AMIDEAST Education Abroad Course Catalog...Arabic language instruction in both Modern Standard and Colloquial Arabic Program-related excursions Facilitated dialogue discussions with

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Course Catalog

2015-16 ______________________________________________________

Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia

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Contents

About AMIDEAST .................................................................................... 3

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World ................................................................. 3

Distinctive Features of AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World ............................ 3

Core Principles of AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World .................................... 3

Mission .................................................................................................................................................. 4

Vision Statement ................................................................................................................................... 5

Academics ............................................................................................... 8

Academic Coordination ......................................................................................................................... 8

Academic Consortium ........................................................................................................................... 8

Institution of Record ............................................................................................................................. 9

Arabic Language and Culture ................................................................................................................ 9

Egypt ..................................................................................................... 12

Semester Courses: Area Studies ......................................................................................................... 12

Semester Courses: Egyptology ............................................................................................................ 15

Semester Courses: Arabic Language ................................................................................................... 16

Summer Courses ................................................................................................................................. 21

Jordan ................................................................................................... 23



Summer Courses ................................................................................................................................. 32

Morocco ................................................................................................ 34


Semester Courses: Regional Studies in French ................................................................................... 38


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Semester/Academic Year at Al-Akhawayn University ........................................................................ 46

Summer Courses ................................................................................................................................. 46

Oman .................................................................................................... 49



Summer Courses ................................................................................................................................. 56

Tunisia ................................................................................................... 58

Summer Courses: Learn & Serve ......................................................................................................... 58

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About AMIDEAST Established in 1951, America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) is a private American nonprofit organization engaged in international education, training, and development assistance work. Based in Washington, DC, it has over 20 field and project offices in 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa and more than 600 dedicated professional staff working with international, regional and local partners on the ground. AMIDEAST provides programs and services to improve educational opportunities and quality, strengthen local institutions, and develop language and professional skills for success in the local economy.

Deeply committed to strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa, AMIDEAST offers study abroad programs for Americans interested in learning more about this important region

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World provide students with opportunities to study in Arab countries for a semester, an academic year, or during the summer. AMIDEAST also works with colleges and universities to create short-term customized education abroad opportunities in the region.

For more than two decades, AMIDEAST field offices have assisted U.S. colleges and universities and other study abroad organizations with their programs in the region. In 2007, AMIDEAST launched its Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World, beginning with a semester program in Rabat, Morocco. In 2009, AMIDEAST added a Summer Intensive Arabic Program in Rabat, a summer Learn & Serve Program in Tunisia, and semester/academic year programs in Cairo, Amman and Kuwait. In 2010 a program at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco began and a Summer Intensive Arabic Program in Amman was added as well. In 2011 a joint summer program was launched in London and Amman on Peace and Conflict Resolution with the London-based Foundation for International Education. New programs in 2012 included a semester/academic year Regional Studies in French program in Rabat, summer programs in Cairo on the History of Engineering, Contemporary Egyptian Politics, Intensive Arabic, and a Learn & Serve Program; as well as a summer course in Jordan on Traditional Islamic Arts. In addition, a semester program in Civil Engineering (in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering of Cairo University) will debut in Cairo in 2013 as well.

With more than 60 years of experience on the ground in the Middle East and North Africa, AMIDEAST is recognized throughout the region, enjoys close connections with the local societies, and benefits from a deep understanding of the cultural, health, safety and security issues affecting study in the Arab world. Guided by an Arabic Language Advisory Board and an Academic Consortium that represents a cross-section of U.S. higher education, AMIDEAST's programs are designed to provide excellence in Arabic language study and area studies. Programs also include ample opportunities to interact with local university students and to reflect on the intercultural encounters in structured settings.

Distinctive Features of AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World

AMIDEAST's Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World share a set of distinctive features:

Arabic language instruction in both Modern Standard and Colloquial Arabic

Program-related excursions

Facilitated dialogue discussions with students from local universities

Activities to develop students' intercultural and global competence

An AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program Manager familiar with the local environment to coordinate housing, orientation, excursions, issues discussions, and other program-related activities

Core Principles of AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World

AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World are built on a set of core principles. These principles include

Instilling in students an understanding of and respect for local cultural norms

Giving back to the local community through engagement with community organizations and institutions in a variety of contexts

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Acting ethically in all dealings with students, faculty, staff, local and U.S.-based academic partners, and the community in which programs take place.

Furthermore, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs are

student centered

designed to serve small cohorts of students in order to assure quality student support, valuable discussion, and opportunities to interact with peers in the host society

structured to maximize students’ o achievement of greater Arabic language proficiency o knowledge of the host country and region, and o intercultural learning through ethical and informed engagement with the host culture.

Mission

Building on AMIDEAST’s mission of strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Americans and the people of the Middle East and North Africa, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World help develop mutual understanding through programs for young people to study the Middle East and North Africa, improve their Arabic language skills, and interact with the peoples and cultures of the region, especially local families, organizations, and students. At the same time, AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs strive to develop students’ intercultural and global competence and provide students with safe, secure, and healthy living and learning environments. The programs are academically rigorous, intellectually free, personally challenging, and focused on intercultural learning.

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Vision Statement

Background: Over the past 75 years, American education abroad programming has followed three programmatic paradigms. The first was the Positivist Paradigm in which it was assumed that if students were afforded opportunities to see the great works of art and architecture and visit the homes of the great authors of Europe they would absorb the culture and be transformed. Beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, the positivist approach began to be replaced by the Relativist Paradigm. This paradigm holds that by immersing students in another culture they would emerge transformed. This viewpoint purported that immersion alone would lead to student development and that little or no support to students was necessary. Gradually beginning in the 1990s another approach began to develop, rooted in the emerging field of intercultural communication. This Constructivist Paradigm is based on the premise that students’ intercultural development must be facilitated by strategic intercultural interventions.

1 This new

paradigm is supported by extensive recent survey research (most particularly Michael Vande Berg, Jeffrey Connor-Linton, and R. Michael Paige, “The Georgetown Consortium Project: Interventions for Student Learning Abroad” in Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, Fall 2009, pp. 1-75). AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World has maintained a commitment to the intercultural learning of its students as a core principle since its inception in 2007-08.

2 This commitment is rooted in the choice

made to follow the Constructivist Paradigm, a choice that was reaffirmed during the January 2013 AMIDEAST Education Abroad Summit held in Cairo, Egypt. Training our education abroad staff in intercultural learning is a necessary ingredient in developing AMIDEAST’s capacity to facilitate constructivist programming. This training includes both a theoretical background in intercultural communication and practical approaches to undertaking intercultural interventions. The Education Abroad staff members attending the Cairo Summit identified such training as a high priority. In November 2013, a selected group of eleven AMIDEAST Education Abroad program staff and faculty from Washington D.C., Jordan, Morocco, and Oman participated in workshops under the auspices of the Intercultural Development Research Institute in Milan, Italy to receive that training. The next phase is for these staff members to put what they learned into practice and to provide training to other staff members at each location in order to broaden the overall impact. The Vision To fulfill AMIDEAST’s commitment to the Constructivist Paradigm, students are introduced to the idea that one of the program goals is to help them view the world through the lens of host country nationals. Starting during the pre-departure process, students are provided (through the Student Handbook and in pre-departure orientation webinars) with a brief introduction to the concepts of culture and intercultural learning. In addition, students are given a brief introduction to the Five Frameworks (Language Use, Non-Verbal Behavior, Communication Style, Cognitive Style, and Cultural Values) which they can employ as they are encountering their host culture. Both the foundational definitions and the Five Frameworks are discussed in far greater detail during on-site orientation. These and other tools (such as the DIE Model – Describe, Interpret, and Evaluate) are used extensively throughout

1 See Michael Vande Berg, R. Michael Paige, and Kris Hemming Lou (eds.), Student Learning Abroad: What Our Students Are

Learning, What They're Not, and What We Can Do About It (Sterling, Virginia: Stylus Publishing, 2012), particularly Chapter One, for a full discussion of the three education abroad paradigms and Chapter Four by Milton Bennett on how intercultural learning fits in to the paradigm. 2 “Intercultural Learning,” in this context, refers to the acquisition of general (transferable) intercultural competence –

competence that can be applied to dealing with cross-cultural contact in general, not just skills useful only for dealing with a particular other culture (in this case Arab/Egyptian/Jordanian/Moroccan/Omani/ Tunisian). Intercultural competence is the ability to embody intercultural sensitivity, which is the capability to discriminate cultural differences in communication across cultures. For a full discussion of this topic see Chapter 1 in Milton Bennett, Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication, Second Edition (Boston and London: Intercultural Press, 2013).

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the programs to frame student experiences of cultural difference and intercultural encounters as critical learning-to-learn practice in cultural perspective-taking. AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs strive for excellence in three interrelated areas:

1. Arabic Language Instruction 2. Area Studies Instruction 3. Intercultural Learning

Staff members work collaboratively at each program site to deliver excellence in each of these areas. This ensures that semester and summer programs are coherent and intentional in creating a program that is an integrated whole. In practical terms, each program element is designed with the overriding Constructivist Paradigm in mind, integrating the DIE Model of perceptual awareness wherever possible.

