Arabic Language Courses

Beginning Arabic 1 and 2 (ARB 10100-10200) 3 credits -- 3 hours
The goal of these courses is to begin developing reading, speaking, listening, writing, and cultural skills in Arabic. The courses teach formal and informal Arabic simultaneously. After learning the alphabet in the first 18 to 20 class-hours of ARB 101, emphasis is placed on reading authentic texts from Arabic-language media, listening to and watching audio and video materials, and developing students' understanding of Arab culture. Preparation for class and homework (at least 5 hours outside of class per week) are essential components of the course, allowing us to devote in-class time to communicating in the language rather than talking "about" the language. Students will be evaluated on attendance and class preparation/participation, daily homework assignments, quizzes, writing and oral exercises (i.e. skits), a final oral interview and a final examination. This class is not for native speakers/heritage learners . Native speakers/heritage learners  should consult Professor Alex Elinson for exemption or placement into ARB 148 or 248.

Successful completion of ARB 101 fulfills the CUNY Common Core World Cultures & Global Issues (WCGI) requirement.

Intermediate Arabic 1 and 2 (ARB 20100-20200) 3 credits -- 3 hours
These courses are a continuation of Beginning Arabic 2 (ARB 102). Emphasis is placed on reading authentic materials from Arabic-language media, expanding students' vocabulary and grammar skills, listening to and watching audio and video materials, and developing students' understanding of Arab culture and communicative competence. These courses teach formal and informal Arabic simultaneously. These courses will be conducted primarily in Arabic. Students will be evaluated on attendance and class preparation/participation, daily homework assignments, quizzes, writing and oral exercises (i.e. skits and presentations), and a final examination. This class is not for native speakers/heritage learners. Native speakers/heritage learners should consult Professor Alex Elinson for exemption or placement into ARB 148 or 248.

Successful completion of ARB 202 fulfills the Hunter College language requirement.

Advanced Arabic 1 and 2 (ARB 30100-30200) 3 credits -- 3 hours
These courses are a continuation of Intermediate Arabic 2 (ARB 202). They aim to help students work toward an advanced level of proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing Arabic, as well as develop an understanding of Arab culture. These courses will be conducted entirely in Arabic. As they combine both native speakers/heritage learners and non-native speakers/heritage learners, these courses focus more than ARB 101-ARB 202 on formal Arabic/Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). Students will be evaluated on attendance and class preparation/participation, daily homework assignments, quizzes, writing and oral exercises·(i.e. skits and presentations), and a final examination. Native speakers/heritage learners can be placed into these classes or can automatically register for ARB 301 upon successful completion of ARB 248.

Focused Arabic Study for Advanced Students (ARB 40100) 3 credits -- 3 hours
This is a 4th-year Arabic course in which we continue ARB 30200’s focus on advanced reading, writing, listening, and speaking in Modern Standard Arabic while incorporating more advanced authentic texts (in both MSA and spoken Arabic) and grammatical structures. The vocabulary in this course continues the trajectory of that in ARB 30100 and 30200 of being less subjective and more academic than that of our 100 and 200-level courses. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of texts (written, audio, visual) in MSA, a range of dialects, and the combination of formal and spoken Arabic we sometimes call عامية المثقفين.

Arabic Studies Capstone Course (ARB 49000) 3 credits -- 3 hours
This capstone course is intended to enable students to integrate and synthesize their knowledge of the Arab world that they have developed through previous coursework into a final project in Arabic. Projects may include: academic papers synthesizing primary and secondary sources; artistic and/or documentary videos; source or archival directories; annotated bibliographies; artistic performances whether live or recorded (or both); exhibitions/installations; literary or cultural criticism; feature-length journalism; reports on services; websites or computer applications.

Beginning and Intermediate Arabic for Native Speaker/Heritage Learners  (ARB 14800-24800) 3 credits -- 3 hours ·
This sequence of courses is for native speakers/heritage learners who seek to become literate in the formal language of which they may already speak and/or understand one of the dialects with some degree of fluency. For ARB 148, no formal knowledge of Arabic or even the alphabet is required.  Students will be evaluated on attendance and class preparation/participation, daily homework assignments, quizzes, writing and oral exercises (presentations), and a final examination.

