ELEMENTARY LEVEL

01:013:140 Elementary Arabic I (4) (fall & spring)

An introduction to Modern Standard Arabic and its script: Using a communicatively oriented, proficiency based approach students will develop basic communicative skills in the language through a combination of interactive classroom activities, take-home assignments and group work. Emphasis will be on the development of all language skills, including writing, reading comprehension and audio oral skills. In addition to the acquisition of a core vocabulary, the student will be prepared to manipulate basic grammatical structures of Arabic for purposes of basic communication in a variety of situations. Students will also be introduced to aspects of Arab culture to build cultural awareness and communicative competence.

 

01:013:141 Elementary Arabic II (4) (fall & spring)

This course is the second part of an introduction to Modern Standard Arabic: students will continue in this course to develop basic communicative skills in the language, by using a communicative and proficiency-based approach and by means of a combination of interactive classroom activities, take-home assignments and group work used in the past course. Emphasis will continue to be put equally on all language skills, including:  writing, reading, comprehension, and oral skills. The core vocabulary acquired in Elementary 1 will be expanded to cover a larger variety of everyday topics and situations. The course will also elaborate more on previously acquired basic language structures and students will be introduced to more aspects of the Arabic culture in order to continue building a better cultural awareness and a more solid communicative competence.

 

01:013:176 Elementary Persian I (4) (hybrid online) (fall)

 

Persian is the predominant modern descendant of Old Persian, a sub-branch of the Indo-European language family. With more than 2500 years of recorded history, civilization and literature, Persian is the language of one of the world’s most prolific cultures. It is renowned for its contributions to literature, visual arts, and world history. Spoken by more than 100 million people, Persian is the official and national language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. After taking this course, students will be familiar with the structure and vocabulary needed to read basic texts in modern Persian.  The course will also introduce participants to such fundamentals of linguistics as register, politeness, anaphora, grammaticalization, etc., all of which modern Persian exhibits to a significant degree and without which a proper understanding of the language is impossible.

 

01:013:177 Elementary Persian II (4) (hybrid online) (spring)

 

After taking this course, students will be familiar with the structure and vocabulary needed to read upper level basic texts in modern Persian. They will become competent users of the language in spoken and written discourse. The course will also introduce participants to and examine them on such fundamentals of linguistics as ellipsis, pragmatics, anaphora, honorifics, nominalization, etc., all of which modern Persian exhibits to a significant degree and without which a proper understanding of the language is impossible.

 

01:013:190 Elementary Turkish I (4) (hybrid online) (fall)

 

In this course, basic communication skills in Turkish Language will be introduced to students. Students will develop elementary levels of reading and writing skills. Grammar required for all skills will also be emphasized. By the end of this one semester, students will: develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Turkish Language; construct basic knowledge of Turkish grammar; master at least 750 words in addition to basic grammatical items; read and write simple prose of approximately two three paragraphs in length; be able to carry on a conversation, talk about a movie and feel very comfortable to talk Turkish in daily situations; understand several aspects of Turkish culture.

 

01:013:193 Elementary Twi II (4) (spring)

This course continues Elementary Twi I.



INTERMEDIATE LEVEL

 

01:013:240 Intermediate Arabic I (4) (fall)

The course will help students move from Elementary High to Intermediate Middle level.  Students will acquire more vocabulary and more knowledge of the fundamental grammatical and morphological structures in order for them to attain a higher level of comprehension and communication.

 

01:013:241 Intermediate Arabic II (4) (spring) AHq

The course continues Intermediate Arabic I.

 

01:013:276 Intermediate Persian I (4) (hybrid online) (fall)

This course introduces students to a series of themes in Persian alongside Persian grammar, vocabulary and the four language skills at the intermediate low level. Emphasis is placed on actively using the language for interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational modes of communication. The four language skills (i.e., listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as pronunciation and culture are integrated into the curriculum. In this course, we will also use Persian stories and mythological anecdotes as a means of understanding the cultural dimension of the Persian language and its culture.

 

01:013:277 Intermediate Persian II (4) (hybrid online) (spring) AHq

This course continues Intermediate Persian I.

