31311 - Arabic Linguistics and Language 3

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has an in-depth knowledge of the morphosyntactic structures of the language and a more articulate linguistic-communicative competence. He can move in events that occur outside the common sphere, can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, and is able to understand and produce texts on different topics and activities related to the world of work and to society in general. He has an articulated knowledge of the four language skills described in the parameters set by the Council of Europe. His acquired skills are located between levels B1 and B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference. He also knows the main cultural characteristics of the modern and contemporary Arab world and is able to analyze short authentic contemporary texts of different genres, recognizing their stylistic differences and lexical significance.

Course contents

The course aims to develop students' advanced-level morphosyntactic competence in Arabic and consists of two components: annual practical language classes and a semester course taught by the course instructor (Prof. Ines Peta).

Syllabus of the annual practical language classes (120 hours)

The course consists of three weekly classes and aims to consolidate and expand the linguistic competences acquired during the previous years, guiding students towards a more autonomous, conscious, and articulate use of the Arabic language. Its main objective is to develop the ability to comprehend and produce texts relating to specialised and professional contexts, with particular emphasis on the vocabulary of the Internet, telecommunications and digital technologies, the world of work and professions, health, and the principal public services (banks, post offices, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, etc.). From a grammatical perspective, students will practise advanced structures such as conditional clauses, the use of numerals and their related syntactic structures, as well as the principal restrictive particles and constructions. The study of the verbal system will also be completed through the analysis of weak, hamzated, contracted, and quadriliteral verbs.

Syllabus of the semester course (30 hours) – Second semester (Prof. Ines Peta)

The course aims to deepen students' linguistic understanding of the more complex structures of the Arabic language, with particular emphasis on the syntax of the verbal sentence, the relationships between tense, aspect, and mood in the Arabic verbal system, and the specific features of weak verbs, analysed in the light of the internal logic governing their morphological variation in conjugation. The course will also examine in greater depth the transformations introduced into the jumla ismiyya by inna and its "sisters" and by kāna and its "sisters", with particular attention to the syntactic and semantic effects of these constructions and to their role within the overall functioning of the Arabic language.

The aim is to consolidate a systematic understanding of Arabic grammar by developing students' ability to interpret morphosyntactic phenomena as components of a coherent and internally motivated system. To this end, the analysis will continue to draw both on the categories developed within the Arabic grammatical tradition and on the tools and perspectives of contemporary theoretical and descriptive linguistics, fostering a continuous dialogue between the two approaches. Explanations will be accompanied by authentic examples drawn from actual language use, in order to illustrate grammatical structures in context and strengthen students' ability to analyse them independently.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography of the practical language class

- S. Darghmouni, Kalima / parola. Lezioni di scrittura e grammatica araba con esercizi, vol. 2, Mondadori, Milano 2019.

- S. Darghmouni, Arabo per affari. Guida al linguaggio nel mondo del lavoro, Hoepli, Milano 2016.

- At-Takallum: A Comprehensive Modern Arabic Course. Pre-Intermediate B1, Buruj Book, Cairo.

- At-Takallum: A Comprehensive Modern Arabic Course. Intermediate B2, Buruj Book, Cairo.

- E. Baldissera, Dizionario Italiano-Arabo e Arabo-Italiano (Second Edition), Zanichelli, Bologna 2014.

- R. Traini (con la collaborazione di Maria Nallino), Vocabolario arabo-italiano, Istituto per l’Oriente Carlo Alfonso Nallino, Roma, edizione 2015 (photomechanical reprint).

- Texts provided by the teacher and available on Virtuale platform.

Bibliography of the Semester course

- M. Diez, Introduzione alla lingua araba, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2018.

- G. Mion, L. D'Anna, Grammatica di arabo standard moderno, Hoepli, Milano 2021.

- P. Larcher, Le système verbal de l’arabe classique, Presses Universitaires de Provence, Aix-en-Provence 2012.

- Authentic Arabic texts provided by the teacher and in-depth material available on VIRTUALE platform.

Teaching methods

1) Frontal lessons

2) Interactive lessons

3) Activities in pairs and / or in groups

Assessment methods

The examination consists of:

a) a written test covering the syllabus of the practical language classes;

b) an oral examination covering both the syllabus of the practical language classes and that of the semester course.

a) The written test is structured as follows: comprehension of a written text and an oral text, together with exercises assessing lexical competence (50% of the final grade); a morphosyntactic test assessing grammatical competence (50% of the final grade).

The written test may be taken either as a single examination lasting 3 hours at the end of the course, on a date established in the official examination calendar, or as a series of two midterm tests administered during the teaching period, on dates to be determined, divided as follows:

• first part: comprehension of a written text and an oral text, together with exercises assessing lexical competence. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• second part: morphosyntactic test assessing grammatical competence. Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

To pass the written test, students must obtain at least 18/30 in each of its two components. Only in this case is the written test considered successfully completed and the final grade may be awarded.

Please note that students may not take this written test unless they have successfully passed Arabic Language and Linguistics 2 in all its components.

b) The oral examination consists of: b.1) for the practical language classes, reading an unvocalised text, answering questions in Arabic on the text, and giving a presentation on one or more advanced-level texts selected from those made available by the instructor on Virtuale; b.2) for the semester course, a number of questions designed to assess the morphosyntactic competences acquired, both through targeted exercises and the analysis of sentences of the same type as those examined during the lectures, and through theoretical questions concerning the topics covered during the course.

The final grade corresponds to the weighted average of the marks obtained in the written and oral examinations.

Please note that students may not take the oral examination in Arabic Language and Linguistics 3 unless they have successfully passed the written examination.

Please note that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools during examinations is prohibited in any form, including chatbots, text generators, advanced machine translation tools, content synthesis systems, and AI tools integrated into electronic devices. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of the University's Academic Integrity Policy and may result in the examination being declared invalid by the instructor, who is responsible for assessing the validity of the examination.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities: it is recommended that you contact the University office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and the instructor as soon as possible in order to identify the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for the examination. Any requests for accommodations must be submitted at least 15 days before the examination date by sending an email to the instructor and copying [mailto:disabilita@unibo.it] (in the case of disabilities) or [mailto:dsa@unibo.it] (for students with Specific Learning Disorders).

Teaching tools

Audio / video texts, power-points and other materials provided by the teachers.

Office hours

See the website of Ines Peta