ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Western Kentucky University
Potter College of Arts & Letters
Department of Modern Languages
ARBC 437
ADVANCED MEDIA ARABIC
Fall 2018 Syllabus
Instructor: Dr Samir Mohamed
E-mail: david.dimeo@wku.edu Office: 162 Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center
Class Location: FAC 262
T, TH – 11:10-12:30
Instructor’s Office Hours: M, W: 3:00-4:00 PM; T, TH: 2:30-3:30 PM
*Note: This document and other class related materials are available at https://blackboard.wku.edu.
Department Mission: Through coursework, experience abroad, and other cultural encounters, the
Department of Modern Languages cultivates communicative skills and cultural awareness that prepare
students at Western Kentucky University to be more knowledgeable and sensitive citizens of the local,
regional, and global communities. The Department's purpose is to deliver high-quality language instruction
based on nationally-recognized standards, and to contribute actively to cross-disciplinary international
initiatives on campus. Our programs are designed to graduate majors and minors whose language skills
provide them with enhanced opportunities for careers at the regional, national, and international levels
and/or preparation for advanced study in language, literature, and culture.
Course Description:
A study of Arabic media reporting in written, audio and video formats, focusing on political,
economic and security issues in their cultural contexts.
This course and the selected texts address all five communication modes (reading, presentational
speaking, listening, interpersonal communication and writing.) We will also work on the
expansion of communication skills in increasingly complex and varied situations, with emphasis
on conversational speaking, presentational writing and speaking, and understanding culturally
specific texts and media.
Prerequisites: ARBC 302: Advanced Arabic II – or – the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
General Education Requirements:
Students who have taken at least two credits in a single world language in high school may be considered
to have fulfilled the requirement. This applies to all current students. For more details, a website has been
developed that includes commonly-asked questions and answers related to this change. If additional
questions arise about the provisional change in how students can fulfill the World Language Proficiency
requirement, please contact the Academic Advising & Retention Center
at academic.advising@wku.edu or by phone at 270-745-5065.
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of ARBC437, the student will:
- be able to report the main ideas and significant details from authentic Arabic news
broadcasts and newspaper articles;
- be able to draw upon background knowledge in Arab politics, economics and history,
as well as journalistic practices in the Arab world to identify implied and assumed
information in authentic news materials;
- be able to conduct independent research using authentic Arabic news sources;
- be able to critically identify biases in authentic Arab news reporting;
- be able to summarize key details of current news events in their own words;
- be able to compare Arabic news sources based on perspectives and biases.
Textbooks and Required Materials:
Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica. Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News. American
University in Cairo Press, 2014.
Quizlet.com : Sign up for a free account as follows:
go to www.quizlet.com
create an account following the instructions at
https://quizlet.com/help/how-do-i-sign-up-for-quizlet
your account must be your first initial and last name (e.g. alincoln, gwashington)
you can add an image to your account; it should be your dog.
if you don’t have a dog, you really need to get one
click on this link to join the class: https://quizlet.com/join/uNuHavA7c
or search on Quizlet for DaoudF, find ARBC437 and join that way.
Major Course Topics:
Meetings
Demonstrations
Elections
Conflict and Terrorism
Military
Description of Course Assignments:
Vocabulary Quizzes: Will be based on the vocabulary lists on Quizlet. All quizzes are
comprehensive! This means you will see words from previous units on each quiz, although the
majority will be new words.
Withdrawal Dates:
Aug 29 – Last day to withdraw without grade; last day for 100% refund
Sep 5 – Last day to receive 50% refund
Sep 12 – Last day to receive any refund
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Oct 12– Last day to drop class with a W
Unit/Final Tests: These are comprehensive tests at the end of each thematic unit and at the end of
the course that will test mastery of structures and vocabulary in context. Tests typically will consist
of a reading and listening passage, and short written items. Only students with valid documented
absences may retake one test during the entire semester. The make-up test has to be taken no
later than one week from the student’s resumption of attendance. Vacation plans are not
accommodated. Students who arrive late are not allowed additional time, nor are listening sections
repeated. Cell phones and PDA’s are to be turned off (not silenced) and placed out of view, along
with any notes. Students who leave the classroom during exam periods may not return.
