ARAB 1312 - BEGINNING ARABIC - SYLLABUS

Fall 2005
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Aman Salama
E-MAIL: aman.salama@utdallas.edu
CLASS MEETINGS: TR 5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Room # CBW1.102
Office Hours: Every Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in JO 5.109

COURSE TIT LE: Beginning Arabic 1312 (3-credit hours)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is an introductory course intended for students with
little or no knowledge of the language. Its aim is to present essential vocabulary and
grammar, and to develop the pronunciation, listening, reading, and writing skills
necessary for basic communication and comprehension. Customs and cultural
insights are also presented.

TEXTBOOKS: Alif Baa' and Al-Kitaab, both written by M. Al-Batal, K. Brustad and A. Al-Tonsi

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
− To pronounce the Arabic vowels, consonants correctly.
− To pronounce Arabic words correctly, paying special attention to short and long vowels
− To begin to develop your ability to speak Arabic.
− To begin to develop your ability to understand spoken Arabic.
− To begin to develop your ability to read and write Arabic.
− To begin acquiring a working knowledge of Arabic grammatical structures and to apply
these structures in speech and writing.
− To begin to develop your functional Arabic vocabulary.
− To begin to develop an awareness of various aspects of Arabic culture through
reading and discussion.

COURSE CONTENT:The Arabic alphabet (writing and sounds), Sun and Moon letters, short
vowels and diacritics, feminine markers, greetings and introductions, basic vocabulary,
masculine and feminine nouns and adjectives, the definite article, nationalities and affiliations,
asking questions, personal pronouns, plural of nouns, nomonal sentence: subject and
predicate, genitive construction, possessive pronouns, the present tense, verbal sentence and
various cultural aspects will be covered in this class.

COURSE POLICIES

EVALUATION:

Attendance/Class Participation (10%/10%): 20%

Your active and constructive participation is expected and is very important in this class
which has many individual and group activities. You are expected to come to class, be on
time, study, be prepared, and be attentive. Also you are expected not to distract the
professor and/or classmates, not to leave during class, and to consult with your instructor if
you have questions or difficulties.
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You are expected to attend class regularly and to consult with the instructor when an absence
is necessary. Absences are neither excused nor unexcused. If you are unable to complete
this course, you must withdraw from it by October 20, 2005. Withdrawing from a course is
a formal procedure which you must initiate. If you are absent for more than five times, then
you must consult with your instructor

Students who put on a display of behavior that is disruptive and disrespectable of the class will
be given one warning. Should student decide to continue such a behavior, the student will be
asked to leave the class, and will be count as an absent.

For the entire semester, maximum number of allowed absents is five days. This includes all
excused and none excused absents. Students who manage to be absent for more than five days
has to drop the class and receive a “W” grade, other wise that student may receive one grade
less than what he/she earned (for example, student who earned a “B” and managed to be absent
for more than five times, his/her final grade will be a “C”).

Student are encouraged to be on time, every two late incidents are counted as one full absent,
so please make every effort to be on time.

Drop Deadline:
Last day to drop a class without a "W" …….............. September 2
Last day to drop a class with a "W"…………............. October 20

Quizzes: 10%
Every class day and promptly at 05:30 p.m. a quiz will be given. The lowest two quiz grades
earned by a student will be dropped. Late students will not be eligible to take the quiz.

Exams: 30%
Three tests will be given. No make-up tests will be given.

Homework Assignments: 10%

Workbook and/or other assignments will be given on a regular basis. If you do not have an
assignment completed when the instructor asks for it, you will receive a zero. If you are
absent when an assignment is due, you may show the assignment to your instructor on the
day you return to class. You are responsible for any assignment given while you are absent.

Final Exam: 30%

The final exam is also an exit exam. This means that if you intend to go on to the next level of
Arabic, you must pass this exam. No early exams will be given!

Final Course Grade: 90-100 = A

80- 89 = B
70- 79 = C
60- 69 = D
0- 59 = F

Communications via E-mail: I will send all electronic correspondence only to a student’s
UTD email address and require that all official electronic correspondence between a student

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and me be transmitted from the students’ UTD email account. UT Dallas furnishes each
student a FREE Network ID (netid) linked to an email account. To activate or maintain a UTD
computer account and/or to set email forwarding options, go to http://netid.utdallas.edu.
NOTE: The UTD Department of Information Resources provides a method for students to
forward their UTD email to other personal or business email accounts.

Food and Drink Policy: This class has a great deal of focus on pronunciation and class
participation, both group and individual activities. Use your judgment.

Academic Honesty: All cases of academic dishonesty or other problems involving disciplinary
or other disruptive elements should be referred directly to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Disability Services: If you are a student with a disability and / or special needs who requires
special accommodations, please contact the Disability Services which provides
accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Students are urged to make their
needs known to Disability Services as soon as they are admitted to the university. The Office
of Disability Services is located in the Student Union (SU 1.610), (972) 883 2070.

Holidays
Labor Day ......... September 5
Thanksgiving.......... Nov 24 – 25

Last Day of Class

This date does not include final exams ....Mon., November 28

Tentative Final Exam Date and Time

Final Exam......... December 01, 2005 @ 5:00 p.m.