1. Arabic Language Instruction Arabic language instruction in AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs is based on the communicative approach to language teaching and focuses on increasing students’ proficiency in the four skills – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Proficiency gains are measured through pre- and post-program Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) that are scored on the scale developed by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Arabic coordinators and instructors know about the content of the area studies courses and the intercultural learning components. Therefore, they are able to provide students with appropriate vocabulary and phrases to allow them to express themselves in Arabic about their academic coursework and explain their intercultural encounters in Arabic to the degree possible given their language proficiency. Arabic coordinators are involved in the design of program-organized excursions and Arabic instructors participate in those excursions to integrate the excursions into the language learning process.

2. Area Studies Instruction Area studies instruction in AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs is student centered. The courses offered in each host country focus on issues particularly relevant at that site, such as Arab Israeli Relations (offered in Amman), The Gulf Cooperation Council in International Affairs (offered in Muscat), and Islam in Morocco Today (offered in Rabat). Professors are encouraged to connect their teaching with the local environment by bringing speakers into the classroom and by arranging site visits for students with organizations locally that are working in the field being studied. This ensures the AMIDEAST programs offer students academic experiences that take full advantage their presence in the region. To reinforce the Arabic language and intercultural learning aspects of the programs, the Academic Coordinator and the professors stay informed about what is happening in those areas. They keep the Arabic Coordinator and instructors abreast of what students are studying in their courses so that appropriate vocabulary lists and concepts can be communicated to integrate the content and language learning processes. Academic Coordinators are involved in the design of program-organized excursions and faculty members participate in those excursions and integrate them into the overall program. In addition, the Academic Coordinator and area studies faculty are aware of the DIE Model and the Five Frameworks and strive to incorporate their use into discussions and other course activities.

3. Intercultural Learning Intercultural Learning is infused throughout AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs. As distinct from learning about culture and the cultural artifacts of the host country (which are addressed in orientation, in academic coursework, during program excursions, and through special extra- and co-

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curricular programming), intercultural learning involves helping students to shift among cultural contexts thus enabling them to generate a broader range of appropriate behavior in those contexts. Culture, in this sense, denotes what sociologists refer to as “subjective” culture as opposed to “objective” culture – the worldview of a group of people as opposed to the institutional aspects of culture (political and economic systems, as well as the products of culture such as art, music, cuisine, literature, and so on). Milton Bennett refers to this as the difference between “little-c” culture and “Big-C” culture.

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In the context of an AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program this element is, as noted above, initially introduced during pre-departure orientation, explained in some detail during on-site orientation, and infused throughout the program. To facilitate intercultural learning the program staff is conversant in intercultural theory and able to design program elements to create “teachable moments” where students employ the DIE Model to use the Five Frameworks in analyzing their intercultural encounters.

Facilitating discussion of encounters that occur spontaneously in interactions with host families, shopkeepers, taxi drivers, etc. is central to the intercultural learning process. These are referred to as intercultural interventions and occur in classes, during program excursions, in one-on-one meetings with program staff, and whenever program staff hears or senses a “teachable moment.” In constructivist education abroad programming, these interventions are central to the intercultural learning process. In addition to these interventions, program staff makes arrangements for two specific types of encounters with host country peers. Those are the language partner program and the cultural dialogues. Those programs require both careful preparation and debriefing. Ideally the host country peers participating in the language partner program also participate in the cultural dialogues, facilitating the creation of deeper relationships between them and their AMIDEAST counterparts. It also creates the basis for the growth of intercultural sensitivity in both groups over the course of a semester or academic year. In locations where students live with host families, the host family program includes orientation for the families and on-going communication with them designed to enhance their own intercultural learning and their contribution to the intercultural learning of the students. These programs are based on the Constructivist Paradigm assumption that intercultural learning occurs in the “third culture space” between people who are each trying to adapt to the other. Each AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program ends with a period of time set aside for structured reflection on the experience as a whole. By returning to the DIE Model and looking at experiences through the lens of the Five Frameworks, students are able to reflect on what they have learned during the course of the program both academically and in terms of their personal development .For semester programs Reflection Week includes general reflection and re-entry preparation activities as well as reflection activities in each course; for shorter programs the reflection period is usually one day. The purpose of the reflection period is to couple the student’s cross-cultural experience with critical thinking, thus supporting transferable learning that can more readily be applied to the students’ future educational, professional, and personal lives.

3See Bennett, op. cit.

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Academics

Academic Coordination

Jerome B. Bookin-Weiner is Director of Study Abroad and Outreach at AMIDEAST (America-Mideast Educational and Training Services, Inc.). Prior to joining AMIDEAST in 2007 he served as Vice President for Academic Affairs of The Scholar Ship (2005-07), Executive Director of International Programs at Colorado State University (2001-04), Dean of International Education at Bentley College (1987-2001), and Director of International Programs at Old Dominion University (1977-87). Dr. Bookin-Weiner earned his BA in history at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and his MA, MPhil and PhD at Columbia University in New York. He participated in the Brandeis University Jacob Hiatt Institute in Israel during his junior year, studied Arabic in Morocco in the summer of 1971 in a program organized by the University of Texas at Austin and in Tunisia at the Bourguiba School of Living Languages in 1972. He served in the Peace Corps in Morocco and has also been a Fulbright Senior Research Scholar in that country (1989 and 1990). At Old Dominion, Bentley and Colorado State, Dr. Bookin-Weiner developed education abroad, student exchange and faculty program opportunities in a diverse range of countries from Australia and New Zealand in the south Pacific to Estonia in eastern Europe. Other countries where he worked on programs include the Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Mexico, Morocco, Spain and the United Kingdom. As an historian of the modern Middle East and North Africa, Dr. Bookin-Weiner has been working professionally in the region since the mid-1960s. His research interests are connected with the corsair phenomenon in North Africa in the early modern period and to the early history of Moroccan-American relations – Morocco was the first country to recognize American independence in 1777. Drawing on 45 years of experience in the Middle East and North Africa, Dr. Bookin-Weiner oversees the development of all aspects of AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Programs, including academic program development, selection of academic coordinators, curriculum design, approval of faculty, and on-going academic oversight. He also liaises on a regular basis with the on-site staff and provides staff support and staff development expertise.

Academic Consortium

AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Programs benefit from the advice and quality assurance of an Academic Consortium, a group of 20 higher education institutions that comprise a cross-section of U.S. higher education. Each member institution is represented by an education abroad professional and two faculty members — one of whom teaches Arabic and one of whom teaches in Middle East and North African Studies.

Consortium members

participate in the selection of sites and partners for AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World

screen and approve individual courses to be offered in AMIDEAST’s Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World

conduct evaluation site visits

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Members of the Academic Consortium are:

1. American University

2. Associated Colleges of the Midwest

3. Clemson University

4. Colorado College

5. Creighton University

6. Dickinson College

7. Georgetown University

8. Great Lakes Colleges Association

9. Grinnell College

10. Howard (Maryland) Community College

11. Michigan State University

12. Middle Tennessee State University

13. Norfolk State University

14. Northeastern University

15. Ocean County (NJ) College

16. Queens College

17. University of Cincinnati

18. University of Kentucky

19. University of Pennsylvania

20. University of Richmond

21. University of Texas at Austin

Institution of Record

If a home institution requires that credit be transferred from an accredited U.S. American university students will receive a transcript from Northeastern University, the AMIDEAST Institution of Record (IoR), upon successful completion of the program. There is a $350 fee for using the AMIDEAST IoR. Should a student's home institution advisor indicate that they need to use the IoR the student (or in some cases their institution) will be billed for this fee. This fee is refundable until the student is a confirmed participant. Once they are confirmed, this fee is non-refundable and the student is responsible for payment.

Arabic Language and Culture

Arabic is a diglossic language. That is, there are two varieties of Arabic, one for reading and writing and another for speaking. The textbook series used in Arabic courses in all AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World, Al Kitaab fii Taallum al Arabiyya, introduces both from the beginning to help students engage easily in their host country and learn the language as its native speakers learn it. However, in the AMIDEAST programs separate courses address two the different varieties of Arabic – Modern Standard Arabic and the local dialect. While the multi-media materials that accompany the Al Kitaab series are available only in the Egyptian and Syrian dialects, AMIDEAST, with partial support from the International Research and Studies Program of the U.S. Department of Education, has produced multi-media materials to accompany the series in Jordanian and Moroccan dialects. In addition, also with partial support from the U.S. Department of Education, AMIDEAST has produced multi-media materials to supplement classroom instruction and assist students in the development of cultural competence in Egyptian, Jordanian and Moroccan dialect and culture. All of those materials are used in the colloquial Arabic courses taught in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in those countries. AMIDEAST is strongly committed to providing students of Arabic with the highest quality programs that are challenging, rigorous, and consistent. AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World has designed its own Arabic Language and Culture Curriculum, based on the most up-to-date approaches to language teaching. This approach to Arabic language instruction is:

Functional

Communicative

Proficiency-based

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Culturally rich

To implement its Arabic Language and Culture Curriculum, AMIDEAST has created a system that focuses on:

Selection of the best possible teachers

Development of clear guidelines for each course at each level in the curriculum

Creation of new materials (where necessary) to effectively integrate the cultural component into the Colloquial Arabic courses at each program site

Observation and feedback to the teachers on an ongoing basis throughout the semester by AMIDEAST’s Arabic Studies Consultant

Continuous needs assessment and in-service training for the teachers to assist them in delivering AMIDEAST’s Arabic Language and Culture Curriculum

Each AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program includes the following Arabic courses in its curriculum:

Arabic 101 – Modern Standard Arabic I Arabic 102 – Modern Standard Arabic II Arabic 201 – Modern Standard Arabic III Arabic 202 – Modern Standard Arabic IV Arabic 301 – Modern Standard Arabic V Arabic 302 – Modern Standard Arabic VI Arabic 401 – Studies in Arabic Language and Culture

Arabic 1X1 – Colloquial Arabic I Arabic 2X1 – Colloquial Arabic II Arabic 3X1 – Colloquial Arabic III

Arabic Studies Consultant

The Qasid Arabic Institute serves as AMIDEAST’s Arabic Studies Consultant. The Qasid Institute has developed a reputation as one of the leading programs in the Middle East for Arabic language learning. Its comprehensive curriculum begins with the proper pronunciation of Arabic letters and continues through to a high degree of proficiency.

