Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture
Beginner I Modern Standard Arabic Syllabus
Mon & Wed 6-7 pm on Zoom
Instructor: Noora Alrawi
E-mail: noora.alrawi@gmail.com
Ph#: (631)413-4856
Course Description:
Beginner Arabic I is a course designed to introduce learners to the basic structure of Modern Standard Arabic and to orient them in basic, everyday communication practices. This course will focus on all four-communication skills (reading, speaking, listening and writing) and will engage the learner in the Arabic language and culture through various activities, designed around each themed learning unit and supplemented through culturally related audio-visual scenarios. The course begins with learning the alphabet and the spelling conventions of Modern Standard Arabic. Each unit of the textbook will focus on a specific topic introduced through a set of vocabulary that is related to and discussed in common situations. Usability of colloquial and Modern Standard Arabic is addressed in this course in order to prepare the student for the complex reality of the language. Beginner I equips the learner with a basic foundation in all four communication skills to embark on an exciting and challenging journey into Modern Standard Arabic.
Course Objectives:
Become familiar with Arabic sounds, writing, and grammar.
Begin to express in writing and orally.
Pronounce and recognize Arabic sounds.
Comprehend simple questions orally and in writing.
Take part in dialogue on familiar topics.
Use short complete sentences or phrases to express personal responses.
Begin to read passages and short stories from the textbook with some understanding of the topic presented.
Gain familiarity with Arabic culture and the difference between colloquial and MSA.
Course Expectations:
1. Attendance
2. Participation in class
3. 3-5 hours needed for homework outside of class per week
Required Texts:
1.Jane Wightwick & Mahmoud Gaafar. Mastering Arabic with online audio: Third Edition 2021
2.Jane Wightwick & Mahmoud Gaafar. Mastering Arabic Activity Book: practice for beginners: Second Edition 2020
Companion Website Link:
Download Memrise App:
https://app.memrise.com/course/1322444/mastering-arabic-1/1/
Recommended Dictionary:
Hans Wehr Arabic Almanac app.
Supplemental Resources:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14UUm12mikbC78Trx5PR_dFpAhOBj2DMHzPBXPOLusBg/edit?usp=sharing
Weekly Schedule
(subject to change)
In class
Homework
Week 1
Unit 1
· Greetings and leave-taking (pg.11)
· Group 1 letters ب ت ث ن ي (pg. 2-4) exercises 1, 2, 3
· Short vowels (fatha, damma, kasra pg.5)
· Sukun & shadda (pg.8-9)
· Vocab. Unit 1 (pg.11)
· Activity book: exercise 4, 6, 7, 8
· Textbook: exercise 5
· Extra practice: activity book, exercises 1, 2, 5
· Website: Unit 1 vocabulary flashcards
https://app.memrise.com/course/1322444/mastering-arabic-1/1/
Week 2
Unit 2
· Group 2 letters ا د ذ ر ز و
· Long vowels (ا و ي)
· وَ and exercise 5
· Forming simple sentences
· Introducing yourself (pg.23) activity book: exercise 7
· Referring to male & female
· Unit 2 Vocab.
