Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA2009: Living and Communicating in the Arab World

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Overview

NQF Level 5
Credits 30 ECTS Value
Term(s) and duration

This module ran during term 3 (3 weeks)

Academic staff

no title Fatima Rawan ()

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Available via distance learning

No

Arabic is spoken by millions of people across the world, yet its resultant dialectic diversity remains intimidating for learners. This module provides you with an introduction to a given dialect ahead of your study year abroad, and in doing supplies you with a model for dialect acquisition that you can apply to other countries in the region. Learning dialect as a complement to Modern Standard Arabic is necessary for you to understanding the culture and civilisation of the Arab World, and to acquire the full range of Arabic register necessary for a non-native Arabic speaker.

This is an intensive core module of the MArabic taken in term 3 of year 1 in preparation for the year abroad. It is taught intensively for three weeks in term 3 (immediately following the examination period in May) and comprises stage 2 credits.  Any face-to-face teaching will conclude by the end of term (mid-June) but guided independent study tasks will continue over the summer period and assessments will be completed by the August examination period prior to the year abroad.

The module introduces you to the grammatical and lexical basics of the Arabic dialect of the country in which you will be residing during your study year abroad. It will introduce you to the morphology and syntax of the dialect, as well as the two particular skills required to function linguistically within it: namely speaking and listening. Written forms of dialect will be explored insofar as they occur in advertising and social media, but the focus will be on speaking and understanding the spoken language in practical situations.

The module will prepare you for living in the Middle East on both a linguistic and a practical level. You will work with fellow students and with your teachers on practical linguistic scenarios that reflect situations you are likely to encounter while living in the Middle East. In addition you will be introduced to ways of dealing with the practical aspects of living in the region, from bureaucratic, social, cultural, travel, political, security, health and wellbeing perspectives.

The course will prepare you for a successful study year abroad and subsequent more advanced Arabic language studies. You will be required to have completed the core ARA1033 Elementary Arabic Language course before embarking on the module. 

Module created

25/03/14

Last revised