Arabic 4

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

4 contact hours per week and 4 additional hours per week. 96 hours per semester.

Students must have completed either ARBC10001/ARBC20004 Arabic 2A or ARBC10001 Arabic 3 to be eligible to enrol in this subject.

New students will have their appropriate entry point determined by the Arabic Program, based on evidence of prior learning and/or results of a placement test as required. Placement Test information available here.

None.

None.

Students who have successfully completed ARBC10002/ARBC20005 Arabic 2B are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Students in this subject start developing in-depth knowledge of the Arab World in general, as well as of individual countries in the region. This will include approaching the Middle East and North Africa from a historic perspective which is crucial to the critical understanding of its civilisation and to appreciating existing customs and prevailing values. Students will also enjoy reading and/or hearing information about, and texts by, extraordinary Arab writers, poets and singers giving expression to ideas, feelings and aspirations born in the Arab World. In this, they will be aided by the increasingly complex linguistic elements learnt in this course which will make it possible for them to enjoy the accounts, biographies, poems, songs, recorded lectures, informative reports and newspaper and magazine articles offered during this semester. Students will have the opportunity to convey their own views and opinions and to relate their own experiences in personal accounts and essays, and to present the results of their own small-scale research, conducted using library and web-based materials, in the form of oral presentations.

On completion of this subject, students will:

• have acquired some important grammatical structures of the Arabic language along with an understanding of their functions, and the ability to use these to engage in written and oral communication and to construct meaning;
• have developed the ability to communicate spontaneously in situations requiring direct exchanges of information on familiar topics and activities, to present information on rehearsed topics, and to participate in discussions on such topics;
• have developed the ability to read and interact with a variety of Arabic text types;
• have developed the ability to write texts of moderate length and complexity, including accounts of personal experiences, informative articles and essays, and to prepare presentations based on independent small-scale research;
• have developed the ability to understand longer stretches of connected discourse on a number of topics and to extract information from oral presentations slightly slower than normal speech;
• have learnt more about various aspects of the history of the Middle East and North Africa, information essential for understanding notions and issues of national identity and present-day politics, and have encountered some iconic personages of Arab political history.
• have added to their knowledge of values, beliefs, attitudes and religious observances and rites, as a result of engaging with written and spoken texts on religious customs, holidays and celebrations;
• have acquired some familiarity with the achievements, thoughts and works of some great Arab poets and writers and have enjoyed some products of Arab popular culture.

Continuous homework assessment (8 pieces of written assignments) (throughout the semester) 15%, reflective journal entries (8 pieces of 80~100 words each) (throughout the semester) 5%, continuous oral assessment (throughout the semester) 20%, a 1-hour mid-semester written test (during the middle of semester) 15% 10-minute oral examination (during the examination period) 15% and a 2-hour written examination (during the examination period) 30%. Class attendance is required for this subject; if you do not attend a minimum of 80% of classes without an approved exemption you will not be eligible for a pass in this subject. Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.

Brustad, K., Al-Batal, M. & Al-Tonsi, A., Al-Kitaab fii Tacallum al-cArabiyya with DVDs. A Textbook for Arabic. Part 1. Washington, D. C.: Georgetown University Press.

None.

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Engineering

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

• develop personal flexibility through engaging with a culture other than one’s own;
• acquire written communication skills through assignment writing;
• show attention to detail through assignment preparation and writing;
• acquire time management and planning skills through managing and organising workloads for assignment completion;
• develop public speaking skills through class discussion and presentations;
• develop reflective thinking through writing reflective journal entries;

New students will have their appropriate entry point determined by the Arabic Program, based on evidence of prior learning and/or results of a placement test as required. Placement Test information available here.

Information on the Language Curriculum Reform is available here,