Successful completion of ARB 148 fulfills the CUNY Common Core World Cultures & Global Issues (WCGI) requirement.

Successful completion of ARB 248 fulfills the Hunter College language requirement.

For placement into ARB 148 or ARB 248, please contact Professor Alex Elinson.

Arabic Literature and Culture Courses (in English)

(No knowledge of Arabic or any other foreign language is required for these courses.)

Topics in Arabic Literature and Culture (ARB 200) 3 credits -- 3 hours

The Arab Novel in Translation (ARB 25000W) 3 credits -- 3 hours
This course explores the relationship between the development of the Arab novel and the challenges faced by the Arab World in the twentieth century. The Arab novel is a rich site to explore how writers in the region have grappled with issues such as urbanization, war, imperialism, nationalism, gender, and the politics of translation. We will explore these questions through the reading of novels by writers such as Sonallah Ibrahim (Egypt), Ghassan Kanafani (Palestine), Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon), al-Tayyib Salih (The Sudan), Assia Djebar (Algeria) and others. In addition to novels, we will read a variety of secondary texts and watch at least one feature film from the region. All readings are in English. Format: discussion with some lecturing. The final grade will be based on attendance, class participation, short weekly reaction papers and/or weekly quizzes, a final presentation and a final paper of 10 to 12 pages.

Prerequisite: English 220 or equivalent
Writing Intensive Course
Fulfills GER Core Requirement Stage 2, Group C and the Pluralism and Diversity Group A requirement.

Successful completion of ARB 250W fulfills the CUNY Common Core Creative Expression (CE) requirement.

Arab Cinema in Translation (ARB 25100) 3 credits -- 3 hours
It is a little-known fact that Egypt is home to the third most productive film industry in the world. Important cinematic cultures have also developed in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Many see the origins of Arab cinema as coinciding with the struggle for national independence and as such Arab cinema has often been viewed through the lens of colonialism and post-colonialism. The course will focus on this and other aspects of Arab cinema such as aesthetics, the role of melodrama, the importance of music and dance, the phenomenon of co-production with western countries and the treatment of gender and sexuality. We will watch black and white classics from Egypt such as Determination, The Flirtation of Girls, The Beginning and the End. We will also watch more recent films from Egypt and the rest of the Arab World such as Terror and Barbeque (Egypt), The Silence of the Palaces (Tunisia) and The Dupes (Egypt and Syria). The final grade will be based on attendance, class participation, weekly quizzes, short response papers, and a longer final paper.

Prerequisite: English 120 or equivalent.

Fulfills Pluralism and Diversity Group A and GER Core Requirement Stage 2, Group D.

Successful completion of ARB 251 fulfills the CUNY Common Core Creative Expression (CE) requirement.

Literatures from the Islamic World (ARB 25200W) 3 credits -- 3 hours
Study of a wide range of literary genres and themes from a place usually defined as the Islamic world. The texts we will be engaging with are part of the Arabo-Islamic tradition, but are limited neither to the Arabic language nor the Muslim religion. We will be reading, in English translation, texts originally written in Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and other languages. One of the main goals of the course is to understand the wide array of influences making up the remarkably rich and diverse cultures of the Middle East. The course will cover the time period beginning with the pre-Islamic period (6th century C.E.) to the 15th century. The final grade will be based on attendance, class participation, short weekly reaction papers and/or weekly quizzes, a final presentation and a final paper of 10 to 12 pages.

Prerequisite: English 120
Writing Intensive Course
Fulfills GER Core Requirement Stage 2, Group C and the Pluralism and Diversty Group A Requirement.