· Textbook: exercise 2
· Website: worksheet (handwriting words)
· Extra practice: activity book, exercise 1 & 2
· Textbook: exercises 3, 4
· Activity book: exercise 3, 4, 5, 6
Week 3
Unit 3
· Short conversation (introducing yourself)
· Group 3 letters (ج ح خ ه م) exercise1
· Vocab. Unit 3
· Feminine nouns (taa marbuta)
· What’s this?ما هذا exercise5
· The family (pg. 32) exercise 6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYYTD5h5ZZE
· Idafa
· I live in and with whom….. (conversation)
· Introducing your family (conversation)
· Website: worksheet (handwriting letters)
· Activity book: exercise 1, 2, 3
· Textbook: exercise 2, 3, 4
· Activity book: exercise 6, 7
· Textbook: exercise 7, 8 family pg.35
Week 4
Unit 4
· Group 4 letters س ش ص ض, Activity book: exercise 1, 2
· Vocab. 4
· Jobs/occupations (pg.42-44)
· Conversation pg.44&48
· Plurals (pg.45-46)
· Textbook: exercise 1
· Activity book: exercises 3, 4
· Activity book: exercises 4 (plurals), 6 (prepare conversation)
Week 5
Unit 5
· Group 5 letters ف ق ك ل exercises 1, 2
· Vocab. 5 (pg.64-65)
· Describing things (adjectives pg.57-59) exercises 4, 5
· Definite & indefinite (pg.58-59&64)
· Possessive pronouns (pg.60-62)
· Textbook: Exercise 8 conversation pg.63
· Activity book: exercises 1, 2, 3, 4
· Website: adjectives PPT
· Activity book: exercises 5, 6
· Textbook: exercise 7
Week 6
Unit 6
· Group 6 letters ط ظ ع غ
· Activity book: exercises 1, 2
· Review all letters exercises 3, 4
· Vocab. 6 (pg.82)
· Sun letters exercise 6
· Hamza ء
· Positional words (pg.78) exercises 9, 10
· The genitive case summarized
· Textbook: exercises 1, 2, 5 letters
· Extra practice:
· Textbook: exercises 7, 8
· Activity book: exercises 5, 6 positional words
· Textbook: Anwar’s blog, exercises 11&12
Week 7
Unit 7
· Vocab. 7 describing your city or town
· Activity book: exercises 1, 2
· Who works where? (Conversational activity)
· Negation ليس, exercise 3
· Description of pic. (Reading pg.84)
· IDaafa lesson (pg.85-86) use previous text & Genitive case (pg.92)
· Asking for directions (conversation act.) map
· Sound non-human Plurals (pg.88)
· Noun-adjective agreement (pg.89)
· Activity book: exercise 3
· Write a short paragraph describing your house/apt./room.
· Extra practice: pg.84 speed writing game WEB
· Extra practice: activity book, exercise 4
· Activity book: exercise 3
· Draw a map of the area you live in and explain where everything is located.
· List of items (write a sentence for each using; plural nouns, adjectives & agreement)
Week 8
Unit 8 (review)
· Quiz (dictation with vowels)
· Sun & moon letters, Activity book: exercise 1
· Arabic names, exercise 3
· Family (pg.95) create your family tree.
· Professions, exercise 5 (pg.96)
· Positional terms, exercise 8 هناك.......
· Possessive pronouns, activity book: exercise 3
· Textbook: exercise 2
· Extra practice: Activity book, exercise 2
· Activity book: exercise 4
· Textbook: exercise 9, 11 (provide pictures of your own with similar sentences)
Week 9
Unit 9
· Opening conversation (professions and family)
· Vocab 9 countries & people (pg.117) print provided map
Beginner/MapoftheArabCountries.pdf, exercise 2 (matching)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0_T4WVB8Ms
· Other countries, exercise 5
· Geographical positions, exercise, 4
· Nationalities (pg.109) & Nisba adjectives (pg.110) exercise 6
· Plural nationalities, exercise 8
· Personal pronouns (pg.114) exercise 9, practice.
· Website: PPT (Arab countries)
· Activity book: exercise 2
· Textbook: exercise 7& prepare conversation on pg.113
· Activity book: exercise 4
· Extra practice: write a paragraph following the example in exercise 5 in the Activity book.
Week 10
Unit 10
· Opening conversation (pg.113)
· Vocab 10: counting things
· Arabic numbers, exercise 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZmQ-SnSD8Y
· Conversation (practice numbers, pg.121)
· Counting: dual & plurals, exercises 2, 3, 4
· How many? How much?
· Describing what you have (pg.128), exercise 9
· Activity book: exercise 3
· Website: Numbers worksheet
· Activity book: exercise 4 (dual),
· Extra practice: activity book, exercise 6
· A visit to the market: make a list of things you want to buy.