 

01:013:290 Intermediate Turkish I (4) (hybrid online) (fall)

This course reviews and expands students' knowledge of fundamental structures from Elementary Turkish and appropriate cultural contexts of these structures in oral and written communication. More grammar and vocabulary in a culturally and socially appropriate context is developed. Speaking ability is expanded through oral exercises, individual reports, class discussions, and recordings. Writing and reading are expanded through compositions, written exercises, and independent reading projects with texts supplied by instructor.

 

 

01:013:291 Intermediate Turkish II (4) (hybrid online) (spring) AHq

This course continues Intermediate Turkish I.

 



ADVANCED LEVEL

01:013:340 Advanced Arabic I (3) (hybrid online) (fall)

This course focuses on developing advanced oral and written fluency in modern Arabic through the study of the cultures and histories of Arab-speaking nations. The course is taught in both Arabic and English, where emphasis is placed on broadening Arabic vocabulary and grammar; listening and speaking skills; and discerning the cultural context of complex readings and speech among the Arabic nations/regions. We will work closely with our primary textbook during the semester. In the second half of the semester we will also work with some outside texts, primarily short stories and essays.

 

01:013:341 Advanced Arabic II (3) (spring)

This course is the second part of advanced Modern Standard Arabic. Through the combination of proficiency based interactive classroom activities, homework readings and assignments and group work used in Advanced Arabic I, you will continue in this course to consolidate your advanced level of fluency with continued equal emphasis on all language skills including reading, comprehension, writing and speaking. in order to bring you to a near-native competency in listening and reading comprehension, you will continue to be exposed to the authentic texts with  moderate complexity from the media and modern Arabic literature to complement the textbook material. Bi-weekly oral presentations, group discussion and writings dealing with the various topics that will be presented in class, will continue to help you not only in practicing old and newly acquired grammar and vocabulary items and consolidating your oral and writing skills, they will also continue to be an ultimate means to guide you to a deeper understanding and assimilation of more complex cultural features of the Arabic speaking region.



OTHER LANGUAGE COURSES

 

 

01:013:203 Language and Society in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia (3) (fall) AHo or AHq

 

This course explores the social, cultural and political aspects of language in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia in the post-colonial context. It examines the interaction and intersectionality of language and variables such as class, ethnicity, gender, and education. It will also look at the range of articulations of politico-linguistic problems and challenges, including language conflict, language rights and language planning, in the three regions. These are topics that have been discussed extensively by scholars from a variety of disciplines, including linguistics, anthropology, sociology, philosophy and political science, resulting in a rich body of literature that offers different perspectives on the different issues. In this course we will examine the contributions of these disciplines to our understanding of language and its uses in society, drawing on comparative experiences of selected countries of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

 

 

01:013:242 Classical Arabic (3) (spring)

This course is an intermediate level Arabic course which aims to introduce students to the language of the Qur’an and the classical texts, as well as the general history of the Arabic language before the modern period. The course will be dedicated to learning the grammar of Qur’anic and Classical Arabic (CA), with special reference to the ways in which it differs from Modern Standard Arabic (MSA); we will also incorporate readings of short classical texts, both on grammar and other topics. Students will also learn to use the standard dictionaries and grammars as references for further study.

  

 

01:013:304 Introduction to Translation Studies (3) (spring)

Who is a translator and what comprises a translation? As the practice of translation gains more and more visibility and the demand for qualified translators grows worldwide, understanding a diverse range of possible answers to these questions becomes even more critical. In response to the increasing visibility of and demand for translation, this course looks closely at definitions of the translator and the translated, focusing on how translation has been practiced and theorized, as well as how these practices and theories have played a part in shaping colonial and postcolonial world history.

 

 

01:013:305 Languages in Peril (3) (fully online) (spring) CCO

Introduction to the value of vocal languages and the threat posed by their disappearance, with a focus upon the endangered languages of Africa and Asia. This course will employ a multidisciplinary approach to address the impending disappearance of the world's linguistic and cultural patrimony, which is one of the greatest challenges facing mankind in the 21st century. The discussion of these general issues will be illustrated with nine case studies of endangered languages and the traditions that they represent: three from the Middle East, three from South Asia, and three from Africa.