The Arabic program offers four years of instruction in language, literature and culture. Students may minor or major in Arabic. We offer three different tracks to declaring Arabic as a major: one-language (Arabic) track; two-language (Arabic and another MLL language) track; and the interdisciplinary (Arabic and another discipline) track. 

Students in the yearlong beginner courses — Beginner Arabic I in the fall and Beginner Arabic II in the spring — meet three times a week with the professor and once a week with an Apprentice Teacher (AT) for practice sessions. The ATs are fellow undergraduate students who are either native speakers or advanced students of Arabic. Second- and third-year Arabic, i.e. intermediate and advanced classes, are taught as language courses. Fourth-year Arabic courses, however, are thematic courses taught in Arabic, such as “Introduction to Translation,” “Modern Arabic Poetry,” and “Media Arabic.”

In addition, our program usually offers a general class in English on Arabic literature or Arab culture every other semester, such as “The Politics of the Modern Arabic Novel,” “Arab Women’s Literature” and “Introduction to Arab Cultures.” These courses have no prerequisite and can be taken by students at any time. Because they are taught in English, these courses do not fulfill Kenyon’s second language proficiency requirement, but may be taken by MLL majors to satisfy certain degree requirements.

A number of our current and former students have been awarded prestigious scholarships and fellowships, and one of our most recent graduates is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in comparative literature at Harvard University. In addition, our alumni have worked in the federal government, foreign service, think tanks, research centers and the private sector.

2020-2021 Senior Theses

  • Alasia Destine-DeFreece, “Can Translation Teach Language? A Study of Translation Pedagogies”
  • Giorgiana Guenther, "Translation as a Creative Process"
  • Kieran Khanna, "Arabic as a Language of Revolution"
  • Hannah Petrich, "The Ethics of Translation and Translator Choices"
  • Emmy Roday, "Iraqi Jewry: Tracing 'In-betweenness' in Sami Michael’s 'Refuge'"
  • Zohra Shaukat, "Liminality: 'In Between' and Palestinian Women’s Cinema"

Recent Courses

This is a sample list of recent and upcoming courses.

This is the first half of a year-long course for students who are beginning the study of Arabic and who have very minimal or no prior exposure to the language. The first semester 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 reading and writing skills. There is increased focus on vocabulary and grammar during the second half of the semester. Online audio and visual materials are used to reinforce communication and vocabulary building, to expose students to authentic language resources and to help students practice inside and outside of the class. Students are also expected to complete assignments outside of class. Instruction will include an introduction to the customs and cultures of the Arabic-speaking world. This course follows the integrated approach teaching model (MSA and a dialect) and includes required practice sessions with an apprentice teacher (AT). Students enrolled in this course will be automatically enrolled in ARBC 102Y for the spring semester. No prerequisite. Offered every fall semester.

This course is the second half of a year-long course, a continuation of ARBC 101Y. As in the first semester, the work includes practice of the Arabic language in all four modalities: speaking, writing, reading and listening across the three communicative modes: interpretive, interpersonal and presentational. This course will develop students’ communicative competence in the Arabic language and their understanding of the Arabic culture. Classwork includes reading comprehension activities, vocabulary building activities, giving presentations in Arabic, listening to authentic texts and guided class discussion in the target language. As in the first-half course, this class follows the integrated approach teaching model (MSA and a dialect). Students are expected to use online and extracurricular resources (some provided by the instructor) to help improve their skills and complete assignments outside of class. This course includes required practice sessions with an apprentice teacher (AT). Prerequisite: ARBC 101Y or equivalent with permission of instructor. Offered every spring semester.

The main objective of the course is to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) at the intermediate-novice level. Classwork includes reading comprehension activities, vocabulary building activities, giving presentations in Arabic, listening to authentic texts and guided class discussion in the target language. Students will conduct a research project using MSA as the medium for research and presentation. Students are expected to use online and extracurricular resources (some provided by the instructor) to help improve their skills and complete assignments outside of class. Prerequisite: ARBC 102Y or equivalent or permission of instructor. Offered every fall semester.

The main objective of the course is to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) at the intermediate level. 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. By the end of Intermediate Arabic II, students will be able to communicate at the intermediate level and will have the ability 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 201 or equivalent or permission of instructor. Offered every spring semester.

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) 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. There also will be opportunities to study dialect in an informal setting. 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 202 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: ARBC 202 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: ARBC 321.

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. Pre-requisite: Advanced I or equivalent or permission of instructor.

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: ARBC 321.

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.

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. The final grade is determined by participation, class presentations, a research paper and final collaborative project. 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.

An introduction to major aspects of contemporary Arab cultures. We will cover key themes and issues necessary to understanding the modern Arab World, such as Arab customs and values, heritage and change, identity and belonging, societal patterns, class and race, feminism and gender roles, family and community, the role of religion in everyday Arab life, secularism and theocracy, the burdens of colonialism, city and village relations, and the interaction between literary expression and everyday politics. Class conducted in English; all readings are in English and in English translation.

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.