Arabic at Kenyon

This two-part course is for students who are beginning the study of Arabic and who have very minimal or no prior exposure to the language. This course introduces students to the Arabic language and culture in all four modalities: speaking, reading, listening and writing across the three communicative modes: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. Part of the first semester concentrates on the Arabic alphabetic writing system, pronunciation, basic conversation and an introduction to basic Arabic grammar. Classwork includes dictation, group conversations, listening exercises and activities focused on developing communicative, reading and writing skills. This course follows the integrated approach teaching model (MSA and the Levantine dialect) and includes required practice sessions with an apprentice teacher (TA). 

This two-part course continues building a solid foundation in the Arabic language while developing communication skills in Arabic. Classwork includes reading authentic texts, vocabulary building, presenting research in Arabic, listening to authentic media (such as news, films and television programs) and class discussion in the target language. Students are expected to use online and extracurricular resources to improve their skills and complete assignments outside of class. The class follows the integrated approach of teaching model (MSA and the Levantine dialect) and includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant (TA). 

This course continues language study from advanced-intermediate level Arabic through advanced levels. The main objective of the course is to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and a dialect at the advanced-intermediate to advanced level. Classwork includes reading authentic texts, building vocabulary, presenting research in Arabic, listening to authentic media (such as news, films and television programs) and class discussion in the target language. Students will conduct research using authentic Arabic texts and online materials. Students are expected to use online and extracurricular resources to help improve their skills and complete assignments outside of class. By the end of Advanced Arabic, students will be able to communicate at the advanced level as well as to recognize different genres of literature, read newspapers with the use of a dictionary, and comprehend basic information from media resources without the use of a dictionary. Prerequisite: ARBC 214Y or equivalent or permission of instructor. Offered every fall semester.

The course is an upper-level course for students who wish to further develop their communicative competence in the Arabic language and their understanding of the Arabic culture. Throughout the course students develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills across the three communicative models: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. The course is taught entirely in Arabic. Classwork includes reading authentic texts, building vocabulary, presenting research in Arabic, listening to authentic media such as songs, movies, podcasts, tv programs and class discussion in the target language. This course is recommended for students wishing to specialize in any field related to the MENA region. Prerequisite: ARBC321 or equivalent or permission of instructor. Offered in spring.

Media Arabic introduces the language of print and internet news media in Arabic to students seeking to reach the advanced level. It makes it possible for those students to master core vocabulary and structures typical of front-page news stories, recognize various modes of coverage, distinguish facts from opinion, detect bias and critically read news in Arabic. News articles, online and printed (in the assigned book), in addition to media reporting in audio and video formats focusing on political, economic, security and current daily issues will be discussed in this class. This course addresses all five communication modes (reading, presentational speaking and interpersonal communication, listening, writing and culture). We will work on the expansion of communication skills in increasingly complex and varied situations, with emphasis on conversational speaking, presentational writing and speaking and understanding culturally specific texts and the ways in which they are being discussed and reported in Arabic media. Class is conducted in Arabic, and advanced knowledge of Arabic is required. Prerequisite: ARBC321.

This course is for students who want to deepen their understanding of the Arab world through culture and media while at the same time refining their Arabic listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. There will be extensive reading that deals with aspects of the Arab culture and society in addition to audio-visual material such as blogs, news podcasts, TV programs and movies that serve as departure points for discussion and composition. Reading materials include newspaper articles and other authentic material such as short essays on aspects of Arabic culture and contemporary issues. The course adopts a theme-based approach such as (major literary movements, food and cuisine, music, migration and diaspora, minorities and cultural/religious diversity). Thematic units serve as points of departure for analysis and for oral discussion and composition. The course is taught in Arabic and recommended for students wishing to specialize in any field of research related to the Arab World and the MENA region. Prerequisite: ARBC 321.

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of translation. It is inspired by the Language Across the Curriculum (LAC) approach and aims to allow the students of the discipline to 1) extend their knowledge of Arabic and 2) study and research translation as both a field of study and a venue for practicing and improving their language skills. Sessions are designed primarily as practice workshops. Class is conducted in Arabic, and advanced knowledge of Arabic is required. Prerequisite: ARBC321.

This course aims to develop the students' communicative skills in Arabic by focusing on speaking and interactions. Students will practice using Arabic in real-life scenarios. The settings will progress from using survival expressions (in situations such as losing a passport or being lost at the train station) to deploying argumentative discourse (in scenarios such as academic discussions about diversity and identity). Prerequisite: ARBC213Y.

This seminar introduces students to the modern Arabic novel. Throughout the course, we will read some of the major works of the modern Arabic canon that have been translated into English, paying particular attention to the social and political contexts in which they were written. We will investigate the emergence and development of the modern novel in the Arab world, a vast geographic region that is religiously and culturally diverse, yet connected by a common language and history. We will study how the Arabic novel interacted with the emergence of modernity, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the colonial era, and the post-independence era to see how contemporary history and politics have affected the aesthetics and form of the novel, and, conversely, how writers have attempted (successfully or unsuccessfully) to keep literariness at the forefront of their writings. We will read works from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. Class discussion is in English; all readings are in English or in English translation. Appropriate to all students including first and second year students. Satisfies minor and major requirements for Arabic, MLL and AMES.

This course takes a long view at the literature produced by Arab women writers from the mid-Twentieth Century up to contemporary times. The course introduces students to Arab and Arab women’s issues through their literary works focusing on the politics of gender, sexuality, identity and narrative. Other objectives of this course are, 1) practice the implications of feminist thought in the Arab world, 2) enhance cultural awareness through lectures, readings and supplementary material, 3) enhance students’ abilities in analyzing novels and literary works to discover the fundamental assumptions underlying literary products, 4) acquire a preliminary knowledge of the history of the modern Arab world and its major literary movements through the works of Arab women writers. Appropriate to all students including first and second year students interested in Arab women’s literature, Arabic literature, Asian studies and Middle East studies or Women’s and Gender studies. Class discussion is in English; all readings are in English or in English translation. Appropriate to all students including first and second year students. Satisfies minor and major requirements for Arabic, MLL and AMES.

Have you ever come across terms such as "hyphenated" or “transnational" identities? Can one belong to more than one place? How do Arab-American promote solidarity with other minority and underrepresented groups negotiating issues of assimilation, belonging, and the politics of their own native countries? These are some of the topics we will discuss in Contemporary Arab American Literature examining some of the aesthetic and thematic aspects of this literature. We will read a wide selection of poems, plays, short stories and novels along with reviewing secondary sources related to Arab American literature. This course aims to familiarize students with the cultural history of Arab-American communities as well as writings that represent both the writer’s creative concerns and these communities’ conflicts of preserving a cultural identity in the U.S. Class discussion is in English; all readings are in English or in English Translation. Appropriate to all students including first and second year students. Satisfies minor and major requirements for Arabic, MLL and AMES.

This course explores the broad and diverse cultures of the Arabic-speaking world through the lens of Arabic literature and modern Arab cinema. Students will examine selections of literature and films from all over the Arabic-speaking world across North Africa into the Arabian Gulf. Additionally, they will critique films primarily made in the Arabic-speaking world or about the Arabic-speaking world. By exploring multiple perspectives from inside and outside the cultures, students can begin to research the diversity and richness of this "othered" culture as well as examine its similarities with their own. Students also will explore the reality of "us vs. them" through class discussions, media depictions and their own research. Students will be exposed to a myriad of dialects and topics. This course is taught in English. Open to students with an interest in literature, translation, film, religion, art, politics, history, political science, economics, sociology and the Arabic language. No prerequisite.