ARB 111. Elementary Arabic I. (3 h)
The first semester of a two-semester course designed for students with no or very limited knowledge of the language. Introduction to Arabic sounds and script as well as basic grammar, with oral and written drills and reading of simple texts. Focus is on laying the foundation for reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Modern Standard Arabic.
ARB 112. Elementary Arabic II. (3 h)
The second semester of a two-semester course designed for students with no or very limited knowledge of the language. Mastery of Arabic sounds and script is assumed. Building of vocabulary and grammar through oral and written drills and reading of simple texts. Focus is on developing proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Modern Standard Arabic. P-ARB 111.
ARB 153. Intermediate Arabic I. (4 h)
Review of grammar and focus on the acquisition of more complex grammatical structures, vocabulary building, and expansion of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Modern Standard Arabic. P-ARB 112.
ARB 201. Intermediate Arabic II. (3 h)
Further building of vocabulary and grammar and expansion of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in Modern Standard Arabic. P-ARB 153.
ARB 218. Standard Arabic Conversation I. (3 h)
A language course based on cultural material intended to develop students' aural skills and oral proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic by increasing vocabulary and reinforcing command of grammar. P-ARB 153.
ARB 221. Colloquial Arabic Conversation I. (3 h)
Focus on a particular regional dialect of Arabic (e.g., Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, Gulf, or North African) to give students the listening and speaking skills necessary to communicate in everyday language in informal situations. Designed for students with no knowledge of the particular dialect being taught. Course may be repeated for credit for a different Arabic dialect. P-ARB 153 or POI.
ARB 222. Colloquial Arabic Conversation II. (3 h)
A continuation of ARB 221. Designed for students with elementary knowledge of the dialect being taught. Course may be repeated for credit for a different Arabic dialect. P-ARB 221 in the same dialect or POI.
ARB 230. Upper Intermediate Arabic I. (3 h)
With an emphasis on speaking and writing, this course will develop students’ oral and written proficiency on an upper intermediate level of fluency. P— ARB 201.
ARB 288. Individual Study in Arabic Language or Cultural Studies. (1-3 h)
Course may be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours. P-POI.
ARB 301. Advanced Arabic I. (3 h)
This course will develop students' oral, written, and reading proficiency on an advanced level of fluency. P - ARB 231.
ARB 305. Special Topics in Arabic. (1-3 h)
Arabic language study with a particular limited focus, e.g., Quranic Arabic, composition, grammar, novels. May be repeated for credit if topic varies. P - ARB 153, 201, or POI depending on the topic.
ARB 306. Special Topics in Arabic Studies. (3 h)
Course in English offering in-depth study of particular aspects of Arabic language, literature or culture not included in the regular course offerings. May be repeated for credit when topics vary.
ARB 324. Introduction to Arabic Literature. (3 h)
Reading of selected texts in Arabic, ranging from pre-Islamic poetry to the Quran and Prophetic Hadiths to medieval fiction, nonfiction works like biographies and travel literature, and modern short stories, for the purpose of building vocabulary and reading skills, expanding knowledge of grammatical structures and literary genres, and deepening cultural understanding. P - ARB 231 or equivalent.
ARB 325. Multimedia Arabic. (3 h)
With a focus on current affairs in the Middle East and the Arabic-speaking world, students will read, listen to, and view authentic materials from various print and electronic media in Arabic. P - ARB 231.
ARB 350. Classical Arab-Islamic Civilization through Literature. (3 h)
Examines how Arabs and Muslims in classical and medieval times (600-1400 A.D.) approached the pleasures of worldly life, organized their social domain by ethics/law, constructed their worldview through religion, reacted to nature by science, and attempted to resolve their cultural inconsistencies through theology, philosophy, and mysticism. Also listed as HMN 350. (CD, D)
ARB 351. Modern Arab World through Literature. (3 h)
Study of the global significance of the 330 million Arabs as the fourth largest community in the world and Arabic as the fifth most widely spoken language from a historical and thematic perspective (1400 A.D to the present) through literary selections covering the periods of premodernity, Arab renaissance, colonialism, state-building, and globalization. Also listed as ARB 351. (CD, D)