The word qasid is used to describe a path that is direct and smooth. This is the way the Qasid Institute believes the Arabic language should be taught. The term qasid is also used to describe an individual who strives forward with a direct, specific intention, and clearly defines the kind of student that Qasid attracts to its programs.

As the Qasid Institute’s reputation has grown, its programs have made it the program of choice in Amman for embassies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and U.S. colleges and universities seeking excellence in Arabic language instruction. In 2008 it hosted the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Summer Intensive Institute in Jordan; it will do so again in 2009. Though its programs are designed mainly for university-level students and busy professionals, Qasid students range in age from 15 to 65. They include embassy and consular officers, Fulbright researchers, full-time mothers, medical doctors, Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship recipients, and Ivy League graduates.

More information about Qasid Institute can be found on its website: http://www.qasid.com.

http://www.qasid.com/

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Arabic Language Advisory Board

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Programs in the Arab World benefit from the advice of a distinguished group of Arabic language faculty at U.S. colleges and universities. The Arabic Language Advisory Board members work with Dr. Abuamsha and the Qasid Arabic Institute, AMIDEAST’s Arabic Studies Consultant, to define the proficiency-based curriculum for Arabic instruction and the expected outcomes at each level in both Modern Standard Arabic and Spoken Arabic. They also participate in the continuous assessment of the programs. Members of the Arabic Language Advisory Board are listed below.

Mahmoud Al-Batal, University of Texas at Austin

Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania (retired)

Aida Bamia, University of Florida (retired)

Kirk Belnap, Brigham Young University

Salah-Dine Hammoud, U.S. Air Force Academy (retired)

Mustafa Mughazy, Western Michigan University

Nevenka Korica Sullivan, Harvard University

Karin Ryding, Georgetown University (retired)

Mohammed Sawaie, University of Virginia

Course Catalog AMIDEAST Education Abroad in the Arab World

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Egypt Egypt programs are currently suspended

Semester Courses: Area Studies

Students enrolled in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Cairo carry a 14-17 credit hour load per semester. All students are required to enroll in Modern Standard Arabic, Colloquial Egyptian Arabic and two or three elective courses (depending on a student's preference) which are offered from a variety of disciplines. Students have the option to take one course from the Egyptology program. All courses are not offered each semester. ART 320: The Development of Islamic Architecture in the City of Cairo (Art 320; 3 credits) This course offers an introduction to the historical development of Cairo, one of the most architecturally-rich cities in the Islamic world. Students will learn to appreciate art by understanding Islamic architecture of Egyptian culture and society. Founded in A.D. 969, Cairo developed into an urban center with its architecture changing with every new consecutive dynasty. Historic documents and surviving monuments help us understand the architectural, artistic, and urban development of the once capital of the Islamic world. The course will trace this development from the Arab conquest in A.D. 640 up to the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha in the mid-nineteenth century. Frequent fieldtrips to various districts in the city will show students how each dynasty had its own architectural style, contributing to the continuous development of Cairo and its architecture. ECON 320: Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa (Economics 320; 3 credits) This course will explore issues relating to social, economic and political development in the MENA region through a multidisciplinary lens. And, as the course also aims to address the practical side of implementing development, it will depend on augmenting the classroom activities with field visits to and guest speakers from a variety of organizations working in the field of development. Students will be given indicative readings on the topics and encouraged to explore them more widely, especially by using examples of practical problems and policy questions, seeking primary data sources and reports. There are no particular prerequisites for this course; however elementary social science studies obtained in disciplines such as economics or politics or an interest in contemporary Middle East issues can be considered as foundational assets for the student. The course may also be of interest to students who are undertaking disciplinary social science degrees and who are interested in “Third World” politics or economics. ECON 325: The Political Economy of Egypt in the 21

st Century (Economy 325, 3 credits)

The course explores the complex social, economic and political fabric of Egypt in the beginning of the 21st Century. It focuses on the main challenges and potential paths for the Egyptian economy in the post-Mubarak era. An important element is an examination of the opportunities and challenges confronting economic and political reform initiatives, highlighting the role of the informal economy and the global context of the developmental process. The course begins with an overview of the political economy of the Egyptian state from the beginning of the modernization period in 1805 until the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak and his regime in 2011. In doing so, it explores a wide set of themes that include: the nation-state project of Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century, the liberal period in the first half of the 20th century and its impact on the Egyptian economy, the Arab socialist phase under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, the Infitah, or economic “opening” under President Anwar Sadat, and the structural alterations of the socioeconomic setting and the neoliberal reformulation of state-society relations that took place during the Mubarak era. There are no particular prerequisites for this course; however previous study of social science in disciplines such as economics or politics or an interest in contemporary Middle East issues is important background for students in this course. MENA 390: Community-Based Learning in the MENA Region (MENA Studies 390; 3 credits) This course is designed to enhance students’ critical and analytical intercultural communication skills with the aim of developing intercultural competence. This is accomplished through course work and practical engagement with host country society in private, official, and semi-official environments. Guided and facilitated by the course instructor, students are expected to spend a minimum of six to seven hours at their community placement work-site each week and submit journal entries reflecting on their experiences. At the end of the semester they design and deliver a final


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Community-Based Learning project to be shared with a larger audience. Through their experiential education, students develop their intercultural competence which is a valuable asset in the global marketplace. POLS 311: Islam & Politics (Political Science 311; 3 credits) This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of political Islam and politics in the Arab world. It examines the reasons, implications, and consequences of the reassertion of religion in the Arab and Islamic political sphere. It aims to show that socio-political issues related to political Islam take place in the realm of modernity and globalization; hence many lines of comparison can be drawn with other social movements in different religious traditions drawing on religion as a source of legitimacy. The course challenges the students to understand the paradoxes and limitations of modernity with regard to the Islamic world, covering the development of political Islam and the push for democratization in the Middle East. POLS 312: The Arab Spring: Revolution and Reform in the Arab World (Political Science 312; 3 credits) Beginning in December 2010, movements for political reform in the Arab world engulfed the region in a sea of change. This outpouring led to unprecedented outcomes across the region from the January 2011 Jasmine Revolution that forced Tunisia’s President Zine Eddine Ben Ali to flee to the Egyptian Revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of demonstrations centered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Protest movements seeking greater democracy and accountability arose in virtually every corner of the Arab world. The demands for change have led to both peaceful and violent demonstrations of varying intensity in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen. Students will examine the conditions that led to the Arab Spring uprisings through a series of case studies including Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Topics covered include conditions that preceded the uprisings, regime reactions, the role of external players, and prospects for the future. POLS 316: Contemporary Issues in Egypt and the Arab World (Political Science 316; 3 credits) This course is designed to introduce the key concepts, themes, perspectives and methodological approaches that provide students with tools to understand and critically reflect on social, cultural, political and economic complexities and dynamics that characterize the contemporary Arab world. Concepts such as identity, ethnicity, nationalism, gender and gender roles, exchange, the state and society, political organization, social stratification, kinship and family, religion and ritual, fundamentalism, development, democracy, political activism, minorities, and human rights will be reflected upon in the context of different Arab countries. The approach is interdisciplinary, drawing on a variety of contributions of both native and Western scholars from various social sciences and humanities (anthropology, sociology, political science, media studies, sociolinguistics, cultural studies, gender studies, postcolonial critique, literary studies) and discuss the interpretative strength of a number of theoretical positions and epistemic relevance of several methodological orientations in learning about the contemporary Arab world. Students in the course are encouraged to compare the material covered in lectures and readings with their own social and cultural knowledge acquired through living in Egypt and on the two field trips included in the course. POLS 320: International Relations in the Middle East and North Africa (Political Science 320; 3 credits) This course examines the different kinds of hard and soft threats that prevail in the Middle East and North Africa in the post cold war era to enable students to analyze and be able to predict objectively the effects of these hard and soft threats on the regional and international systems. Specifically, the course will focuses on the major issues of hard and soft threats that have a bilateral and multilateral nature in the region. It will examine threats that have direct short-term and long-term devastating consequences that are measurable in number of casualties, demolition of infrastructure, and other long-term effects not only on regional but also international peace and security in post cold war era. POLS 350: Comparative Politics in the Middle East (Political Science 350; 3 credits) The Middle East region has been the scene of more crises and stirred more emotion in the West than any other region in the world. Events such as the on-going Arab-Israel conflict, the Iranian revolution of 1978-79, the 9/11 attacks, and the Iraq war have all reinforced the idea of the Middle East as a region of conflict. What is it that makes the Middle East so prone to violent conflict? In an attempt to answer this question, students in this course will probe the geographical, historical, and religious dynamics of the Middle East. They will then examine different themes including the nature of contemporary politics in the region, the complex regional state relations, the political economy of oil, Islamist and Arab nationalist politics, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the region’s civil society and relationship with democracy.


