Arabic & Islamic Studies

Course History


Note: Not all courses are offered every semester; please consult the registrar or class schedule for current offerings.

011, 012 Intensive First Level Modern Standard Arabic (6,6). This intensive video-based course focuses on developing proficiency in the standard written Arabic language, as well as well as formal spoke Arabic. Ir begins with learning of script and phonology, and works rapidly into a wide range of situation-based texts and topics that build vocabulary, grammar and general communicative competence.

111, 112 Intensive Second Level Modern Standard Arabic (6,6). This intensive course covers topics and sitautions relating to contemporary Arabic media, literature and culture. Focus is on acquisition of more complex grammatical structures, expanding vocabulary and discourse skills, and on developing competence in a wide range of communicative situations.

113, 114 Formal Spoken Arabic (3,3). This course is intended to increase spoken Arabic proficiency through focusing on intensive practice of interactive fuctional skills necessary in communicative situations, such as vocabulary, retention and retrieval, listening comprehension, and fundamental conversation strategies. It assumes some knowledge of Arabic script and grammatical structure and is designed to enable nonnative speakers of Arabic to communicate actively and appropriately with educated native speakers on a wide range of topics.
Prerequisite: at least one year of Modern Standard Arabic.

 

115, 116 Colloquial Egyptian Arabic (3,3). This course is intended to build proficiency in the Egyptian dialect, through practice of interactive functional skills such as listening comprehension, conversation strategies (linguistic and cultural) and vocabulary building. It assumes knowledge of Arabic script and Modern Standard Arabic grammatical structure. It is designed to enable students to communicate effectively and appropriately on a wide range of topics.
Prerequisite: at least one year of Modern Standard Arabic.

211, 212 Third Level Modern Standard Arabic (3,3). This course is intended to develop proficiency in reading, and also includes composition exercises, review of Arabic grammar, listening skills, and conversation practice in Arabic.

 

213, 214 Third Level Modern Standard Arabic: Media (3,3). This course focuses on authentic Arabic media, including print media, videos, and computer-based materials. Activities include reading/listening for comprehension, and discussion of topics related to current events, politics, economics, society, and culture. Taught in Arabic.
Prerequisite: two years of Arabic or permission of the instructor.

351, 352 Introduction to Arabic Culture (3,3). An interdisciplinary survey course based on textual sources in Arabic literature, philosophy, and scripture designed to introduce major aspects of Arabic and Islamic culture from the classical to the modern period. Taught in English. Knowledge of Arabic desirable but not required.

357, 358 Map of the Arab World (3,3). This course provides a geographical survey of the countries of the Arab world in all its diversity. The aims of this course are twofold: building knowledge of the Arab world but also building knowledge of vocabulary, ability to read extensively for information, to write reports, and make oral presentations. The course is taught completely in Arabic. At least two years of intensive Arabic study required.

361, 362 Introduction to Arabic Literature and Style (3,3). Selected readings from Arabic literature of various periods and genres.
Prerequisite: Arabic 213 or 214 or Department Chair's permission.

373 Women in the Qur'an (3). The first part of this course introduces the women figures in the Qur'an and explores their role in the Qur'anic and later Islamic religious paradigms. In the second part, this course focuses on the Qur'an's gender-specific laws and regulations and their later interpretations.

392 Fundamentals of Arabic Linguistics (3). Linguistic analysis of the phonology, morphology and syntax of written Arabic.
Prerequisite: At least one semester of linguistics and three years of Modern Standard Arabic.

404 Arabic Morphology and Syntax (3). This course provides an advanced analysis of the grammatical structures of Modern Standard Arabic focusing on desinential (word-final) inflection (i'raab) at the phrase, clause and sentence level. A review of the terminology and functions of various Arabic case and mood features is provided in the form of lectures, exercises, readings and analysis of authentic texts. This course is recommended for advanced undergraduate students and graduate students who need to strengthen their understanding of Arabic morphology, morphsyntactic processes and syntax.
Prerequisite: at least three years of intensive Arabic, one course in linguistics.

409 The Qur'an in History (3). A historical study of the Qur'an and other allied disciplines. Themes include the Islamic concept of the Qur'an; thematic and formal aspects of the Qur'an; modes of interpretation and principles of exegesis; and medieval and modern controversies regarding its history, formal structure, authorship and authority.

450 Arabic Political Discourse (3). This seminar will explore methods for understanding political discourse in Arabic. Using tools from linguistics and anthropology, the approach will be one that treats forms of public political discourse - such as speeches, pamphlets, media commentaries, and interviews - as rooted in and profoundly shaped by their social contexts. Students will undertake individual research projects investigating specific texts or discursive events. Students must have knowledge of Arabic sufficient to undertake oral and written research in the language.
Requirements: completion of 362 or permission of professor.

