75672 - Arabic Language and Literature 2B (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have deepened and acquired stronger abilities in the intermediate level of Arabic language. They will be able to approach the relevant literature and the problems related to it, referring to the most up-to-date bibliography.

Course contents

The course is structured into two interconnected and foundational parts: a linguistic component and a historical-literary component.

Arabic Language.
This part of the course continues the studies begun in the first year. Students will undertake translation and written composition tasks and practice oral production.

Arabic Literature.
The third weekly lesson will be dedicated to an in-depth study of a specific literary genre from pre-modern Arabic literature using CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) activities; students will engage in group work involving reading, translating, producing texts, and presenting them orally.

Lesson 1: Passive voice. Perfect tense. Imperfect tense. Use of the passive voice.

Lesson 2: Irregular verbs.

Lesson 3: The *Nahda*: general introduction followed by CLIL activities: reading and translating an excerpt from *Iltizam* by Suhayl Idris (from the journal *al-Adab*).

Lesson 4: Contracted (doubled/geminate) verbs.

Lesson 5: *Hamzated* verbs (verbs containing a *hamza*).

Lesson 6: Taha Hussein: *al-Ayyam* (the autobiography of a modern Arab writer). Reading and translation of an excerpt in Arabic.

Lesson 7: Weak verbs: general rules. Verbs with a weak first radical (assimilated verbs).

Lesson 8: Verbs with a weak middle radical.

Lesson 9: *Adab al-Mahjar* (literature of the diaspora). Reading an excerpt in Arabic from *Season of Migration to the North* by Tayeb Salih.

Lesson 10: Verbs with a weak final radical.

Lesson 11: Verbs with multiple irregularities. Quadriliteral verbs.

Lesson 12: Numerals.

Lesson 13: Prepositions. Adverbs. Conjunctions.

Lesson 14: Review for the written exam

Lesson 15: Review for the oral exam.

Readings/Bibliography

For attending and non attending students:

Arabic language:

1. DARGHMOUNI, Kalima / parola. Lezioni di scrittura e grammatica araba con esercizi, vol. 1, Milano, Mondadori Education - Le Monnier Università, 2019 , vol. 1-2
2. Deheuvels L.-W., Grammatica araba. Manuale di arabo moderno con esercizi e cd audio per l'ascolto. Volumi 1 e 2. Edizione italiana a cura di Antonella Ghersetti. Zanichelli, Bologna, 2010. Unità dalla 12 alla 18
3. Manca A., Grammatica teorica-pratica di arabo letterario moderno. Roma, Associazione Nazionale di Amicizia e Cooperazione Italo-Araba, 1989. Pp.145-180
4. Veccia Vaglieri, vol. I-II edizione 2011

Arabic literature:

Letteratura araba: Dalla Nahda alle rivoluzioni e oltre. A cura di Francesca Maria Corrao, Monica Ruocco. Mondadori, 2024. Capp. 17; 18; 23

Extracts in Arabic

Teaching methods

Arabic Language

The following methods will be used for teaching Arabic as a second language:

1) the "traditional" grammatical approach to academic Arabic language teaching, meaning that students will acquire a specific set of skills in written communication;

2) the mimetic-inductive approach proposed by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (learning/teaching/assessment). This approach, naturally tailored to the specific needs of teaching Arabic and its specificities and adapted to the course's objectives, will allow students to actively engage in the production of short texts and dialogues.

3) the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) method proposed by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which involves teaching specific content (in this case, selected topics from pre-modern Arabic literature) reworked in class using both the first and second language, allowing students to further develop their written and oral skills in the second language.

Arabic Literature

Lectures on literature will be supported by the preparation of CLIL activities focusing on selected texts of pre-modern Arabic literature (from the Abbasid to the Ottoman period).

Assessment methods

Introduction

A student who attends at least 75% of the classes is considered to have attended.

The final exam consists of two tests: a written test, using a dictionary, and an oral test. The two tests will be graded out of 30. The arithmetic mean of these two tests will determine the final grade.

Written Exam

The written exam will focus on assessing the Arabic language skills acquired during the course, according to the level established and required by the course. The main skills for the exam will be:

i) reception, ii) production, iii) translation, and iv) independent production

of written messages in Arabic. To this end, the written exam consists of exercises (fill-in-the-blanks, conjugation, comprehension, etc.) and the translation of a short text.

The written exam lasts 3 hours.

N.B. This written exam will be graded out of 30. The written exam is a prerequisite for the oral exam; therefore, students who fail the written exam will not be eligible to take the oral exam.

Oral Exam

The oral exam will focus on assessing the linguistic and theoretical knowledge learned during the course. The exam consists of two parts: i) analysis and commentary on some of the texts analyzed in class; ii) a concise and reasoned presentation of the literary topics covered in the course, based on the syllabus and the teaching materials provided in class. The oral exam will be evaluated based on criteria such as i) ability to comment on and analyze grammatical and historical texts; ii) content knowledge, synthesis, and analysis of themes and concepts related to the syllabus; and iii) use of technical language appropriate to the subject matter. Grades will be expressed according to the following guideline:

EXCELLENT

(28-30)

Ability to provide comprehensive and reasoned commentary on texts, both linguistically and historically
Excellent ability to navigate the topics covered in class
Skill in specific language and good expression
FAIR

(24-27)

Mechanical knowledge of the subject matter
Good ability to summarize and analyze
Limited ability to express oneself and use specialized terminology
SUFFICIENT

(18-23)

Minimal knowledge of the exam material
Skill in summarize and analyze
Poor ability to use specialized language
POOR

Lack of knowledge of the exam material
Lack of ability to summarize and analyze
Lack of ability to use specialized language
There are six exam sessions each year: two in the winter, two in the summer, and two in the fall.

Teaching tools

During the course, the reference texts may be supplemented with other materials deemed necessary for learning purposes. These materials, provided by the instructor, may be in various formats (written, audio, etc.).


Students who, due to disabilities or specific learning disabilities (SLD), require compensatory or dispensatory tools must first contact the appropriate office: https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it/per-studenti.

Office hours

See the website of Celeste Gianni