SIN101 Elementary Arabic

[6–0, 6 cr.]

This elementary course is designed for students who have no knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic. It also offers a unique opportunity for descendants of Arabic- speakers to revive their lost language and cultural ties with their ancestors’ land. The course is open to the general public, students of Middle Eastern studies, business people, embassy officials and children of foreign nationals stationed in the Middle East. In this course, Arabic language instruction aims for basic proficiency in the four language skills: speaking, reading, writing, and listening. The alphabet, phonetics and basic greetings are introduced in the first week, after which students begin reading, speaking and listening to authentic material. By the end of the course, students are able to handle many daily life situations, such as identifying the self and others, naming familiar objects and people, telling time, asking for directions, describing places of residence and national origins, ordering food and drink.

Students registering for Elementary Arabic must also register for Lebanese Dialect, Level I or Level II.