The Literature and Culture of Muslim Spain (ARB 25300W) 3 credits - 3 hours
For a period of eight centuries (711-1492), Muslims ruled over various parts of Spain - a place and culture often viewed as a bridge between the Muslim Middle East and North Africa, Mediterranean and European Jewry, and Christian Europe. In this course we will examine the character of Muslim Spain which was a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society where different communities lived together sometimes peacefully, other times less so. Over the course of the semester, we will read and discuss important examples of Arabic, Hebrew, and Latinate literary culture and show how these cultures affected and influenced each other. Through readings of key literary, historical, religious, and philosophical texts, we will look at how these cultures interacted and affected one another, and how Muslim Spain has come to occupy an important place in the imaginations of contemporary Muslims, Jews, and Christians. Students will have regular writing assignments throughout the semester, a mid-term exam, a final paper, and final presentation based on their final paper topic.

Prerequisite: English 120
Writing Intensive Course
Fulfills Pluralism & Diversity Group A and and GER Core Requirement Stage 2, Group C.

Successful completion of ARB 253W  fulfills the CUNY Common Core World Cultures & Global Issues (WCGI) requirement.

Arabian Nights:  East and West (ARB 25400W) 3 credits - 3 hours
This course offers an introduction to the literary features, historical development and religious, cultural and socio-economic contexts of the Arabian Nights as well as their significance for the formation of Western images of the Middle East and their role in world literature. While the focus is on literary material, visual sources such as film, painting and graphic novels will be explored as well.  All texts and discussion in English.

Prerequisite:  English 120 
Writing Intensive Course 
Fulfills Pluralism & Diversity Group A and and GER Core Requirement Stage 2, Group C. 

Successful completion of ARB 254W fulfills the CUNY Common Core Creative Expression (CE) requirement.

Modern Palestinian Culture (ARB 25500)  3 credits - 3 hours
War and trauma shape modern Palestinian identities as evident in narratives of diaspora and return, nationalism, and militarism. This class introduces and explores the intersections of Palestinian national aspirations and Palestinian fiction, poetry, and film. There will be a focus on geography, as land and borders play a central role in the conflict. In addition, the class will include discussion of the following topics: Jerusalem; the Green Line; colonialism; 1948; 1967; refugees, diaspora and return; nationalism; resistance; and violence and militarism.

Prerequisite:  none 
Fulfills Pluralism & Diversity Group A.

Successful completion of ARB 255 fulfills the CUNY Common Core World Cultures and Global Issues (WCGI) requirement.

Modern Arab Theatre (ARB 25600) 3 credits - 3 hours
Welcoming students of any major or background, this course opens an angle on to culture and society in the Arab world through the lens of drama and theatre. Some themes covered: prison, political critique, heritage, and women/gender.

Prerequisite:  none 
Fulfills Pluralism & Diversity Group A. 

Successful completion of ARB 256 fulfills the CUNY Common Core World Cultures and Global Issues (WCGI) requirement.

Language and Culture in Contemporary North Africa (ARB 25700) 3 credits -- 3 hours
North Africa (the Maghreb) is often described as a crossroads of many cultures – Arab, Berber, African, European, and more. Over the course of this semester we will discuss important issues facing this region including democratic reform efforts both before and following the Arab spring, Berber/Tamazight language movements and other language debates, colonial and post-colonial struggles, social and cultural debates surrounding gender and religion, and more. As we read key literary, historical, political, and cultural texts, view important documentary and fictional film productions, and listen to music of various genres, we will examine this fascinating region from multiple vantage points.

Arab Women Making Arabic Culture (ARB 25800) 3 credits -- 3 hours
How have Arab women contributed to Arabic popular culture, film, theatre, and literature? In this course, students examine diverse cultural works by Arab women to consider how they use creative expression to voice their perspectives on girls’ lives, relationships between women and men, women’s roles in families and society, and challenges to gender inequality. Across the semester students engage with Arabic cultural work by women – all in English – covering an array of genres, such as fiction, graphic novels, theatre, poetry, lyrics, or film. Engaging with these works, students elevate their style of writing about culture and experiment in creative genres.