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POLS 368: Contemporary Egyptian Politics (Political Science 368; 3 credits) Contemporary Egyptian Politics (Political Science 368, 3 credits) This course offers students a comprehensive understanding of contemporary Egyptian politics and society. Students engage in a wide range of onsite lectures, starting with the founding of modern Egypt by Muhammad Ali in the early 19th century, continuing through British occupation and the Egyptian monarchy up to the revolution in 1952. The course traces the development of the republican government through the presidencies of Gamal Abdul Nasser, Anwar Sadat, and Hosni Mubarak, the 2011 revolution and the post-revolutionary period. Lectures will also focus on Egypt’s regional and international role, Egypt's political economy, the system of governance, elections, civil society, gender and human rights, political parties, Islamic movements, social and youth movements and media. The objective of the course is to understand the historical, cultural, economic, social, and political forces in Egypt today as the shape of the post-revolutionary Egyptian political system emerges. Guest lecturers come from civil society organizations, think tanks and political groupings, and students will visit key organizations as well. POLS 370: Egyptian Politics and Society (Political Science 370; 3 credits) This course introduces students to major themes in contemporary Egyptian Politics and Society. In the political sphere, events leading up to the 25 January revolution, the protests that brought down the Mubarak regime, and the challenges that are facing Egypt in the aftermath of the revolution are the major foci, as well as the principal actors currently shaping Egyptian politics, the discourses they use and their methods of mobilizing resources and support. On the social level, youth movements and youth culture, gender, the role of media and new media, civil society, and the role of Copts and other religious and ethnic minorities are highlighted. Finally on the cultural level, important trends in Egyptian art and culture, including new trends in film, literature and performance arts are studied. RELG 350: Islam and Modernity (Religion 350; 3 credits) It is no exaggeration to point out that the claimed conflict between the history and culture of the Islamic world, on the one hand, and the values of modernity, on the other, represents one of the most important - and indeed contentious - issues of our time. One hears voices insisting on the irreconcilability of the two traditions and an eventual "clash of civilizations." This course addresses both the theoretical underpinnings and the practical manifestations of this supposed divide. Students are presented a historical overview of the emergence of modernity in the Muslim world (with special reference to Egypt), its effect on Muslim political and legal institutions, as well as a range of responses to this new reality. In order to make the theoretical concepts as clear as possible, as well as to tackle head-on some of the most fraught issues in the debates between Muslims and westerners, four separate concepts will be treated throughout the semester: democracy, human rights, jihad, and gender. RELG 355: Shariah and Society (Religion 355, 3 credits) What is Shariah? What are its components? What are the different approaches to study it? What does it mean to 'apply' Shariah? Who is responsible for that? And what do different political/social groups mean when they speak about “applying Shariah?” It is no exaggeration to claim that these questions are amongst the most pressing in the Arab world in the period since the revolutions in 2011. This course examines the notion of Shariah, its components, the different Sunni schools of theology and jurisprudence, and Sufism and its relationship with Shariah. The course will scrutinize the debates over the meaning of Shariah and the significance of its application, with special emphasis on the contemporary attempts to embed Shariah in the legal system by Islamist movements. SOCY 340: Understanding Contemporary Cairo (Sociology 340; 3 credits) With more than 17 million people in the metropolitan area, the city of Cairo is made up of a complex web of public and private spaces which are defined by a vast array of historical, social, and political dynamics. These dynamics are ever changing as we have seen in the example of Tahrir Square since the January 25 revolution in early 2011. The narrative and imagery surrounding Tahrir has morphed and currently this square represents a romanticized image of political agency, public space and social and cultural change. The course will use multiple academic lenses in order to understand the contemporary city of Cairo. Students will examine the main historical junctures in the formation of the city, look at particular public spaces in the city which evoke certain memories, nostalgia, and contribute to the creation of local heritage. Further, the course will examine the recent creation of desert cities and gated communities, spaces of consumption, governance in the city, and informal settlements. Lastly, this course will provide students with the


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opportunity to study issues of power, resistance, the politics of presence in Cairo, and artistic representation of the city. Through ethnographic exercises students and the instructor will be able to probe critical questions about the urban experience in Cairo. Moreover, this course aims to familiarize students with "Cairo" as a space and object of study in the increasingly growing interdisciplinary literature.

Semester Courses: Egyptology

Egyptology students enroll in 15 credits and choose three Egyptology specific courses and one Area Studies course of his/her choice. The purpose is to provide students specializing in Egyptology with some study of the current economic, political, social and cultural reality of contemporary Egypt. All courses are not offered each semester. ANTH 350: Pharaonic, Coptic, & Modern Egypt: Culture and Religion from Ancient to Modern Times (Anthropology 350; 3 credits) What makes contemporary Egyptian culture and religious practice distinct from that of other Middle Eastern countries? This course will explore the role that Pharaonic Egypt played in shaping Egyptian folklore and social customs until today and the way in which Muslim and Christian traditions have been interwoven with the ancient culture and changed or reinforced it. The topics explored in this course include popular religion, traditional medicine and magic, material culture, language and oral traditions, cuisine, agriculture, vernacular architecture and the performing arts. Frequent field trips during class time will allow students to explore the topics they are studying firsthand. ARCH 301: Egyptian Archeology (Archeology 301; 3 credits) This course is intended for students with some previous study of ancient Egypt. The focus of the course is on the methods and practice of archeology in Egypt today. While it does not involve extensive active work on digs, students will visit several active projects and learn from practicing archeologists in the field as well as in the classroom. ART 305: Ancient Egyptian Art and Hieroglyphs (Art 305; 3 credits) This course weaves together lectures, discussions and museum and site visits to give students a stylistic as well as an organizational understanding of ancient Egyptian art from the prehistoric through Roman periods and its influence on modern art and issues surrounding its protection today. This will be done while learning the basics of the Egyptian hieroglyphic script and simple grammar. HIST 351: Introduction to Ancient Egypt (History 351; 3 credits) This course introduces students to the culture of ancient Egypt from the 5th Millennium BC to mid 3rd Millennium BC. A cradle of civilization, Egypt played a crucial role in world history, profoundly contributing to the rise of the state, monumental constructions, monotheism, technologies, and sciences. The course focuses on the development of the social and political organizations of ancient Egyptian culture. Religious, artistic, linguistic and archaeological aspects will also be introduced all within the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of cultural evolution. The course begins with an introduction to ancient Egyptian culture in space and time, through an overview of its physical and historical settings. It then delves into the emergence of urbanism and reaching the stage of a “state-level society,” including the crucial concept of the divine kingship and the administration system. In addition, it highlights the relationship between the invention of writing, its monopoly by the intellectual bureaucratic elite, and the rise of complex administration system. In studying the architecture of ancient Egypt, it traces the development of sacred and profane structures as well as the utilization of their walls as surfaces on which the interaction between art and aspects of Egyptian religion are portrayed. HIST 390: Egyptology in Practice (History 390; 3 credits) This course offers students first-hand, experiential learning in the field of Egyptology. It enables students to work alongside practicing Egyptologists in museums and other public institutions active in the field of Egyptology. Placements in the past have been with the Supreme Council on Antiquities and the Egyptian Museum. Guided and facilitated by a practicing Egyptologist, students are expected to spend six to ten hours at their placement work-site each week and submit weekly journal entries reflecting on their experiences. They also are expected to design and deliver a final project to be shared with a larger audience. This course is intended to deepen and broaden the students’ experience with the field of Egyptology as well as provide a solid analytical framework to enhance their study abroad program in Egypt.


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Semester Courses: Arabic Language

All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic (5 credits) at a level appropriate to their proficiency. The following levels are offered:

Beginning (Arabic 101, 102)

Intermediate (Arabic 201, 202)

Advanced (Arabic 301, 302)

Special tutorial arrangements are made for students whose proficiency is beyond the advanced level (Arabic 401); depending on student interests, various emphases can be offered in Arabic 401.

Egyptian Arabic (3 credits) instruction begins during on-site Orientation and continues throughout the semester. Students are placed in classes appropriate to their previous knowledge of Arabic (Arabic 121, 221 or 321).

Media Arabic is also available as an elective (3 credits) at both the 200- and 300- levels.

