LANGUAGES - ARABIC ADVANCED (UNIVE)

The objective of this course is to provide participants with comprehension and communication skills which will enable them to understand the main concepts in any given piece of written or spoken information and to comment and/or express their own opinions using appropriate vocabulary.
Study material will be selected from newspapers and other media sources, dealing with contemporary issues with a particular focus on migration flows across the Mediterranean Sea.
Special emphasis will be placed on comprehension abilities, vocabulary building and oral
production in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), which is one of the most prominent languages of the Mediterranean basin. The course programme incorporates basic elements of Levantine dialect.

- Knowledge and understanding
Students are expected to widen their vocabulary and learn new terminology specific to the topics selected for the course, that will form their background knowledge.

- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to contextualize their newly acquired knowledge. By the end of the course students will be able to decode words and verbs with multiple meanings and use appropriate vocabulary and expressions when engaging in oral communication. Moreover, they will be able to understand and use a variety of simple idiomatic expressions as set phrases in formal and informal daily life situations.

Intermediate - advanced knowledge and skills of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)

Presentation of the course
Migration across the Mediterranean: introduction to the subject through newspapers articles and video reports.
Students presentation on a chosen specific topic (i.e. Syrian refugees in Sweden, clandestine immigration from Lybia, etc.)
Crash course in colloquial Levantine dialect
General review and preparation for the final exam.

Reading material and exercises will be provided during the course.

Learning assessment takes place with a final written test and an oral exam.

Written test
Students will read a journal article and provide answers to open questions. The use of books, notes, electronic media is not allowed.

Oral exam
Students will engage in oral presentation validating their knowledge of the topics covered during the course, in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Students will also hold a simple conversation in Levantine dialect.

Students can score up to:
10 points (comprehension)
10 points (written production/vocabulary)
10 points (oral production)

Lessons are organized in:

a) Lectures
Students will read proposed reports from journals and newspapers or listen to selected radio or TV excerpts. A special focus shall be placed on new words and expression. Writing tasks shall be assigned at regular intervals to reinforce newly acquired knowledge.

b) Thematic analysis
Students will be invited to participate (individually or in small groups) in creative speaking activities (reports, debates, etc.) and to interact with the class.

Classes are delivered in Arabic and English (for the sole purpose of explanation).

written and oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Poverty and inequalities" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development