| Credits | 1 |
| Restrictions | Open to first-years only |
| Pre-Requisites | |
| Co-Requisites | |
| Core Area | |
| Area of Inquiry | Human Thought and Expression |
| Liberal Arts Practices | Language Study |
Faculty Profile for Professor Abdal-Ghaffar
An introduction to the Arabic language course designed to give the students a basic foundation at the elementary level of Arabic in reading, writing, speaking and listening to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Students also gain some exposure to the Egyptian Spoken Arabic (ESA), which is a widely understood dialect throughout the Arab world. Students learn the phonology and script of both MSA and ESA (where it is appropriate), their basic vocabulary and fundamental structures. Basic grammar is taught through audio-visual media and drills in conjunction with the formal exercises in the textbook. Students also practice simple interactive communicative tasks involving teacher-student conversations and simple conversations of students among themselves. Because exposing students to the Arab culture is an important element of the course, many activities are supplemented with basic information on interpersonal transactions and cultural practices. Students who successfully complete this seminar satisfy the Human Thought and Expression area of inquiry requirement.
Nady Abdal-Ghaffar, the Coordinator of the Arabic Language program, is trained in Teaching Arabic as a Second Language (TAFL). He was originally trained as a historian and worked as an archival researcher. His current research interests focus on the history of the Arabic language from the sixteenth century onward.