Studying at York
Arabic Language and Cultures: Intermediate - LFA00243L
- Department: Language and Linguistic Science
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: F
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
Module summary
This course is aimed at students who already have some knowledge of Arabic. Over the course of a semester, it will steadily build the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary for students to engage in everyday conversations and with short texts. It will focus on developing a communicative competence at intermediate level.
Related modules
Arabic Language and Cultures: Lower Intermediate or equivalent.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2023-24 |
| B | Semester 2 2023-24 |
Module aims
The module aims are for students to:
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further develop the four skills (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);
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learn about dialects (regional dialects, such as Egyptian and Jordanian);
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acquire advanced writing skills in modern standard Arabic;
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gain further knowledge of cultural aspects of the Arab world and an understanding of additional structural patterns appropriate to this level;
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gain more confidence in using the language in daily communication.
Students will engage, individually and in groups, in activities and tasks emphasising three core communicative skills:
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reception activities (oral, audio-video and reading comprehension);
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production activities (oral and written production);
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interaction activities (oral, written and online interaction).
The mediums of instruction are English and Arabic.
Module learning outcomes
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Ability to understand straightforward factual texts with a satisfactory level of comprehension.
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Ability to produce short, complex texts on topics of interest and give and justify their opinion. Ability to summarise, report and give their opinion about accumulated factual information and to produce very brief reports in a standard conventionalised format.
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Ability to express personal opinions and exchange information on topics that are familiar, of personal interest or pertinent to everyday life (e.g. family, hobbies, work, travel and current events).
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Ability to generally respond appropriately to the most commonly used cultural cues to discuss in simple terms different perceptions of culturally determined actions.
Module content
Topics may include:
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Reading comprehension skills (topics may include short stories, general paragraphs, news reports, poems and literary topics).
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Writing skills development mainly focuses on further training via exercises in class and at home.
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Situational dialogues, a selection of passages in a variety of topics, such as political, cultural, media, history, and literature.
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The tenses (past, present and future), more about the plural, more about making questions, the passive voice.
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Work and ambition.
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Talking about preferences.
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The comparative and superlative.
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The diminutive.
4- Culture: key cultural aspects in each Arab country.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 60 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 40 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Closed/in-person Exam (Centrally scheduled) | 60 |
| Oral presentation/seminar/exam | 40 |
Module feedback
Feedback on exams and essays as per University regulations.
Indicative reading
Course materials and guided readings will be provided by the module convenors via the VLE at the start of the semester.