ARAB 101: Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 5 credits) This course introduces the Arabic alphabet and sound system forms. Students will be given ample opportunity to practice and produce both the alphabet and the sound system; they will start developing their vocabulary via specific structures presented in the textbook. Students will learn simple grammatical structures and gradually listen to authentic and instructional materials that come with the textbook. Most of the exercises and the activities are task-based and student-centered. The course will cover the material in Alif Baa and Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Activate the learned vocabulary through interactive activities • Understand basic grammatical structures in Arabic • Produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative discourse in speaking • Express their opinions and show their preferences using structured language • Follow and understand short written and spoken texts in the news in the TV • Read mid- size texts, using skimming techniques appropriate for their level • Learn more aspects of Arabic culture. Primary textbooks for Arabic 101:

Alif Baa Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds Second Edition, by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi

Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs A Textbook for Beginning Arabic: Part One, Second Edition, by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi

Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 102: Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) The course is designed to reinforce and continue fulfilling the objectives set for Arabic 101 in terms of meeting the students’ needs to be able to communicate using Modern Standard Arabic in basic daily life situations. Further this course will help students move to intermediate level, where they can read, listen, and discuss some topics of professional interest. This course focuses on developing the four skills of Arabic: listening, speaking, reading and writing with different levels of focus. In addition to the main textbook, other materials are provided to supplement the textbooks. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition, Chapters 6-13. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Activate the learned vocabulary through interactive activities • Understand basic grammatical structures in Arabic • Produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative discourse in speaking • Express their opinions and show their preferences using structured language • Follow and understand short written and spoken texts in the news in the TV • Read mid- size texts, using skimming techniques appropriate for their level • Learn more aspects of Arabic culture. Primary textbooks for Arabic 102:


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Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic edited by J.M. Cowan

Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 201: Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 5 credits) This course is designed to reinforce all the linguistic skills at both the reception and production levels, with special importance given to the development of reading skills. Students will learn to converse on a variety of topics, narrate, and read authentic material in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In addition, in this course, students will learn a majority of the basic structures of MSA which will allow them to accomplish more complicated linguistic tasks. Students will also be exposed to many aspects of Arabic culture. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition (in PDF), Chapters 14-20. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Use basic conversational tasks successfully in different social situations • Understand and correctly use basic grammatical rules in producing written and spoken Arabic • Read mid-size texts • Extract the main ideas of non-technical texts • Extract the main points in video materials and be able to discuss important ideas • Develop conversational skills using a variety of language functions (e.g., description, comparison, cause and

effect, arguing for/against, etc.) • Engage in a variety of daily conversations • Give short presentations on topics of interest • Converse in Arabic using a variety of language functions appropriate for their level • Acquire knowledge about major aspects of Arab and Islamic culture. Primary textbooks for Arabic 201:

Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs Part One, Second Edition, by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi


Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 202: Modern Standard Arabic IV (Arabic 202; 5 credits) This course is designed to help students perform linguistic tasks in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) successfully, gain self-confidence, and expand their risk-taking in real-life communicative situations. The course incorporates developing vocabulary, verb conjugation (including some complex verbs), new patterns, plurals and other Masdarمصدر forms. The course also focuses on developing the ability to construct sentences and simple Arabic texts. Students will also learn more about Arab culture by studying Arab authors, geography, habits, and social customs. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Two, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Guess the meaning of new words from contexts • Use skimming and scanning techniques • Write short paragraphs correctly • Read authentic material from Arabic advertisements, short narratives, descriptions of people and places, simple

contemporary poetry, and topics on Arab culture • Write both informal and formal letters • Write medium length compositions on familiar topics, including descriptions and short narratives • Master and distinguish Arabic sentence structures • Understand and construct simple paragraphs and simple texts


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• Enrich his/her vocabulary • Understand some Arabic spoken situations • Read and understand short paragraphs and short texts • Write correct sentences and correct paragraphs and short texts • Begin to acquire more developed ideas about Arab and Islamic culture • Begin to master the Arabic verb system. Primary textbooks for Arabic 202:

Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs Part Two, Second Edition, by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi


Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 301: Modern Standard Arabic V (Arabic 301; 5 credits) This course is designed to move learners from a stage where they have achieved the basic grammatical skills to being able to use language in a wider cultural context. At this stage, learners will be widely exposed to the main issues related to the Arab world and local culture. This course adopts a skill-based approach in which learners gain mastery of the language through the use of authentic materials taken from various sources (books, periodicals, videos, and radio documentaries). The selection of the materials is based on the complexity of the tasks and the learners’ professional and personal interest. Teaching vocabulary and grammar is integrated into the skill-based activities, and it is incorporated in the class activities as an aid to overcoming any communicative problems. Teaching techniques are student-centered, with the instructor as the facilitator, and the goal of teaching to make students independent users of Arabic. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Two, Second Edition, Chapters 6-10. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Understand more complex grammatical structures • Listen to daily news, lectures, take notes, and make comments • Describe things that are close to them in elaborate detail • Express their own viewpoints and defend them • Behave in a linguistically appropriate manner. • Use professional vocabulary to address topics interest. • Analyze the ideas presented in a text in order to discover an author’s point of view.

Primary textbooks for Arabic 301:



Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 302: Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 5 credits) This course provides additional practice at the advanced level to help students attain a higher level skill of development (e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing) and linguistic accuracy in Modern Standard Arabic. The teaching and learning process in this course is communication-based and the emphasis is placed more on context rather than grammatical rules. At this level, the student is more autonomous and responsible for his/her own learning, preparing texts, explaining vocabulary and summarizing. The course provides students with the opportunity to examine in depth Arabic cultural heritage, Arab world politics, women’s issues and sustainable development concerns. Students are required to watch TV broadcasts of cultural, historical and religious programs, analyze more complex texts and present their analysis orally in class, and engage in lengthy discussions with other classmates. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Three, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5, with local supplementary materials. By the completion of the course, students will:


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• Expand their vocabulary to include words that allow them to read, listen, speak and write about topics of professional interest

• Research topics in order to discover an author’s point of view and to seek evidence to support other points of view

• Apply grammatical knowledge as one of the analytical tools in comprehending reading texts • Produce lengthy descriptive and argumentative discourse in speaking • Summarize texts and express their points of view in writing and speaking • Write about a variety of topics with precision and detail • Interact with native speakers and engage in discussions of contemporary issues. Primary textbooks for Arabic 302:

Al-Kitaab fi Ta’allum Al Arabiya with DVDs Part Three, Second Edition, by Kristin Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal and Abbas Al-Tonsi


Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 401: Directed Studies in Arabic (Arabic 401; 3 credits) In this course, students use authentic material from literature, academic research and both print and electronic media to develop their abilities to extract essential information and identity linguistic nuances. Students are expected to produce reaction papers where they express their own assessment of the content, the form of the text and the position and the arguments of the author. Students also are expected to be able to identify figures of style and produce texts demonstrating near native competence. Teaching Materials will consist of faculty selected materials from around the Arab world. Al-Kitaab, Book Three (2

nd

Edition) will also be used, but not as a primary textbook. ARAB 121: Colloquial Egyptian Arabic I (Arabic 121; 3 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures of colloquial Arabic used frequently in everyday life. Students practice these skills in class and then they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with local Egyptians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in colloquial Arabic with Egyptians. ARAB 221: Colloquial Egyptian Arabic II (Arabic 221; 3 credits) The course introduces and builds on the student’s colloquial Arabic skills in a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Focus is given to strengthening student’s ability to converse with greater ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and social situations of the Intermediate level. These situations may include the exchange of basic information related to work, school, recreation, and describing one’s personal interests. Course content also deepens student’s exposure to colloquial Arabic through more complex tasks, such as securing lodging, transportation, shopping and general areas where a greater array of instructions and directions are involved. ARAB 321: Colloquial Egyptian Arabic III (Arabic 321; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Egyptians in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. ARAB 215: Media Arabic I (Arabic 215; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 102; Co-requisite: Arabic 201 or Arabic 202) The course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple


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news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 216: Media Arabic IA (Arabic 216; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST's Arabic 202 or higher; Co-requisite Arabic 301 or higher) This accelerated course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 315 Media Arabic II (Arabic 315; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 215, Arabic 216, or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This course exposes students to the Arabic used in the media. It focuses on mastering basic vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, developing the ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, developing the ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing short summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media. Arab 316: Media Arabic III (Arabic 316; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 315 or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This is an advanced course for students who have taken at least two media Arabic courses previously. This course exposes students to the Arabic used in opinion pieces and on electronic media (radio, television, documentaries, etc.) and focuses on mastering vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media.


