Studying at York
Arabic Level 3 - LFA00025C
- Department: Language and Linguistic Science
- Module co-ordinator: Ms. Geraldine Enjelvin
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: C
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
- See module specification for other years: 2021-22
Module summary
This module is aimed at those who have successfully completed the Level 2 course or an equivalent post-beginners course, or who have spent a reasonable amount of time in a country where the language is spoken. Students who have sound knowledge in standard Arabic and can read, write and speak in SA are also eligible to join this course.
This module seeks to further develop students' skills in the communicative competences of Modern Standard Arabic and the main colloquial accents (e.g. Egyptian, Jordanian and the Gulf region).
It will also enable students to gain further knowledge of cultural aspects of the Arab world and an understanding of additional structural patterns appropriate to this level
Related modules
Pre-requisite modules
Co-requisite modules
- None
Prohibited combinations
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 to Summer Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
The aims of the module are to:
- Enable students to further develop their four language skills (Intermediate level) (reading, writing, listening and speaking), while learning Arabic within the framework of diglossia (learning how to distinguish between the written and the spoken, formal and informal).
- Enable students to widen up their interests and options in terms of developing both their skills in modern standard Arabic and their communicative skills (colloquial accents).
- Provide further knowledge about the main regional accents (North African, the Levant and the Gulf), which, in turn, will give students the opportunity to choose a colloquial accent to learn separately in the future.
- Approach up-to-date topics that provide the opportunity to develop language skills practically. This topic-based approach also provides the opportunity for tackling various important cultural aspects that will facilitate both understanding cultural identity and learning the language.
- Give students more confidence in using the language in daily communication and in using the acquired skills for further studies in a variety of specialisations (e.g. history, politics, business).
Module learning outcomes
At the end of LFA Arabic Level 3, students will have acquired competence in a range of intermediate level language tasks in work and social contexts, and will be able to use a range of language structures and style to meet the needs of differing situations and topics. The level acquired in each of the four language skills is as follows:
- General: better engagement in speaking the language, ability to express feelings and conduct conversation independently rather than relying on situational dialogue topics. More confidence and fluency acquired.
- Speaking: gaining more fluency in speaking and better pronunciation of words and expressions with the ability to distinguish modern standard Arabic from colloquial expressions. Ability to conduct independent conversation and distinguish key differences in the main colloquial accents.
- Listening: a better-trained ear in understanding the use of intonation in speaking. Ability to recognise and distinguish the use of assimilation and elision in speaking, in addition to understanding key varieties in using them in the main regional accents as well as in modern standard Arabic.
- Reading: further development in reading skills and fluency.
- Writing: acquiring better understanding of Arabic sentence structures and a sense of appreciation for style in writing.
Module content
The syllabus is based on the course book (Mastering Arabic 2) and the tutor's own material (handouts, videos and audio material). Culture topics will be relevant to the main topic tackled in each class. The topics covered in the course book are:
- Unit 1: Myself and others, talking about yourself, asking others, nationality, family, describing character and past tense: talking about childhood. A look at Egypt.
- Unit 2: House and home, describing your home, renting a room or a house, furniture, further plurals, adjectives. A look at Saudi Arabia.
- Unit 3: Work and routine, talking about work, a day in the life of .., talking about your CV, jobs and vacancies, present tense verbs. A look at Syria.
- Unit 4: Sport and leisure, talking about sport, your preferences, talking about free time, going out, hobbies, verbal nouns and participles. A look at Morocco.
- Unit 5: Travel and tourism, around town, means of transportation, travelling in the Arab world, blogs and social media activities, letters and messages, past tense verbs. A look at Tunisia.
- Unit 6: Food and cooking, talking about food, measure, greengrocer, table etiquettes, in a restaurant, in a café, Ramadan, verb forms. A look at Lebanon.
- Unit 7: Review
- Unit 8: Clothes and colours, talking about clothes, describing the outfit, describing colour, at the clothes shop, at a wedding party. A look at Iraq.
- Unit 9: Education and training, school and university, talking about subjects, examinations, giving instructions, weak verbs. What to study and what to read. A look at Algeria.
- Unit 10: News and media, talking about the news, the language of news, broadcasting, formal Arabic, The King’s speech. A look at the Gulf and Yemen.
- Unit 11: Climate and environment, the weather and climate, holiday plans, the future, talking about possibilities. A look at Libya.
- Unit 12: Health and happiness, talking about the body, illness, pharmacy and medicine, talking about health. A look at Sudan.
- Unit 13: Arts and cinema, talking about culture, films and movies, talking about past habits. A look at Jordan and Palestine.
- Unit 14: Review and preparation for the exam.
Class activities such as quizzes, listening comprehension exercises and discussions conducted mostly in Arabic accompanies every lesson.
Indicative assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) LFA Arabic Level 3 |
2 hours | 70 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam Oral exam |
N/A | 30 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) LFA Arabic Level 3 |
2 hours | 70 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam Oral exam |
N/A | 30 |
Module feedback
Students will receive feedback on their formative open paper no later than week 3 of term 2. Individual feedback forms convey information on levels of attainment and advice for improvement on each section of the exam: reading comprehension, grammar and writing.
In addition, regular homework tasks and quizzes provide opportunities for individual ongoing feedback on achievement and progress.
.
Indicative reading
Tutor-designed written and oral/aural materials; Internet-based materials; textbook (Mastering Arabic 2).
Arabic Language and Grammar
Al-bab: introduction to Arabic and links to other resources
Fun with Arabic: a beginner's introduction
Linguanaut: key phrases and expressions
Wisegeek: information on the Arabic language
Madinah Arabic: Online Arabic courses
On-line dictionaries
bab.la English-Arabic or Arabic-English dictionary
Arabic newspapers, media and culture
Al Jazeera (Arabic news)