An introductory course that presumes no previous knowledge of Arabic. Students begin to acquire an integrated command of speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Some exposure to Egyptian Colloquial Arabic as well. Class sessions conducted primarily in Arabic.

Previous terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020.

A continuation of Elementary Arabic I, focuses on further developing students’ skills in speaking, listening, comprehending, writing, and reading Modern Standard Arabic.

Prerequisites: ARBC 1101.

Previous terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021.

This course introduces students to contemporary Egyptian colloquial Arabic. The Egyptian dialect is the most widely spoken across the Arab world. Thus, it is a useful dialect not just in Egypt but in most Arabic speaking countries. There will be a particular emphasis on building up knowledge of spoken grammar and vocabulary as used by native speakers. Students develop interactive communicative skills through active participation in task-based conversations, listening comprehension and vocabulary-building activities. Resources may include authentic audio-visual materials, movie screenings, snippets of popular culture and excerpts of oral literary works. By simulating real-life situations through role-play among a number of crafted pedagogical strategies, students will develop proficiency in practicing conversational Egyptian Arabic. This course is intended for beginners though students at higher levels are welcome to join. (Same as: MENA 1103)

Previous terms offered: Spring 2023.

Examines the development and proliferation of the Arabic novel during the post-World War II period. Edward Said’s statement that narratives “become the method colonized people use to assert their own identity and the existence of their own history” is the point of departure. Illustrates how the discourses and ideologies of colonialism influence the modern Arabic novel. Focuses on themes of struggle, resistance, nationalism, migration, and gender equality. Novels studied may include Najīb Maḥfūẓ’s Midaq Alley, Ghassān Kanafānī’s Men in the Sun, Aṭ-Ṭayyib Ṣāliḥ’s Season of Migration to the North, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān Munīf’s Endings, Ḥanān Shaykh’s The Story of Zahra, Ahlem Mosteghanemi’s Memory in the Flesh, and Aḥmad Saʻdāwī’s Frankenstein in Baghdad. Taught in English. (Same as: MENA 2356)

Previous terms offered: Spring 2022.

A continuation of first-year Arabic, aiming to enhance proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through the study of more elaborate grammar structures and exposure to more sophisticated, authentic texts.

Prerequisites: ARBC 1102.

Previous terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020.

A continuation of Intermediate Arabic I, provides a more in-depth understanding of Modern Standard Arabic. Aims to enhance proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing through the study of more elaborate grammatical structures and sophisticated, authentic texts. Textbook material supplemented by readings from the Qur’an, the hadith, and early Arabic poetry.

Prerequisites: ARBC 2203.

Previous terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021.

From idealized innocence to invoked fear of the unknown, and through double meanings of isolation and connection, this course focuses on islands in world literatures. Through writings that span the medieval, early modern and modern periods, the course uncovers complex meanings associated with islands and insular forms. Focusing on the interplay between geography and imagination in literature, it raises questions about knowledge and uncertainty, spirituality and encounter, identity and difference, and empire and the nation, as well as conflicts between land and water, selfhood and otherness. The course engages such works as Aldous Huxley’s Island, the Sinbad Seven Voyages, al-Hariri’s “Maqama of Oman,” Ibn Tufayl’s Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Gravel Heart, and Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain’s Sultana’s Dream, among others. All texts will be taught in English. Students of Arabic read and talk about original Arabic texts in an add-on section.

Previous terms offered: Spring 2021.

Continues the “Al-Kitaab” series to take students to an intermediate or high-intermediate level of proficiency. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities cover a variety of topics and rely on authentic, unedited materials

Prerequisites: ARBC 2204.

Previous terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020.

Continues the “Al-Kitaab” series to take students to high-intermediate level of proficiency. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities cover a variety of topics and rely on authentic, unedited materials. It is a continuation of Advanced Arabic I.

Prerequisites: ARBC 2204.

Previous terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021.

This course is designed to examine aspects of Arabic cultures in depth, to improve the students’ understanding of the socio-cultural nuances of the region through language and to polish their proficiency skills especially in listening, speaking and writing. Topics include ethnic minorities in the Arab world often misrepresented or marginalized by the nationalist discourse, the role of the contemporary social media outlets in shaping the public opinion as well as the impact of the post-Arab spring era on the socio-political tenor of the region. The class includes discussions of the Syrian refugee tragedy and closely looks at the accomplishments and challenges that Arab women are grappling with in their local communities, public space and work environments. Class discussions will be supported by relevant movie screenings.

Prerequisites: ARBC 2306.

Previous terms offered: Fall 2023.