Summer 2011 Course Description and Syllabus for Intermediate Arabic II: ARA 304/504

Summer 2011 Course Description and Syllabus for Intermediate Arabic II: ARA 304/504

Instructor: Maya Tzenova, Arabic Language instructor at Sofia University

COURSE DESCRIPTION

(ARA 304/504: Intermediate Arabic II)

Intermediate Arabic II (ARA 304/504) is continuing the linguistic logic of Intermediate Arabic I (ARA 303/503). The course is text-centered and aims at reinforcing students’ vocabulary and grammar knowledge, and by doing so: at helping them, develop better reading fluency and stronger comprehension abilities. ARA 304/504 is tailored for students in social sciences and humanities intending to take the reading proficiency test as a degree requirement or using Arabic texts and discourses in their ongoing or future academic researches. Beginning Arabic II is based on a great variety of selections from the classical and modern literature, drama, literary criticism, contemporary media and scientific texts. Throughout the course there will be also additional audio and video materials (including music records and films) presenting both, the standard language and some of the most popular colloquial dialects used in the Arab world.

Students are expected to prepare their home-assignments (mainly written translations of the texts found in the syllabus) regularly. There will be a final exam, including the translation of a text (from the Arabic into English) selected in accordance with the average language level achieved by the students. (During the exam the use of dictionaries will be permitted). The final note will be calculated in accordance with the entire performance of each student throughout the semester. Namely: Attendance: 20 %, Home-assignments: 35 % & Final exam: 45%.

ARA 304/504 is a 4 credit course and during the Summer school will be taught 10 hours per week.

Levels: Undergraduate, Exchange - Socrates Erasmus DR, Exchange - Socrates Erasmus MA, Exchange - Socrates Erasmus UG.

ARA 304/504 is a course offered by FASS and SL.

SYLLABUS

Week 1:

Modern Arabic Poetry:

/نزار قبانيNizar Qabbani (1923-1998), “Arabian Love Poems” ( / قصائد حب عربيةQasaa’id Hubb ‘Arabiyya); /محمود درويشMahmoud Darwish, “To My Mother” and Other Poems (إلى أمي، وقصائد أخرى / ’Ilaa ’Ummii wa Qasaa’id ’Uhraa); / بدر شاكر السياب Badr Shakir as-Sayyab (1924-1964), “Song of Rain” ( / أنشودة المطر’Unshuudat al-Matar);

Weeks 2-3:

Modern Arabic Novel:

/ نجيب محفوظNagib Mahfuz (d.2007), “Children of Our Quarter” ( أولاد حارتنا ’Awlaad Haaratinaa);/ حنا مينة Hanna Mina, “Sun on a Cloudy Day” ( / الشمس في يوم غائم Ash-Shams fii Yawm Ghaa’im);/ غسان كنفاني Ghassan Kanafani (d. 1972), “Men in the Sun” (/ رجال في الشمس Rijaal fii ash-Shams);

Week 4:

Arabic Drama:

سعد الله ونوس /Sa‘dallah Wannus (1941-1997), “An Evening Party for June the 5th” (حفلة سمر من أجل 5 حزيران / Haflat Samar min ’Ajl 5 Huzayraan);

Weeks 5-6:

Arab American Literature:

/ جبران خليل جبرانJubran Khalil Jubran (1883-1931), “The Soul” ( / النفسAn-Nafsu); ميغائيل نعيمة / Micha’il Nu‘aymah (1889-1988), “Moments of Death” ( / حشرجة الموت Hashrajat al-Mawt); / أمين الريحانيAmin ar-Raihani (1876-1940), “On Brooklyn Bridge” (من على جسر بروكلين / Min ‘Alaa Jisr Bruklin)

Week 7:

Arabic Literary Criticism:

/ طه حسينTaha Husayn (1889-1973), “On Pre-Islamic Literature” ( / في الأدب الجاهليFii ’Adab al-Jaahilii);

Arabic Media:

Texts taken from the most popular news web-sites, newspapers and magazines;

Week 8:

Arabic Women Voices:

/ غادة السمانGhada Samman, “Who Hit ‘A’isha?” ( / من ضرب عائشةMan Daraba ‘Aa’isha); / نوال السعداويNawal as-Sa‘dawi: “A Woman at Point Zero” ( /امرأة عند نقطة الصفر ’Imra’a ‘inda Nuqtat as-Sifr);

Week 9:

Autobiographies: / نجيب محفوظNajib Mahfuz, “From “Food of the Hearts” Prize to “Nobel” Prize” ( / من جائزة قوت القلوب إلى جائزة نوبلMin Jaa’izat “Quut al-Quluub” ’ilaa Jaa’izat “Nobel”);/ عبد الرحمن منيف ‘Abdelrahman Munif (d. 2004), “Autobiography” (سيرة ذاتية / Siira Zaatiyya);

Week 10:

Classical Prose: / ابن المقفع Ibn al-Muqaffa‘ (d. 759), / كليلة ودمنةKalila wa Dimna;

Critical Thought on Arab Culture:/ أدونيس Adonis, “The Shock of Modernity” (صدمة الحداثة / Sadmat al-Hadaatha);

Week 11:

Philosophy of History and Social Evolution:/ ابن خلدون Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406), An Excerpt from “ / المقدمةAl-Muqaddima”

Week 12:

Arabic Cinema and Video Drama: The “ / الاسكندريةAlexandria” Trilogy of Yusif Shahin (Egypt); “The School of the Quarrelsome” ( / مدرسة المشاغبينMadrasat al-Mushaaghibiin), Egypt;

Week 13:

Arabic Folkloric Tradition:

The Arabian Nights: / ألف ليلة وليلةAlf Layla wa Layla;

Modern Arabic Humor:

/ أكرم مطرAkram Matar, Excerpts from “Anecdotes on Marriage” ( / نوادر الزواجNawaadir az-Zawaaj): “I’ll Come Tomorrow” ( / سأحضر غداًSa-’Ahdur Ghadan); “Another” ( غيرها / Ghayruhaa); “Picture of What?” ( / صورة ماذاSurat Maazaa?); “Don’t Believe Him” ( / لا تصدقيهLaa Tusaddiqiihi) etc.

Week 14:

Religious Discourses:

Prophet Muhammad’s Last Sermon (in 632 A.D.) ( / خطبة النبي محمد في حجة الوداعةKhutbat an-Nabii Muhammad fii Hijjat al-Wadaa‘; An Excerpt from the Qur’an:/ سورة مريم Surat Maryam.

Additional Texts:

/ أمين الريحانيAmin ar-Raihani: A Tourist in Andalusia ( / سائح في الأندلسSaa’ih fii-l’Andalus); / أنيس حسنAnis Hasan: Happiness is in Your Hands (/ السعادة بين يديك As-Sa‘aada bayna Yadayk);/ توفيق الحكيم Tawfiq al-Hakim: The Motto of the Lazy People (شعار الكسالى / Shi‘aar al-Kasaalaa);/ ابن الجوزي Ibn al-Jawzi, Trick of an Uninvited Guest ( / حيلة طفيلي Hiilat Tufaylii);/ طه حسين Taha Husayn: Illness of a Girl ( / مرض طفلةMarad Tifla); / المسعوديal-Mas‘udi: The Murder of the Caliph Omar ( / مقتل الخليفة عمرMaqtal al-Khalifa ‘Umar);/ إبراهيم اليازجي Ibrahim al-Yaziji: Cartagena ( / قرطاجةQartaaja); Civilization Illusions ( / أكاذيب المدنية’Akaaziib al-Madaniyya).

Bibliography:

Basic:

Anthology of Arabic Literature, Culture and Thought from Pre-Islamic Times to the Present (Audio CD Included), Bassam K. Grangieh, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2005;

Additional:

A Translation Course for Baccalaureate Students (Awdah al-’Asaaliib fii at-Tarjama wa at-Ta‘riib), Ed. Philippe Sayegh – Jean Akl, Librairie Du Liban Beyrouth;

Ahmet Subhi Furat, Arap Edebiyatı Tarihi (Başlangıçtan XVI. Asra Kadar) (Al-’Adab al-‘Arabii, Al-Juz al-’Awwal fii al-Jaahiliyya wa Sadr al-’Islaam), İ.Ü. Yayınları, Edebiyat Fakültesi Basımevi, İstanbul 1996;

Al-Kitaab fii Ta‘allum al-‘Arabiyya with DVDs/ A Textbook for Beginning Arabic, Part One, Ed. Abbas al-Tonsi, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Kristen Brustad, Second Edition, Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C.

Al-Majmuu‘a al-Kaamila li-Mu’allafaat Jubraan Khaliil Jubraan – Al-‘Arabiyya, Daar as-Silmii ’Ahmad: Tab‘a Jadiida;

Arapça Modern Metinler, Haz. Hüseyin Yazıcı – A. Yaşar Koçak, Abdullah Kızılcık, Çantay Kitabevi, İstanbul 2000;

Arapça-Türkçe Sözlük, Haz. Serdar Mutçalı, Dağarcık, İstanbul, Aralık 1995;

Elementary Modern Standard Arabic (EMSA) vol.2, Ed. Peter Abboud, Cambridge University Press, 1982;

Hans Wehr, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, Arabic-English, Ed. by J. Milton Cowan, Librairie Du Liban, Beirut, MacDonald and Evans LTD. London;

Hasan S. Karmi, Al-Mughni al-Kabir Plus, A Dictionary of Contemporary English, English-Arabic, Librairie Du Liban, Beirut, 1998;

Mehmet Maksudoğlu, Arapça Dilbilgisi, İstanbul 1969;

Mustafa Meral Çörtü, Arapça Dilbilgisi, Marmara Üniversitesi, İFAV Yayınları, 4. Baskı, İstanbul 2004;

Najiib Mahfuuz, ’Awlaad Haaratinaa, Daar al-’Aadaab, at-Tab‘a as-Saadisa, Bayruut 1986;

Raji M. Rammuny, Business Arabic (Advanced Level) – Authentic Texts and Audiovisual Materials, Michigan, Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan Press, 2003;

Türkçe Çevirileriyle Arapça Seçme Hikâyeler – III. Kitap, Haz. Musa Yıldız – Erkan Avşar, Elif Yayınları, Ocak 2007;

Wright W. A., Grammar of the Arabic Language, vol. I-II, Cambridge, 1981;

http://www.alwaraq.com/

http://www.elaph.com/NewsPapers

http://www.aljazeera.net/news/

http://www.arabtop.net/

http://www.arab.de/arab/Ratings/