Homework: Whether written or on Blackboard, Homework is due at the start of the class indicated
on schedule (i.e. 10:20 or 9:35 AM). For every day after that (including non-class days), it
is -10%, down to a minimum of 10% (since every assignment still has some value even very late).
So a ten point writing assignment due on 1 Oct would be worth a maximum of 9 points on 2 Oct;
8 points on 3 Oct; etc. Homework is meant to help you develop your Arabic skills. Work done on
your phone 10 minutes before class is of little to no value and indicates you are not serious about
becoming proficient.
Blackboard Assignments: A large number of the assignments for this course are done on
Blackboard. These are automatically added into your grade totals on Blackboard. The weekly
schedules tell you which exercises are on Blackboard and you can also find them by looking under
the appropriate unit content folder. Note: These are automatically set to mark you as late if they
are not submitted by class start time on the due date. Some will lock you out and you cannot
finish late.
Honors Augmentation. This course is well suited for Honors augmentation according the policies
established by the Honors College. Students interested in Honors augmentation must meet with
the instructor to develop an Honors augmentation contract during the first week of class.
Oral Exams: These will be face to face interviews with the instructor, of approximately
10-15 minutes in length. You will be asked to answer questions based on the theme topics for the
course. You will be graded on your proficiency, as well as pronunciation, correctness and
fluency.
Course Grading and Evaluation:
% Weight
Unit Tests (5) 30%
Oral Exams (2) 10%
Vocab Quizzes (8) 10%
Blackboard Exercises 10%
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Homework 10%
Class Participation 10%
Final Examination 20%
Total 100%
The following represents the grade equivalent for accumulated points:
A = (90-100%)
B = (80-89%)
C = (70-79%)
D = (60-69%)
F = (<60%)
Attendance and Participation Policy:
Turn to silent prior to entering the classroom. We will use them for activities in class,
like Kahoot. If someone touches their phone before then, however, then no Kahoot for the class.
Absolutely no texting is allowed in class. Arab culture places overwhelming importance on
personal relationships and respect. “Multi-tasking” while conversing with someone would be so
insulting as to negate any skill you display in the language.
Participation: Regular attendance is necessary for your progress and in maintaining a
constructive environment for learning. Without documentation, absences are not excused. These
must be both valid and verifiable (i.e.: illness, injury, bereavement, and university-related
activities.) Your grade for the class period is based on the time present in class. We do not
conduct class in the bathroom or the hallway. University policy also requires any student will
excessive absences to be referred to Academic Advising.
Attitude is the most important factor in becoming proficient in Arabic. Only a
student who has genuine interest in the language, actively seeks opportunities to use the
language, and is willing to make mistakes will gain real proficiency. Similarly, in Arab
culture, respect and personal relationships are paramount. The policies below are all
designed to maintain the positive, respectful and engaged environment you need to succeed.
Laptops will not be used during the assigned class time, except as directed by the
instructor.
Student Disability Services: In compliance with University policy, students with disabilities who
require academic and/or auxiliary accommodations for this course must contact the Student Accessibility
Resource Center located in Downing Student Union, 1074. The phone number is 270.745.5004
[270.745.3030 V/TTY] or email at sarc@wku.edu. Please do not request accommodations directly from
the professor or instructor without a faculty notification letter (FNL) from The Student Accessibility
Resource Center.
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Statement of Diversity: We believe that diversity issues are of major import to student and school
success. We fundamentally believe in and support the value of heterogeneous groups and the richness of
benefits when students are involved with diverse populations, settings, and opinions. This course is
designed on the basic assumption that learning is something we all actively engage in by choice and
personal commitment. The format of this class will be a community of scholars, each with their rights
and responsibilities of membership. We will not tolerate immoral, illegal, or unethical behavior or
communication from one another, and we will respect one another’s rights to differing opinions.