492 Arabic Dialectology (3). Study of the theories of Arabic dialect evolution; contrastive and comparative analysis of current forms of spoken Arabic. Prerequisite: The equivalent of three years of Modern Standard Arabic.

493 Field Methods in Arabic Dialectology (3). This course gives students practical experience in analyzing and describing an Arabic dialect. Students will draw on their theoretical knowledge of Arabic language and linguistics and apply that knowledge in their field work. We will begin with project design. This involves the intended purpose of the project and as well as issues such as recording, elicitation and transcription. The transcription process necessarily entails the study of phonology and will establish the basic phonemic set of the dialect. In building a glossary, students will consider questions of register, the influence of substrate language(s), and that status of borrowings. The description of morphology compares the dialect to Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic. It examines word-building patterns that are lost in the dialect as well as those that are innovations. The study of syntax looks at phrases, especially agreement patterns and genitive structures. It also investigates sentence structure, including the use of pre-verbs and the structure of conditional sentences. Finally, we will explore discourse markers, those words and phrases that shape an entire utterance, and sociolinguistic issues such as code-switching, middle registers, and mixed codes.

520 History of Arabic Linguistics (3). A survey of the rise and development of Arabic grammar and lexicology. Theories of early grammarians contrasted with contemporary methods of linguistic analysis. Prerequisite: At least two semesters of linguistics and the equivalent of three years of Modern Standard Arabic.

525 Qur'anic Exegesis (3). This interactive graduate seminar presents an introduction to the corpus of Sunni Islamic Tafsir from the ninth to the 20th century. 1.) After a brief survey of the theoretical literature on the topic, 2.) the main authors of the Sunni Qur'anic Tafsir literature are identified; in this segment, each student (or a study group of several students) chooses a specific mufassir for in-depth analysis of this exegete's socio-political setting and intellectual/theological background and methodology. Thereafter, 3.) the seminar focuses on several Qur'anic sociopolitical concepts (such as qiwama and shura) where the students are called upon to identify patterns of continuity and change in Qur'anic hermeneutics over time. The seminar is conducted in English, but most of the readings are from the original (largely medieval) Arabic sources.

531, 532 Classical Arabic Poetry (3, 3). Arabic poetry in classical times, with special attention to Arabic metrics and Arabic literary criticism and theory. Fall: Pre-Islamic, Muhammadan, and Umayyad periods. Spring: Abbasid and Andalusian periods.

535, 536 The Qur'an (3,3). A linguistic, literary, and cultural analysis of the Qur'an, with special attention to its central position in these areas of Arab civilization. Fall: Suras of the Meccan period. Spring: Suras of the Medinese period.

541, 542 Modern Arabic Poetry (3,3). Arabic poetry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the contemporary period. The impact of Western poetry will be investigated. Fall: Neo-Classicism, Romanticism. Spring: Symbolism, Free Verse.

543, 544 Modern Arabic Prose (3,3). This course will survey Arabic prose in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the modern period. Study will include the impact of Western prose, translations from Western languages, the introduction of new genres, and the influence of journalism.

545, 546 Arab-American Literature (3,3). A study of the Arabic literature written between 1900 and 1950 in America by authors of Arab origin, with emphasis on four main figures. Fall: Rihani and Gibran. Spring: Naimy and Abu-Madi. 547 Issues and Methods in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (3). Seminar on issues of teaching Arabic as a foreign language, especially to English-speaking students. Definition and survey of linguistic research problems specific to Arabic, especially language variation and diglossia, reading comprehension, issues in proficiency-based and content-based teaching, materials preparation, and curriculum development. Survey of traditional and innovative methods and their application to Arabic; the input hypothesis; theories of second-language acquisition; the role of contrastive analysis; grammar-based and non-grammar-based approaches; testing procedures. Assessment of current materials and resources. Prerequisite: Arabic 392 or permission of professor.

549, 550 Arabic Short Stories (3,3). Discussions of representative short stories, looking at language, culture, and society.

551, 552 Islam and the Arab World (3,3). Study of the Qur'an, Hadith, Islamic law, and contemporary Muslim interpretations. Emphasis is on socio-political issues. Open to graduate students from any department and, with permission, to Seniors. Basic knowledge of Arabic desirable.
701, 702 Seminar in Arabic Literary and Cultural History (3,3). Deals with large and fundamental problems of Arabic culture and civilization. Theme varies from year to year; thus, the course may be taken more than once. Open to graduate students from any department. Basic knowledge of Arabic desirable.

 

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