Course: Introductory Arabic

Frost Middle School

2015-2016

"To have another language is to possess a second soul." Learning another language helps you to better understand the culture, thoughts and the way of life of the speakers of that language.

Charlemagne

Instructor : Sahar Stehle

Email :

Website:

Course Description: Introductory Arabic is a basic introduction to Arabic that assumes no prior knowledge of the Arabic language. The course will introduce the students to the alphabets, phonology, basic grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure of the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). The course will use an integrated skills approach of listening, reading, speaking and writing. It will also introduce many aspects of the Arabic cultures. Songs, movie clips and a variety of games and activities will be used in the classroom to make the learning process easier and more enjoyable.

Objectives:

  • To learn the Arabic letters and the sound(s) each letter makes. Students will master writing each letter in the various forms that it appears in a word (beginning, middle, end, attached, and detached).
  • To learn the long vowels and the diacritics (equivalent of short vowels) along with the other uses of the diacritics in the language.
  • To become familiar with the use of gender in the language. Mastering this item will be a milestone since the Arabic nouns are all categorized as either masculine or a feminine nouns and this affects the verbs, adjectives and pronouns linked to these nouns.
  • To learn about the parts of speech and some simple forms of sentence/question structures and punctuations.
  • To gain vocabulary and to become familiar with many phrases used commonly throughout the Arab world.
  • To learn common phrases used in daily life situations and to be able to understand and participate in a simple conversation such as describing the weather or favorite food, …, etc.
  • To gain knowledge and appreciation of the diverse Arabic cultures throughout the Arabic world and to be able to respond in culturally appropriate ways to a variety of common situations in the target cultures.

Text and other materials:

The following materials are required for every class meeting:

  1. One composition notebook
  2. Student planner or agenda book
  3. Sharpened pencils,black or blue pen
  4. an eraser
  5. different color highlighters
  6. one inch binderwith four dividers

Mastering Arabic 1 (with 2 Audio CDs) by Jane Wightwick and Mahmoud Gaafar, the second edition.

Mastering Arabic 1 Activity Book Practice for Beginners by Wightwick and Mahmoud Gaafar,

Lessons and activities will be planned based on the two books above and other resources. However, students need not have the books.

A class website can be found at

A collection of educational websites including:

Exams:

Timed written exams will be given throughout the term. The exams will be a combination of multiple choices, fill in the blanks, true or false and short answer questions.

Quizzes:

Weekly quizzes will be given on Fridays but occasional pop quizzes will also be given either at the beginning or the end of class. Spelling quizzes which take only few minutes will also be giving weekly.

Reading:

Reading will be a regular daily practice in the classroom. Reading logs will be given at the beginning of each month and must be turned in at the end of the month. A minimum 200 minutes of reading each month is required for full credit. Silent reading, repeat reading, popcorn reading as well as individual and choral reading will all be practiced regularly in class. To encourage reading, students will engage in a game-like reading exercise whereone reads as many correct words/sentences as possible. Upon encountering a mistake, the student stops and another picks up where the first left off. This proved effective in the past and it made reading more enjoyable and increased participation.

Homework:

Daily homework will be given. There will be few days without homework but even on these days students are expected to read a minimum of 10 minutes a day and log it in their reading log with parent/guardian’s signature. Homework is graded on effort, neatness and completion. All homework will be reviewed in class. Students have one day for each absence to make up their homework and earn full credit. Late homework loses 10% each day it is late and will not be accepted after Friday. There is no homework assigned on Thursday to allow students to catch up on any missing or late work.

Extra Credit:

Extra Credit assignments are meant to help students who need them. However, they create extra work for the teacher and therefore they may not be abused by students. For example a student who has 79% and wish to receive a ‘B’ on the report card rather than a ‘C+’ may submit an extra credit assignment to raise his grade. On the other hand, a student who spent most of her time goofing around may not use the extra credit assignment to avoid a bad grade. When offered, students are encouraged to take advantage of the extra credit assignments but only after completing all required assignments. Extra credit assignments do not replace required ones.

Grades:

Participation20%

Homework and Classwork30%

Friday quizzes10%

Exams30%

Final written and oral assignment 10%

Letter Grades:100-90%=A, 89-80%=B, 79-70%=C, 69-60%=D, 59% or below=F.