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Summer Courses

MENA 390: Learn and Serve in Egypt (Community-Based Learning MENA 390, 5 credits; Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, 3 credits) Learn & Serve in Egypt (8 credits) is a unique summer education abroad opportunity for undergraduate students to study Arabic and engage in an intense service learning experience with Egyptian organizations. This eight-week summer course is designed to enhance students’ critical and analytical intercultural communication skills with the aim of developing intercultural competence. This is accomplished through course work and practical engagement and interaction with host country society in private, official, and semi-official spaces. The course enables students to examine social issues from multiple perspectives, read relevant texts, participate in projects related to the fields of education, human development, human and civil rights, journalism or social services, engage in direct service with partner agencies, and reflect academically on their experience. Guided and facilitated by the course instructor, students are expected to spend approximately 12-15 hours at their community placement work-site each week and submit weekly journal entries reflecting on their experiences, in addition to designing and delivering a final service learning project to be shared with a larger audience. Through their intercultural experiential education, students develop their intercultural competence which is a valuable asset in the global marketplace. In addition to the Community-Based Learning course, students take a 3-credit Egyptian Colloquial Arabic course at AMIDEAST to support their service learning experience and strengthen their ability to practice their Arabic language skills at their community placement work-site. Classes meet 2 hours per day, 5 days per week (a total of 60 hours of instruction, equivalent to a semester course on a U.S. campus). The following levels are offered (see course descriptions above from semester program): Colloquial Egyptian Arabic I (Arabic 121; 3 credits) Colloquial Egyptian Arabic II (Arabic 221; 3 credits) Colloquial Egyptian Arabic III (Arabic 321; 3 credits)

Summer Intensive Arabic The Summer Intensive Arabic Program in Cairo, Egypt offers Modern Standard Arabic in two 4-week sessions.

Classes meet 5 hours per day, 5 days per week. Each student will receive 80 hours of instruction in Modern Standard Arabic in each session, covering the material usually covered in one semester on a U.S. campus. In addition, students receive 20 hours of instruction per session in Colloquial Egyptian Arabic.

Students are given placement tests prior to departure and placed in the level appropriate for their Arabic language proficiency. The following levels are offered (see course descriptions for MSA semester courses listed above):

Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic IV (Arabic 202; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic V (Arabic 301; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 5 credits)

Colloquial Egyptian Arabic I (Arabic 120; 1 credit) Colloquial Egyptian Arabic II (Arabic 220; 1 credit) Colloquial Egyptian Arabic III (Arabic 320; 1 credit)

For students whose proficiency is beyond the advanced level, a tutorial program will be arranged to address their specific interests (Media Arabic; Arabic literature; Classical Arabic texts, etc.)


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ARAB 120: Colloquial Egyptian Arabic I (Arabic 120; 1 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Egyptians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Egyptian Arabic with native speakers. Living in Cairo will provide daily opportunity for practice. ARAB 220: Colloquial Egyptian Arabic II (Arabic 220; 1 credits) Students who have already studied Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life in Egypt. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Egyptians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in simple as well as complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Egyptian Arabic with native speakers about non-academic topics. Living in Cairo will provide daily opportunity for practice. ARAB 320: Colloquial Egyptian Arabic III (Arabic 320; 1 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Egyptians in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic


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Jordan


Students in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Amman carry a 14-17 credit hour load per semester. All students are required to enroll in Modern Standard Arabic, Jordanian Arabic and two or three elective courses (depending on a student's preference) in Middle East and North African studies in a variety of disciplines. All courses are not offered each semester. ANTH 301: Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East (Anthropology 301, 3 credits) This interdisciplinary course presents a general introduction to the contemporary Middle East, a region that has come to carry diverse and multiple meanings to Westerners. It will highlight the multiple and the complex cultural and socio-political life in the Contemporary Middle East, challenging some of the assumptions and stereotypes about the history, cultures, religions and politics associated with this particular region. It will introduce the various Middle Eastern groups as they vary in language, religion, subsistence economy and other cultural variables. The genealogical relationships between dialects, sects, and modes of subsistence will be outlined and framed within a historical context in order to highlight the dynamic nature of Middle Eastern diversity and how impressions of "stagnant East" are often misleading. Furthermore, the biological diversity of the Middle Easterners will be examined in relation to the legacy of "scientific racism," nationalist claims and the findings of modern population genetics. . ART 350: Traditional Islamic Arts (Art 350, 3 credits) This course, offered in cooperation with the Institute of Traditional Islamic Arts in Amman, introduces students to the study of traditional Islamic art in two interlocking modules. The first focuses on the basic concepts of the sacred geometry that is the basis of traditional Islamic art. The second consists of a project in one of five media -- illumination, Persian miniature painting, gypsum carving, zillij (mosaic tile work), or woodworking. In the first module students study the underlying principles of sacred geometry and practice the production of those geometric patterns that recur in traditional Islamic art forms through the repeated drawing of circles from which the traditional Islamic geometric patterns emerge. In the second module, more complex patterns will be used to create a work combining all three representations of Islamic art – geometry, calligraphy and biomorphic motifs. By the end of the course students will understand that the language of pattern represents the “breath of the compassionate” in both visual and metaphysical manifestations. ART 360: Art and Politics in the Arab World since 1970 (Art 360, 3 credits) The course examines how politics influence aesthetics in modern and contemporary cultural production in the Arab world, focusing on the Levant (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine) and Egypt. Emphasis is given to visual arts, urban art forms in music, political cartoons, street art and poster productions. A key theme of the course allows students to investigate how political change informs both artistic production and international trends in art consumption. Students will track and explore course themes through studying three important historical timeframes: the 1970’s post Arab-Israeli War; the 1990’s post-civil war in Lebanon, and the time following Egypt’s recent ‘revolution’ in 2011. Another feature of this course focuses on the parallels between different times, forms and subject matters of production, as well as how more recent trends in artistic consumption on an international level have played a part in production and dissemination of cultural practices from the region. The course employs multiple means of engagement including watching film, listening to music, and exploring visual art, posters, and urban art. Students will visit cultural spaces, attend concerts and lectures outside the classroom, and watch presentations by practitioners from the relevant fields. ECON 320: Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa (Economics 320; 3 credits) This course will explore issues relating to social, economic and political development in the MENA region through a multidisciplinary lens. And, as the course also aims to address the practical side of implementing development, it


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will depend on augmenting the classroom activities with field visits to and guest speakers from a variety of organizations working in the field of development. Students will be given indicative readings on the topics and encouraged to explore them more widely, especially by using examples of practical problems and policy questions, seeking primary data sources and reports. There are no particular prerequisites for this course; however elementary social science studies obtained in disciplines such as economics or politics or an interest in contemporary Middle East issues can be considered as foundational assets for the student. The course may also be of interest to students who are undertaking disciplinary social science degrees and who are interested in “Third World” politics or economics. ENVR 320: Environmental Drivers of Change in the Middle East (Environmental Studies 320, 3 credits) This course identifies, explores and highlights the linkages between natural resource use and political, economic and social dynamics in the Middle East. The analysis will feature both intra-state and inter-state dynamics with a focus on the degree to which natural resource endowment/scarcity contributes to the state of development in Arab countries, with special attention to Jordan. The course will be divided to three interconnected phases:

1. General description of the environmental geography, environment, and sustainable development context in the Middle East based on recent scientific figures and trends.

2. In-depth analysis of various environmental and natural resource issues in the region and their relationship to the socio-economic and political context; among the specific issues to be considered will be water, energy, food, health, population, urbanization, ecosystems and biodiversity, and climate change).

3. Consideration of the future of the Middle East in relation to various scenarios related to sustainable vs. wasteful use of natural resources and peace/conflict options.

During the course several case studies will be used to illustrate the linkages discussed including the potential role of natural resource (mis)governance to the rise and spread of the Arab Spring since 2011. HIST 330: Jordan in its Regional Context: An Historical and Political Approach (History 330; 3 credits) The history of Jordan is in reality a history of the modern Middle East. The events that have transpired over the last hundred years, that have in fact shaped the region, are so interconnected with each other and with Jordan that by studying the history and politics of the country, one gains insight into the region as a whole. From the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans a century ago, to the creation of nation-states in the area, to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, to Arab wars and Arab peace with Israel, to strife and violence in neighboring Iraq, Syria and Egypt, to the Arab spring and political reform, and to the global war against terror, Jordan has consistently been involved. This course aims to acquaint students with the multitude of events and challenges that Jordan has faced through over the years, how it has influenced and been influenced by them, how it has dealt with them, how it has been intricately engaged in them, and how it has survived them. By studying the modern history and politics of the country itself one will be able to learn about what Jordan is and develop a clearer and more comprehensive analysis of the region as a whole. MENA 330: Contemporary Jordanian Culture, (MENA Studies 330, 3 credits) The course provides an in-depth overview of major trends in contemporary Jordanian culture. Representative samples from a wide range of cultural manifestations will be studied. These include relevant selections from the domains of art, music, fashion, cuisine, drama, cinema, media, architecture, and – to a lesser extent – politics and interfaith dialogue, based on students' interests. In addition to class work, students will be able to meet with a number of invited guests and visit a number of sites and institutions. Students are expected to keep a journal in which they record their notes, queries, observations and critiques. We will also be examining various cultural discourses, to facilitate not only our discussion and conception of what is "Jordanian" or "Arab" but also our discussion of the problematics of examining and studying contemporary Arab culture from a Western perspective. Since no cultural product is divorced from the historical, social, political and economic context in which it is created, we will read various secondary materials on these subjects at the outset of the course. MENA 390: Community-Based Learning in the MENA Region (MENA Studies 390, 3 credits)


