The MEALAC Arabic Program

Language Coordinator: Taoufik ben Amor

Introduction

The Arabic language program at MEALAC offers courses at four levels as well as graduate reading seminars. Each level is taught over two semesters. Fourth Year courses and seminars can be retaken as their content changes, which means that, graduate seminars included, students can pursue the study of Arabic for five or six years if they choose, or have to, continue beyond the four-semester foreign language requirement set by Columbia College.

The philosophy of the Arabic language program is to teach Arabic as a living language to a diverse body of students with a wide range of academic and professional needs. In order for us to do that, our courses aim to develop all five skills, namely listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture. Students are exposed to authentic materials (audio, video and text). Our goal is to train students to be able to read and listen to primary sources, write on academic topics with control of registers, as well as converse with Arabic speakers anywhere in the world. Our curriculum is designed along the lines of the Standards for Language Learning and the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines.

ACTFL Website

Objectives of the Program

First Year

Read and write in Arabic (i.e. be familiar with the letters and the sounds).
Initiate, respond to and maintain simple conversation on familiar topics, such as who you are, what you do, your family, your studies, etc.
Read simple passages on familiar topics and understand their content with the help of a dictionary.
Write simple compositions on familiar topics, such as your typical day, a description of your family or your home town.
Start becoming familiar with certain aspects of Arab cultures and societies.

Second Year

Discuss general and specific topics, such as traveling, mass media in the Arab world, Arab universities, etc.
Understand the main points of lectures, radio and television news programs.
Read and understand the main ideas of any non-technical text with the help of a dictionary.
Write short compositions on familiar topics and express opinions.
Research, discuss and be familiar with a number of issues pertaining to Arab cultures and history.

Third Year

Read and understand various types of newspaper articles (descriptive, narrative, argumentative, etc.), essays and literary texts on various topics with the help of a dictionary.
Listen to and understand the main points of a speech, lecture or news broadcast.
Discuss a number of general and specialized topics and be able to describe, narrate, argue a point and express opinions.
Write cohesive and articulate summaries, accounts and critical pieces about the same topics.
Begin to recognize and use formal and informal register in appropriate situations.
Learn about the history, politics, culture and societies of the Arab World.

Fourth Year

Read and understand a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts from the modern to the classical period on various topics with the limited help of a dictionary and learn how to use Arabic sources and references for research
Listen to and understand the main points of a speech, academic lecture or news broadcast.
Discuss a number of specialized topics and be able to describe, narrate, argue a point and illustrate with examples.
Write long cohesive and articulate summaries, accounts and critical essays about the same topics with use of stylistic devices and idiomatic expressions.
Recognize and use formal and informal register and style in appropriate situations.
Research and learn about major topics in the history, politics, culture and societies of the Arabic World.


Home Faculty Programs Courses Languages News Affiliates Admissions		The MEALAC Arabic Program Language Coordinator: Taoufik ben Amor Introduction \| Objectives \| Registration Guidlines \| Heritage Students \| FAQ's \| Resources \| Web Resources Introduction The Arabic language program at MEALAC offers courses at four levels as well as graduate reading seminars. Each level is taught over two semesters. Fourth Year courses and seminars can be retaken as their content changes, which means that, graduate seminars included, students can pursue the study of Arabic for five or six years if they choose, or have to, continue beyond the four-semester foreign language requirement set by Columbia College. The philosophy of the Arabic language program is to teach Arabic as a living language to a diverse body of students with a wide range of academic and professional needs. In order for us to do that, our courses aim to develop all five skills, namely listening, speaking, reading, writing and culture. Students are exposed to authentic materials (audio, video and text). Our goal is to train students to be able to read and listen to primary sources, write on academic topics with control of registers, as well as converse with Arabic speakers anywhere in the world. Our curriculum is designed along the lines of the Standards for Language Learning and the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. ACTFL Website Objectives of the Program First Year Read and write in Arabic (i.e. be familiar with the letters and the sounds). Initiate, respond to and maintain simple conversation on familiar topics, such as who you are, what you do, your family, your studies, etc. Read simple passages on familiar topics and understand their content with the help of a dictionary. Write simple compositions on familiar topics, such as your typical day, a description of your family or your home town. Start becoming familiar with certain aspects of Arab cultures and societies. Second Year Discuss general and specific topics, such as traveling, mass media in the Arab world, Arab universities, etc. Understand the main points of lectures, radio and television news programs. Read and understand the main ideas of any non-technical text with the help of a dictionary. Write short compositions on familiar topics and express opinions. Research, discuss and be familiar with a number of issues pertaining to Arab cultures and history. Third Year Read and understand various types of newspaper articles (descriptive, narrative, argumentative, etc.), essays and literary texts on various topics with the help of a dictionary. Listen to and understand the main points of a speech, lecture or news broadcast. Discuss a number of general and specialized topics and be able to describe, narrate, argue a point and express opinions. Write cohesive and articulate summaries, accounts and critical pieces about the same topics. Begin to recognize and use formal and informal register in appropriate situations. Learn about the history, politics, culture and societies of the Arab World. Fourth Year Read and understand a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts from the modern to the classical period on various topics with the limited help of a dictionary and learn how to use Arabic sources and references for research Listen to and understand the main points of a speech, academic lecture or news broadcast. Discuss a number of specialized topics and be able to describe, narrate, argue a point and illustrate with examples. Write long cohesive and articulate summaries, accounts and critical essays about the same topics with use of stylistic devices and idiomatic expressions. Recognize and use formal and informal register and style in appropriate situations. Research and learn about major topics in the history, politics, culture and societies of the Arabic World.