The main target of this course is the completion of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) basic grammar and syntax. The cycle aims at improving the student’s capacity to apply knowledge and understanding, his ability to make autonomous judgements and his communicative and learning skills.

The course aims at reviewing the basics of grammar previously acquired, the control of complex grammatical structures, with an emphasis on root/pattern identification skills.

Tasks assignments and other activities will address the receptive and productive proficiency.

Expressions of totality/partiality (kull/ba‘aḍ/kilā)

The passive voice and the use of the verb تم
Reflexive expressions (nafs/anfus)
Question and question words
Connectives and conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions: the particle inna and her sisters
Final clauses
Indefinite relative pronouns
The structure of adjectives and the comparative clause
Adverbial accusative of specification (tamyīz)
Verb roots: derivate patterns of regular verbs  and relative verbal nouns and participles
The Arabic verb-tense system
Text vocalization
Kana and its sisters
Cardinal and ordinal numbers
The use of root-based dictionaries

This course is designed for students who have had the equivalent of 30 hours instruction.

Those who enroll in this course are expected to know the Arabic writing and transliteration systems, the basics of inflectional morphology and simple structures (such as construct phrase, nominal sentence). Limited writing and reading skills with fully vocalized texts are also required.

Knowledge and understanding: Completing the basics of grammar and broadening the range of vocabulary will enable students to comprehend texts of simple content (family, travels, work).

Applying knowledge and understanding: students will be able to read and understand simple non-vocalized texts and to write personal communication in standard Arabic.

Making judgements: Upon completing the module, students will improve their acquaintance with the Arabic derivational system.

Communication: students will be able to engage in short conversations on a variety of topics (habits, describing images, reporting past events).

Learning skills: by the end of this module, students will acquire the necessary tools for enhancing written production and oral comprehension skills.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Theoretical explanations on  verbs morphology and complex structures will be provided together with practical exercises to verify and validate the acquired knowledge. A special focus will be given to practicing receptive and productive skills, enabling students to engage in oral production. Further translation tasks will help underpin the grammatical structures addressed in the class. Synopsis and handouts will be distributed along the course.

Course books

Coursebooks:

1. Darghmouni, S. (2019). Kalima, parola: 2. (Kalima, parola / Sara Darghmouni.) Milano: Mondadori Education.

2. Manca, Agnese. Grammatica (teorico-Pratica) Di Arabo Letterario Moderno. Roma: Associazione nazionale di amicizia e di cooperazione italo-araba, 1999

Alternatives for the grammar reference:

2) Veccia Vaglieri L., Avino M., “Grammatica teorico-pratica della lingua araba, Istituto per l’Oriente, Roma.

A dictionary of Arabic is required. Possible suggestions:

Baldissera, E. (2017). Arabo compatto: Dizionario italiano/arabo arabo/italiano. Bologna: Zanichelli.

Baldissera, E. (2014). Il dizionario di arabo: Dizionario italiano arabo, arabo italiano. Bologna: Zanichelli.

NALLINO, M., Traini, R., & ARABIC-ITALIAN DICTIONARY. (1966). Vocabolario arabo-italiano. [Compiled by M. Nallino and Renato Traini.]. Roma.

Assessment

The final examination is divided into two parts:

Written test
the written test is divided in four different exercises:
- transformation tasks testing the knowledge of root/pattern verbal morphology
- conjugation task
- a vocalization task, testing reading/comprehension skills
- translation task, testing the ability to apply the syntactic rules.

Oral exam
Students will first be asked to review their own written test to seize on possible mistakes or inaccuracies. Then, they will be called on to prove their ability to apply knowledge and comprehension, by reading, translating and analysing an excerpt from one of the texts handed out during the module. Lastly they will be asked to transform a given triliteral root into one of its derivations.

Individual marks will be assigned for each written module (Written production / Reading and comprehension / Written test) added together and averaged out. Likewise all marks assigned for oral abilities (Dictation / Conversation / Oral exam) will be added together and averaged out.
Written and oral marks are finally added together and averaged to give the final mark.
Students attendance and their overall performance during classes shall be taken into account in the assessment.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

The non-attending students should contact the professor to agree on a specific program.

Course books

Students can choose one among the following grammar references:

1) Manca, Agnese. Grammatica (teorico-Pratica) Di Arabo Letterario Moderno. Roma: Associazione nazionale di amicizia e di cooperazione italo-araba, 1999. (suggested)

2) Veccia Vaglieri L., Avino M., “Grammatica teorico-pratica della lingua araba, Istituto per l’Oriente, Roma.

Foreign students who are unacquainted with Italian may also use:

Ryding C. K., “A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic”, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Further materials will be assigned by the professor.

Assessment

The assesment is the same as attending students.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Extra study material, synopsis and exercises will be available on moodle.