Plagiarism: To represent written work taken from another source as one's own is plagiarism. Plagiarism
is a serious offense. The academic work of a student must be his/her own. One must give any author
credit for source material borrowed from him/her. To lift content directly from a source without giving
credit is a flagrant act. To present a borrowed passage without reference to the source after having
changed a few words is also plagiarism. Students who commit plagiarism or any other act of academic
dishonesty will receive a failing grade for the course and may be subject to dismissal from the program.
Student work may be subject to review and checks using plagiarism detection software.
ADDITIONAL COURSE INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCE RELATED TO EDUCATION
PREPARATION
(EPSB Program Level Requirements)
Course Required P-12 Classroom Observation or Clinical Experiences: N/A
Course Assignments and Experiences Related to:
The Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS): N/A
The Kentucky P-12 Curriculum Framework and P-12 Assessment System to Guide Instruction:
N/A
Candidates Using the KAS Framework in Lesson Planning: N/A
Candidates Using Formative and Summative Assessments Related to Kentucky P-12
Curriculum Framework: N/A
Course Assignments Serving as an Education Preparation Program “Key Assessment”: N/A
Course Experiences and Assessments Addressing Learned Society (SPA) Standards:
The table below refers to the ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers.
2013 ACTFL Program Standards for the Course Activities/Assignments
Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers
Standard 1: Language proficiency: Interpersonal, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Interpretive, and Presentational
Standard 2: Cultures, Linguistics, Literatures, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Concepts from Other Disciplines
Standard 3: Language Acquisition Theories and
Knowledge of Students and Their Needs
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Standard 4: Integration of Standards in Planning,
Classroom Practice, and Use of Instructional
Resources
Standard 5: Assessment of Languages and Cultures
–
Impact on Student Learning
Standard 6: Professional Development, Advocacy,
and
Ethics
1. Final Exam – interpretational reading and listening passages; presentational writing sections
2. Unit Exams – interpretational reading and listening passages; presentational writing sections
3. Oral Exam – interpersonal speaking
4. Oral Recording Exercises – presentational speaking
5. Writing Assignments – presentational writing
6. Cultural videos and readings
(In this course, all course materials are authentic news items dealing with politics, economics,
culture and recent events)
Course Schedule: Refer to the detailed schedule for each week on Blackboard.
Week Unit Book Section
23-25 Aug أخبار اللقاءات المؤتمرات Pages 8-10
Vocab Quiz – 25 Aug
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
30 Aug – 1 Sep أخبار اللقاءات المؤتمرات Pages 10-12
Vocab Quiz - 1 Sep
6-8 Sep أخبار اللقاءات المؤتمرات Pages 12-13
Unit Test - 8 Sep
13-15 Sep أخبار المظاهرات واإلضرابات Pages 38-41
Vocab Quiz – 13 Sep
20-22 Sep أخبار المظاهرات واإلضرابات Pages 43, 57
Unit Test -22 Sep
27-29 Sep أخبار االنتخابات Pages 72-73
Reaction Paper – 29 Sep
Film “Control Room – Al Jazeera”
4-11 Oct أخبار االنتخابات Pages 81-85
Unit Test - 11 Oct
13 Oct-20 Oct أخبار الصراعات واإلرهاب Pages 94-97
Vocab Quiz – 13 Oct
Oral Exam – 18 Oct
25-27 Oct أخبار الصراعات واإلرهاب Pages 98-101
1-3 Nov أخبار الصراعات واإلرهاب Pages 109-14
Unit Test - 3 Nov
8-10 Nov األخبار العسكرية Handouts
15-17 Nov األخبار العسكرية Handouts
Vocab Quiz – 15 Nov
22 Nov – 1 Dec األخبار العسكرية Handouts
Oral Exam – 29 Nov
MONDAY 5 DEC 8:00 AM FINAL EXAM
ARBC 437 Fall 2018
Note: The instructor and the weather reserve the right to make changes to the course, schedule and
syllabus.
