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while building a solid foundation of Arabic grammar (morphology and syntax). Students will develop their ability to express ideas in Modern Standard Arabic by writing essays and preparing oral presentations. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 204 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Yaron Klein -
ARBC 211: Colloquial Levantine Arabic
In this course we will focus on acquiring conversational and listening comprehension skills, and building vocabulary in the Levantine/Shami dialect of spoken Arabic, spoken throughout bilad al-Sham or “Greater Syria.” Building upon the foundation of Modern Standard Arabic, we will focus upon points of grammatical and semantic convergence and divergence, and work to develop strategies for fluidly navigating our way between and within these two linguistic registers. We will study the language systematically, but we will also incorporate a range of written and audiovisual materials–music, films, television and web series–as well as other popular culture from the region.
Prerequisites: Arabic 204 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Winter 2024 · Zaki Haidar
Spring 2024
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ARBC 103: Elementary Arabic
This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic–the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisites: Arabic 102 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024 · Zaki Haidar -
ARBC 185: The Creation of Classical Arabic Literature
In this course we will explore the emergence of Arabic literature in one of the most exciting and important periods in the history of Islam and the Arab world; a time in which pre-Islamic Arabian lore was combined with translated Persian wisdom literature and Greek scientific and philosophical writings to form the canon of learning of the new emerged Arab-Islamic empire. We will explore some of the different literary genres that emerged in the New Arab courts and urban centers: from wine and love poetry, historical and humorous anecdotes, to the Thousand and One Nights, and discuss the socio-historical forces and institutions that shaped them. All readings are in English. No Arabic knowledge required.
6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Yaron Klein -
ARBC 206: Arabic in Cultural Context
In this course students will continue to develop their Arabic language skills, including expanding their command of Arabic grammar, improving their listening comprehension, reading and writing skills. In addition to more language-focused training, the course will introduce students to more advanced readings, including literary texts (prose and poetry, classical and modern) and op-ed articles from current media. Class discussions will be in Arabic. Prerequisites: Arabic 205 or equivalent 6 credits; Does not fulfill a curricular exploration requirement; offered Spring 2024 · Zaki Haidar -
ARBC 387: The One Thousand and One Nights
This course is an exploration of the world of the Thousand and One Nights, the most renowned Arabic literary work of all time. The marvelous tales spun by Shahrazad have captured and excited the imagination of readers and listeners–both Arab and non-Arab–for centuries. In class, we will read in Arabic, selections from the Nights, and engage some of the scholarly debates surrounding this timeless work. We will discuss the question of its origin in folklore and popular culture and the mystery of its “authorship,” as well as the winding tale of its reception, adaptation and translation. Readings and class discussions will be in both Arabic and English.
Prerequisites: Arabic 206 or equivalent 6 credits; International Studies, Literary/Artistic Analysis; offered Spring 2024 · Yaron Klein