Module ARA1033A for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
ARA1033A: Elementary Arabic Language I
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the basics of modern written Arabic starting with the alphabet and progressing to simple sentence structures. You will study elementary Arabic grammar and learn how to read and write Arabic. You will also learn how to speak Arabic with elementary fluency and understand what you hear through “listening” activities.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. read elementary texts on familiar topics and understand the main ideas with and without a dictionary, to read texts for basic understanding and finding specific information. 2. speak about yourself and your environment and carry out conversations on a variety of topics. 3. listen to simple Arabic texts and demonstrate an understanding of what you hear. 4. write simple sentences in Arabic using correct grammar and to translate simple sentences from English to Arabic and from Arabic to English |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. identify and use basic linguistic structures in writing and in conversation; 6. Use available learning aids in a variety of media, such as a reference grammar and bilingual dictionary, to consolidate learning; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. develop time management skills and demonstrate the capability to conduct independent study; 8. work in pairs and groups in conversation and on text-based work; 9. confidently use a foreign language; 10. use audio-visual material, online resources and the language laboratory. 11. work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
Introduction to Arabic letters and sounds.
Introduction to Arabic grammar and syntax.
Introduction to some spoken dialects of Arabic.
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 132 | 168 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 88 | Lectures: These focus on explaining grammar topics, reading, writing and media. (8 hours per week over 11 weeks |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 44 | Language Workshops and Seminars: These are conducted in small groups and include Pair work, Group work, Language games and Language Lab work. (4 hours per week over 11 weeks) |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Homework assignments and preparation for class. |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Learning grammar |
| Guided independent study | 25 | Learning vocabulary. |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Listening and speaking practice. |
| Guided Independent study | 23 | Preparation for examinations. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation and revision for Arabic classes. This includes grammar drills, short pieces of writing and translation. | 100-300 words per week | 1-10 | Written and oral feedback in the classroom and outside |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 50 | 20 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 50 | 2 hours | 1,4,5,7,9,11 | Written and verbal feedback |
| Continuous assessment. Assessed homework assignments and in-class tests contribute to continuous assessment mark. An average mark will be taken of all the marks of both the assessed homework assignments and in-class tests | 30 | One 50-minute in-class test in the fourth week of the term, and one in the eighth week. | 1-10 | Written and verbal feedback |
| Oral test | 10 | 7 minutes | 2,5,9 | Verbal feedback |
| Listening test | 10 | 30 minutes | 3,9 | Written and verbal feedback |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination 2 hours | Examination (2 hours) | 1,4,5,7,9,11 | January assessment period |
| Oral test | Oral test (7 minutes) | 2,5,9 | January assessment period |
| Listening test | Listening test (30 minutes) | 3,9 | January assessment period |
| Continuous Assessment | Written assignment under exam conditions (300 words in Arabic; 2 hours) | 1,4,5,7,9,10 | January assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Brustard, K, Al-Batal, M, Al-Tonsi A, Alif-Baa: An Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds
Brustad,K, Al-Batal, M, Al-Tonsi A, Al-Kitab (vol. I), Georgetown University Press, Washington DC 2004
Supporting Materials:
Wehr, Hans A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 1979