Class Policy

Students are expected to come to class prepared. They must bring all necessary materials to class each session and they’re expected to participate in class discussions. Assignments are to be completed on time for full credit. Make up exams are only with excused absence or a written note from parents. Make up exams must be completed during lunch or before school starts and not during class time. Excessive tardiness or absence will affect the overall course grade. Homework and all take-home assignments are to be the work of the student. Obtaining answers from commercial translators is not allowed. Any form of academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating, etc.) could merit a fail on the assignment or the course.

Absences: It is the student’s responsibility to find out what lesson was given and what homework was assigned duringhis/herabsence. Students should plan to come to class during home room, nutrition, office hours, or any other break before their period starts to find this information. Class time should be used for instruction and not to go over things missed due to absences. Daily agenda will be posted on the board and on the class website. Please remember that it is the student’s responsibility not the teacher’s to follow up on any missed work.

Office Hours:

I will make an effort to be in the lab (room 42) at the following times:

During lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Daily morning break from 10:20 - 10:30

After school on Fridays from 3:00 - 4:00

Behavior and Classroom Expectations: Students are to be in their seats, ready to work (with materials out), when the bell rings.Food, drink (except for water bottles), candy, gum, grooming and applying make-up are not allowed in class. Any student not in his/her seat when the bill rings will be considered tardy. All phones must be silenced and placed inside the backpacks or lockers prior to entering the classroom. Any phone seen or heard will be confiscated. Confiscated phones can be retrieved at the end of the day or sent to Mr. Gusman if not claimed by the end of the day. Students share the responsibility for maintaining a clean and safelearning environment. Three minutes before the bill rings, students should save their work, close any application they were using, clean their area and remain in their seats waiting for dismissal. Students in violation of the dismissal procedures will be the last to leave the room.

Participation Grade: Participation is 20% of the entire grade. Participation in my classes is demonstrating that the student is contributing to the overall learning experience in a positive way. This grade can be easily earned through following directions, using appropriate language and voice, demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning, respecting others’ personal space and property, using polite words with fellow students and adults, and taking care of the room and the equipment. Participation in academic discussion is highly encouraged. However, shy or quiet student will NOT be negatively affected by this grade.

Classroom Routines and Procedures

•Always come to class prepared (materials, sharpened pencils, flash drive, and a positive attitude for learning)

•Do your best and take pride in your work.

•Turn off and put away cell phones and other electronics prior to entering the classroom.

•Always remember that you are in charge of your own learning. YOU, not the teacher must make the effort to find out what you missed if you were absent.

•Always copy the daily agenda and HWthen immediately start on the warm-up.

•Raise your hand when you wish to speak. Do not interrupt others while they are speaking.

•Speaking without permission will get you a verbal warning. Three verbal warnings will result in lunch detention.

•If you have a question or need clarification, it is my job to help you so please ask me and do not talk to someone else while I am giving instructions.

•Follow the ‘Whisper Rules’ (see below) and you will not be in trouble.

•No eating, drinking or chewing gum in class. Students may bring a water bottle.

•Respect your fellow students and the school staff.

•Respect the school property and the rights and properties of others.

•Zero-tolerance for bullying. All incidents will be taken seriously.

•Use your HW passes and your Out-of-Trouble cards wisely. Unused cards (in combination with good behavior and HW submission record) can be redeemed at the end of the semester for a treat or extra credit points if needed.

•Very important: have fun. There is no reason why you can’t learn and have fun at the same time.

The Whisper Rule: Talking in class is allowed as long as:

  • It’s done in whisper
  • It’s between elbow partners
  • It’s related to the lesson
  • It’s not done while the teacher is talking.

For parents and guardians: Please read the syllabus in its entirety and have your child read it too. Please sign and return the signed portion with your child on or before Friday the 21st of August. Returning the signed portion on time will earn your child 5 points for this week’s homework. If you have any questions or concerns about any part of the syllabus, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Preferred method of communication is by email.

Student’s name: ______

Student’s signature: ______

Parent’s signature: ______Date: ______