Colloquial Arabic: Regional Dialect

Levantine Dialect

MDES-333

4 Units

MTuWThF 1:00-1:50

WPH 200

Instructor: Lina Kholaki

Office location: Taper Hall 449 A

Office hours: Tuesdays-Wednesdays @9:00-9:50, or by appointment

Telephone: 213-821-2375

E-mail:

Prerequisite: MDES 222/252 equivalent.

Arabic Levantine

This course in Levantine Arabic is for students of Arabic who are seeking to develop communicative oral skills in colloquial Levantine Arabic, the dialect used in contemporary Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine/Israel. The course is designed to enable learners to communicate in spoken Levantine Arabic using the four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Emphasis is placed on the learner’s ability to speak and listen. The course focuses on spoken rather than standard written Arabic, and will therefore target primarily the oral skills, speaking and listening.

Required Course Materials:

Buy the complete course its E-version, there is no hard copy.

Syrian Colloquial Arabic, a Functional Course(third edition) byMary-Jane Liddicoat, Richard Lennane and Dr Iman Abdul Rahim, ISBN 978-0-646-49382-4 (downloadable PDF/MP3 e-book and audio file format)
Price: US$49.00
includes full textbook and audio files.

Course Requirements and Grade Distribution:

You are expected to come to class regularly and to come PREPARED for class activities. This means that BEFORE you come to class you should listen to the audios, study the new vocabulary, prepare for the drills that are to be done in class, and be ready to answer questions. Missing class not only means a couple of hours of extra work for you to catch up, it is also unfair to your classmates because you will slow everyone down.

Grading Policy:

Your final grade will be based on the following:

One or Two Oral Interviews: 20%

Class Presentation: 10%

Listening quizzes: 20%

Homework: 20%

Class attendance and participation: 10%

Final presentation and listening quiz: 20%

Student Responsibilities

1. Participating in class activities, that means attendance is highly encourage and essential to enhance your learning. Most of the language skills to be developed cannot be acquired without effective participation and interaction with other students and with the instructor. My expectation is that we can build an Arabic-speaking community through teamwork.

2. Doing homework assignments. Refer to blackboard assignments daily and weekly. This out-of-class practice is essential for reinforcement of classroom learning, reading, and writing. Homework is due on Thursday of the week. Expect to spend at least 2 hours daily outside the class to review, prepare and practice vocabulary and drills. Homework will be submitted at the beginning of class—simply place it on my desk after you arrive.

3. Taking classroom quizzes, the mid-term, and the written final. A make-up quiz will be given for documented medical emergencies.

4. Taking oral exams during the fifth and tenth week of classes. They will be related to what is covered in class. Oral exams could be individual or through oral presentations. Pronunciation, fluency, breadth of vocabulary, and appropriate, functional usage will be taken into account. The oral midterm is in the form of a conversation between instructor and student. The final oral test is either a skit designed and acted out by one to three students (one group at a time), or a one-on-one oral examination with the instructor. The skit should integrate most of the material covered and reflect the students’ creative and imaginative abilities.

This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Changes will be announced in class and/or by e-mail.

Syllabus
Week 1
Welcome to Damascus / Review syllabus
Meeting someone for first time
describing your country / Study voc. Pg.,24-25
Page 39-40
Week 2 / Continue lesson 1
Exchanging pleasantries
Counting and using numbers
Asking and offering time
Telling the time
/ Page 41-43
Page 46
Page 50
Week 3
Turn the meter please / Lesson 2
Locating places in Damascus
Catching a Taxi / Study Voc.Pg.58-59
Page 69
Week 4 / Lesson 2
Expressing existence
Paying for the taxi
Expressing possession in the classroom / Page 71
Page 74
Page 76
Study Page 78(adjectives)
Week 5
A room with a bath / Lesson 3
Expressing desire
Expressing ownership and availability / Page 94
Study voc.Pg.,99
Page 102
Week 6 / Lesson 3
Talking about hotel facilities
Paying for accommodation
Counting floors of building / Page 106-107
Page 111
Page 114
Week 7
We are very hungry / Lesson 4
Counting things
Ordering at a restaurant / Study vocPg.,128-129
Page 131
Page 141
Week 8 / Lesson 4
Expressing your feelings / Page 147
Week 9
That’s so expensive / Lesson 5
Comparing things
Going to the shops
Shopping for food / Study voc. Pg.,159-160
Page 165
Page 168
Week 10 / Lesson 5
Shopping for clothes
Describing people
Saying “No” / Page 177-179
Page 182
Page 185
Week 11
When did you arrive / Lesson 6
Talking about past events
Talking about past occupations
Talking about when you arrived / Study voc. Pg., 193-195
Page 197
Page 203
Page 207
Week 12 / Lesson 6
Talking about period of time
Talking about what have you bought and Seen.
Giving reasons and making up excuses / Page 217
Page 220
Page 228
Page 233
Week 13
What are you doing? / Lesson 7
Making suggestions
Talking about what you have to do
Making invitations / Study voc. Pg., 240-256
Week 14 / Lesson 7
Talking about daily routine
Describing ongoing activities
Talking about hobbies
Week 15 / Lesson
Review and presentations
Week 16 / Review- prepare projects
Final exam

·  Homework: One day late half credit; two days late no credit

Academic Integrity

USC seeks t maintain an optimal learning environment. General principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles. Scampus, the student guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A: http://www.usc.edu/edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/

Disability policy

Any student requesting accommodations based on disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP offices are located in STU 301, and are open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Their phone number is (213) 740-0776.