Conversational Arabic (ARAB 395, Section 01)
A Language and Culture Course
Fall 2005

Instructor :

Samir I. Bitar
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Email : samir.bitar@umontana.edu
Phone : (406) 243-4385
Office : LA 431

Textbook :

Xeroxed Instuctor’s handouts for each weekly meeting covering the subjects as outlined in the course description, goals and objectives.

Grading :

Grading will be computed on the following basis:

  Homework: 40%

  Quizzes: 40%

  Participation and attendance: 20%

Rules:

– One make-up quiz per student.

– Any particular quiz cannot be made-up one week after it was given.

Course Description, Goals and Objectives :

Ahlan wa Sahlan! Welcome to Conversational Arabic!

Conversational Arabic brings you the opportunity to learn the language of everyday conversation, which may be regarded as typical of the speech of the educated city dweller.

It is necessary to understand that no Arab grows up speaking Classical Arabic. Each Arab grows up speaking a dialect and learns the classical in school. This course will be an introduction to the spoken Arabic of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon (Eastern Arabic.)

Language is naturally and primarily acquired through hearing and listening to strings of sounds. Adhere to the following recommendations to acquire the most from this class.

• Mimic and imitate to the extent necessary to sound like a native speaker of Arabic.

• Review constantly, so that the speech habits of Arabic will become almost as familiar and well-established as the speech habits of English.

• Avoid the use of English in the classroom, except when necessary.

• Take advantage of every opportunity to use the language. This is the only way to build up real fluency and control.

This class will meet once a week. The Arabic presented during our weekly sessions will cover the following subjects:

• Greetings and courtesy expressions
• Directions, Numbers 1-10
• Arrival, Numbers 11-20
• Getting Around, Numbers 21-29
• Requests and information.
• Where is it? Numbers 100-1,000 by hundreds
• Introductions
• Family and children
• Where have you been
• In a coffee shop
• Telling time
• Eating out
• Buying some cloth
• Buying Fruits and Vegetables
• Speaking Arabic

Attendance :

As the syllabus indicates attendance is important, it includes coming on time and it directly affects your grade . Grading will highly depend on class participation and you must attend in order to participate. Language learning is a highly cumulative process.

Classroom sessions :

1 st Class will be on September 3rd 2004.

Room No. 106, Liberal Arts Building

Homework :

You will be given weekly assignments that are due the following week.

Quizzes:

There will be 11 quizzes. They will be announced in advance. The lowest quiz grade will be dropped in computing the final grade.

Office Hours :

I will be in my office on Tuesdays from 11-12 , 1 –2 on Wednesdays and 12-1 on Thursdays. Every one is encouraged and is welcome to come in, visit and practice Arabic.

I am also available by appointment.