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This course is designed to enhance students’ critical and analytical intercultural communication skills with the aim of developing intercultural competence. This is accomplished through course work and practical engagement with host country society in private, official, and semi-official environments. Guided and facilitated by the course instructor, students are expected to spend a minimum of six to seven hours at their community placement work-site each week and submit journal entries reflecting on their experiences. At the end of the semester they design and deliver a final Community-Based Learning project to be shared with a larger audience. Through their experiential education, students develop their intercultural competence which is a valuable asset in the global marketplace. POLS 312: The Arab Spring: Revolution and Reform in the Arab World (Political Science 312; 3 credits) Beginning in December 2010, movements for political reform in the Arab world engulfed the region in a sea of change. This outpouring led to unprecedented outcomes across the region from the January 2011 Jasmine Revolution that forced Tunisia’s President Zine Eddine Ben Ali to flee to the Egyptian Revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of demonstrations centered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Protest movements seeking greater democracy and accountability arose in virtually every corner of the Arab world. The demands for change have led to both peaceful and violent demonstrations of varying intensity in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen. Students will examine the conditions that led to the Arab Spring uprisings through a series of case studies including Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Topics covered include conditions that preceded the uprisings, regime reactions, the role of external players, and prospects for the future. POLS 315: Contemporary Issues in Jordan and the Arab World (Political Science 315, 3 credits) This course will discuss the conceptual, historical, economic and cultural environment in which the contemporary Arab state system was established and has evolved. We will study the various political, social, economic, and cultural trends which have contributed to the way in which modern Arab World history has unfolded, highlighting such important themes as the changing relationship between the state and society; impact of Western economic, political, and cultural might on the region; the search for political and cultural “authenticity” in response to the West; economic transformations and development; and the region's role in international relations. The various methodological paradigms that are employed in the study of the Arab world will be analyzed. It will offer an overview of Arab regimes, their emergence, consolidation, the role played by foreign powers in their creation and their final shaping. Using a comparative approach, we will investigate the formation of state and types of ruling regimes, societal power bases and systems, socio-political movements and ideologies, legitimacy and modern state power, and the scope and opportunities for political participation, liberalization and inclusion/exclusion. Basic concepts to be explored include power, elites, state, colonialism, nationalism, Islamic revivalism, democratization, human development, and gender issues. POLS 320: International Relations in the Middle East and North Africa (Political Science 320; 3 credits) This course examines the different kinds of hard and soft threats that prevail in the Middle East and North Africa in the post cold war era to enable students to analyze and be able to predict objectively the effects of these hard and soft threats on the regional and international systems. Specifically, the course will focuses on the major issues of hard and soft threats that have a bilateral and multilateral nature in the region. It will examine threats that have direct short-term and long-term devastating consequences that are measurable in number of casualties, demolition of infrastructure, and other long-term effects not only on regional but also international peace and security in post-cold war era. POLS 325: The Arab Israeli Relations (Political Science 325, 3 credits) This course provides an in-depth examination of the nature and dynamics of Arab Israeli politics. It explores some of the main approaches to understanding the political systems in Israel and the Arab States, with a focus on state formation, national identities, leadership, elites and ideologically-motivated terrorist violence. It introduces students to the roots of the Arab Israeli conflict, including the two World Wars and their impact on the Middle East, the emergence of Zionism as a political force in Palestine, the emergence of Arab Nationalism as a political force in the region, the establishment of Israel and the wars that followed in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973 as well as peacemaking efforts including the Egyptian Israeli peace treaty, the Jordanian Israeli peace treaty, and the Oslo


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Accords between the Palestinians and Israel. Cutting-edge issues in several of the disciplines comprising Arab Israeli studies will be surveyed by examining debates within the political literature on the area. The phenomenon of Islamism and its relevance to Arab Israeli relations will be examined as well at the pertinent debates and what intellectual and political stakes they represent. Students will be required to present analytical accounts and form original arguments of their own in class presentations and written assignments.

International Politics in the Middle East and North Africa (Political Science 330; 3 credits) This course focuses on the international politics of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) taking as its starting point the end of colonial rule in the region and the formation of new nation-states. The first part of the course is devoted to a methodological introduction of the study of the MENA region and aims at providing the conceptual frameworks and theories needed to define the MENA. Focusing on a more empirical analysis of the MENA’s political history, the second part of the course introduces and analyses the impact of Cold War dynamics on the region. It also examines the political economic and social transformations the region faced with the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a New World Order. After having examined the origins, causes, and consequences of the Israel/Palestine conflict in detail, the course examines important themes and debates in international politics of the MENA region, including gender and ideological movements. Finally, the current uprisings and their impact on the politics of the region are examined. RELG 330: Contemporary Islamic Thought (Religion 330, 3 credits) This course is an introduction course to contemporary Islamic thought. The central concern is the study of the ideational progress in Islamic thought. It provides an overview of main ideas and issues that have influenced Islamic thinking and Muslim politics over the last two centuries. In addition, the course will introduce leading and influential thinkers and texts that have played key roles in shaping the Muslim mind. While students are not expected to have specialized knowledge of Islamic thought, some background historical reading will help put the readings in context. Students will be introduced to various methodological and theoretical approaches in studying religious and political thought. The course will address the following themes: setting the stage, politics and debates in Islamic thought, Islamic theology and philosophy, modernity and traditionalism, key Islamic thinkers and important issues in Islamic thought including Ijtihad, democracy and human rights. SOCY 370: Globalization and Social Change in the Arab World (Sociology 370; 3 credits) The process of globalization is creating new economic, political and social realities throughout the world. Arab societies are no exception. The impact there is seen in the transformation of the temporal and spatial organization of social relations and transactions, generating transcontinental or interregional flows and networks of activity, interaction and power. This course investigates various perspectives on globalization and social change in the Arab world. It examines the nexus between economic and political globalization and the societal consequences of globalization in different parts of the region as well as varied responses to the forces and challenges of globalization in the diverse geographic and cultural parts of the Arab world. WMST 330: Women and Society in the Arab World (Women’s Studies 330, 3 credits) This multidisciplinary course presents an in depth overview of the status of women in contemporary Arab society. It highlights the multiple and the complex economic, cultural and socio-political factors that shaped the lives of Arab women historically and continue to shape them today. It will also highlight the diversities of the lives of Arab women as they live different sets of circumstances. Critical analysis of the situation Arab women and challenging some of the held assumptions and stereotypes about Arab women both in the region and abroad are central concerns. This course consists of two parts. The first part consists of an examination of women’s activism and struggle in some Arab countries and the factors that shaped the Arab women’s movement, with the Jordanian women’s movement as a case study. The second part is an exploration of the themes and variations in women's lives in modern Arab societies, including major structural features (mainly the state, Islamism and tribalism) of modern Arab societies and their influence on the relationships between women and men and their impact on women’s status in the family and society at large. This section will cover the major economic, political and legal and socio-cultural issues. The analysis will identify areas of progress for Arab women as well as challenges to their advancement.


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All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic (5 credits) at a level appropriate to their proficiency. The following levels are offered:

Beginning (Arabic 101, 102)

Intermediate (Arabic 201, 202)

Advanced (Arabic 301,302)

Special tutorial arrangements are made for students whose proficiency is beyond the advanced level (Arabic 401); depending on student interests, various emphases can be offered in Arabic 401.

Colloquial Jordanian Arabic (3 credits) instruction begins during on-site orientation and continues throughout the semester. Students are placed in classes appropriate to their previous knowledge of Arabic (Arabic 131, Arabic 231, or Arabic 331).


ARAB 101: Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 5 credits) This course introduces the Arabic alphabet and sound system forms. Students will be given ample opportunity to practice and produce both the alphabet and the sound system; they will start developing their vocabulary via specific structures presented in the textbook. Students will learn simple grammatical structures and gradually listen to authentic and instructional materials that come with the textbook. Most of the exercises and the activities are task-based and student-centered. The course will cover the material in Alif Baa and Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Activate the learned vocabulary through interactive activities • Understand basic grammatical structures in Arabic • Produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative discourse in speaking • Express their opinions and show their preferences using structured language • Follow and understand short written and spoken texts in the news in the TV • Read mid- size texts, using skimming techniques appropriate for their level • Learn more aspects of Arabic culture.




Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 102: Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) The course is designed to reinforce and continue fulfilling the objectives set for Arabic 101 in terms of meeting the students’ needs to be able to communicate using Modern Standard Arabic in basic daily life situations. Further this course will help students move to intermediate level, where they can read, listen, and discuss some topics of professional interest. This course focuses on developing the four skills of Arabic: listening, speaking, reading and writing with different levels of focus. In addition to the main textbook, other materials are provided to supplement the textbooks. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition, Chapters 6-13. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Activate the learned vocabulary through interactive activities • Understand basic grammatical structures in Arabic • Produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative discourse in speaking • Express their opinions and show their preferences using structured language • Follow and understand short written and spoken texts in the news in the TV • Read mid- size texts, using skimming techniques appropriate for their level


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• Learn more aspects of Arabic culture Primary textbooks for Arabic 102:




Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 201: Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 5 credits) This course is designed to reinforce all the linguistic skills at both the reception and production levels, with special importance given to the development of reading skills. Students will learn to converse on a variety of topics, narrate, and read authentic material in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In addition, in this course, students will learn a majority of the basic structures of MSA which will allow them to accomplish more complicated linguistic tasks. Students will also be exposed to many aspects of Arabic culture. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition (in PDF), Chapters 14-20. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Use basic conversational tasks successfully in different social situations • Understand and correctly use basic grammatical rules in producing written and spoken Arabic • Read mid-size texts • Extract the main ideas of non-technical texts • Extract the main points in video materials and be able to discuss important ideas • Develop conversational skills using a variety of language functions (e.g., description, comparison, cause

and effect, arguing for/against, etc.) • Engage in a variety of daily conversations • Give short presentations on topics of interest • Converse in Arabic using a variety of language functions appropriate for their level • Acquire knowledge about major aspects of Arab and Islamic culture. Primary textbooks for Arabic 201:



Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 202: Modern Standard Arabic IV (Arabic 202; 5 credits) This course is designed to help students perform linguistic tasks in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) successfully, gain self-confidence, and expand their risk-taking in real-life communicative situations. The course incorporates developing vocabulary, verb conjugation (including some complex verbs), new patterns, plurals and other Masdarمصدر forms. The course also focuses on developing the ability to construct sentences and simple Arabic texts. Students will also learn more about Arab culture by studying Arab authors, geography, habits, and social customs. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Two, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Guess the meaning of new words from contexts • Use skimming and scanning techniques • Write short paragraphs correctly • Read authentic material from Arabic advertisements, short narratives, descriptions of people and places,

simple contemporary poetry, and topics on Arab culture • Write both informal and formal letters • Write medium length compositions on familiar topics, including descriptions and short narratives


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• Master and distinguish Arabic sentence structures • Understand and construct simple paragraphs and simple texts • Enrich his/her vocabulary • Understand some Arabic spoken situations • Read and understand short paragraphs and short texts • Write correct sentences and correct paragraphs and short texts • Begin to acquire more developed ideas about Arab and Islamic culture • Begin to master the Arabic verb system. Primary textbooks for Arabic 202:







Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 302: Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 5 credits) This course provides additional practice at the advanced level to help students attain a higher level skill of development (e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing) and linguistic accuracy in Modern Standard Arabic. The teaching and learning process in this course is communication-based and the emphasis is placed more on context rather than grammatical rules. At this level, the student is more autonomous and responsible for his/her own learning, preparing texts, explaining vocabulary and summarizing. The course provides students with the opportunity to examine in depth Arabic cultural heritage, Arab world politics, women’s issues and sustainable development concerns. Students are required to watch TV broadcasts of cultural, historical and religious programs, analyze more complex texts and present their analysis orally in class, and engage in lengthy discussions with other


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classmates. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Three, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5, with local supplementary materials. By the completion of the course, students will: • Expand their vocabulary to include words that allow them to read, listen, speak and write about topics of

professional interest • Research topics in order to discover an author’s point of view and to seek evidence to support other

points of view • Apply grammatical knowledge as one of the analytical tools in comprehending reading texts • Produce lengthy descriptive and argumentative discourse in speaking • Summarize texts and express their points of view in writing and speaking • Write about a variety of topics with precision and detail • Interact with native speakers and engage in discussions of contemporary issues. Primary textbooks for Arabic 302:




nd

Edition) will also be used, but not as a primary textbook. ARAB 131: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I (Arabic 131; 3 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures of colloquial Arabic used frequently in everyday life. Students practice these skills in class and then they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with local Jordanians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in colloquial Arabic with Jordanians. ARAB 231: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II (Arabic 231; 3 credits) The course introduces and builds on the student’s colloquial Arabic skills in a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Focus is given to strengthening student’s ability to converse with greater ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and social situations of the Intermediate level. These situations may include the exchange of basic information related to work, school, recreation, and describing one’s personal interests. Course content also deepens student’s exposure to colloquial Arabic through more complex tasks, such as securing lodging, transportation, shopping and general areas where a greater array of instructions and directions are involved. ARAB 331: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic III (Arabic 331; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Jordanians in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses,


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express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic ARAB 332: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic IV (Arabic 332; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic and Jordanian Arabic study vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life at an advanced level. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Students will strengthen their all-around fluency and conversational skills in a wide range of daily situations and common tasks, whether in the home, school, markets, workplace and leisure activities, as well as to events of current, public, and personal interest. Students will also learn to converse and describe all major time frames (past, present, and future) as well as to contribute to conversations on a variety of familiar topics, with a high degree of accuracy, clarity and precision. This course aims also to make students readily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives and able to state an opinion or cite conditions. Living with a Jordanian family will provide daily opportunity for practice. ARAB 215: Media Arabic I (Arabic 215; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 102; Co-requisite: Arabic 201 or Arabic 202) The course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 216: Media Arabic IA (Arabic 216; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST's Arabic 202 or higher; Co-requisite Arabic 301 or higher) This accelerated course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 315 Media Arabic II (Arabic 315; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 215, Arabic 216, or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This course exposes students to the Arabic used in the media. It focuses on mastering basic vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, developing the ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, developing the ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing short summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media. Arab 316: Media Arabic III (Arabic 316; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 315 or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This is an advanced course for students who have taken at least two media Arabic courses previously. This course exposes students to the Arabic used in opinion pieces and on electronic media (radio, television, documentaries, etc.) and focuses on mastering vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media.


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Summer Courses

The Summer Intensive Arabic Program in Amman, Jordan offers Modern Standard Arabic in two 4-week sessions.

Classes meet 5 hours per day, 5 days per week. Each student will receive 80 hours of instruction in Modern Standard Arabic in each session, covering the material usually covered in one semester on a U.S. campus. In addition, students receive 20 hours of instruction per session in Jordanian Arabic.

Students are given placement tests prior to departure and placed in the level appropriate for their Arabic language proficiency. The following levels are offered (see course descriptions for MSA semester courses listed above):

Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic IV (Arabic 202; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic V (Arabic 301; 5 credits) Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 5 credits)

Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I (Arabic 130; 1 credit) Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II (Arabic 230; 1 credit) Colloquial Jordanian Arabic III (Arabic 330; 1 credit)


ARAB 130: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic I (Arabic 130; 1 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Jordanians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Jordanian Arabic with native speakers. Living with a Jordanian family will provide daily opportunity for practice. ARAB 230: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic II (Arabic 230; 1 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Jordanians in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic ARAB 330: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic III (Arabic 330; 1 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in Jordanian everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Jordanians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Jordanian Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Living with a Jordanian family will provide daily opportunity for practice.


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ARAB 340: Colloquial Jordanian Arabic IV (Arabic 340; 1 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic and Jordanian Arabic study vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life at an advanced level. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Students will strengthen their all-around fluency and conversational skills in a wide range of daily situations and common tasks, whether in the home, school, markets, workplace and leisure activities, as well as to events of current, public, and personal interest. Students will also learn to converse and describe all major time frames (past, present, and future) as well as to contribute to conversations on a variety of familiar topics, with a high degree of accuracy, clarity and precision. This course aims also to make students readily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives and able to state an opinion or cite conditions. Living with a Jordanian family will provide daily opportunity for practice.


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Morocco


Students in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Rabat carry a 14-17 credit hour load per semester. All students are required to enroll in Modern Standard Arabic, Moroccan Arabic and two or three elective courses (depending on a student's preference) in Middle East and North African studies in a variety of disciplines. Students must have the equivalent of four college semesters of French or more in order to take a French course. All courses are taught exclusively for the AMIDEAST program, and students take classes only with other program participants. All courses are not offered each semester.

ECON 320: Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa (Economics 320; 3 credits) This course will explore issues relating to social, economic and political development in the MENA region through a multidisciplinary lens. And, as the course also aims to address the practical side of implementing development, it will depend on augmenting the classroom activities with field visits to and guest speakers from a variety of organizations working in the field of development. Students will be given indicative readings on the topics and encouraged to explore them more widely, especially by using examples of practical problems and policy questions, seeking primary data sources and reports. There are no particular prerequisites for this course; however elementary social science studies obtained in disciplines such as economics or politics or an interest in contemporary Middle East issues can be considered as foundational assets for the student. The course may also be of interest to students who are undertaking disciplinary social science degrees and who are interested in “Third World” politics or economics.

FREN 411: Litteratures Francophones du Maghreb (French 411; 3 credits; taught in French) Ce séminaire s’adresse aux étudiants qui souhaitent découvrir une nouvelle forme d’écriture romanesque francophone du Maghreb, améliorer leur prise de parole en français et aborder la littérature comme vecteur permettant d’interroger une société et à travers elle, un mode de pensée et de culture artistique, religieuse, spirituelle et mythique. Ce séminaire vise trois objectifs: 1. Présenter l’historique des littératures francophones du Maghreb (histoire de la colonisation française, mouvements politiques qui ont déterminé l’engagement en littérature, le genre autobiographique comme modèle de société, esthétiques de la langue française comme guerilla linguistique, etc.). 2. Permettre une analyse prudente et progressive des textes au programme en privilégiant l’aspect découverte d’un mode d’écriture et insister sur l’universalité de l’approche de la lecture méthodique qui se construit au contact de références littéraires et théoriques quelle qu’en soit l’origine (intertextualité, thématiques de l’exil, de la lecture, du choix de la langue d’écriture de l’écrivain, des religions, des mythes, de la quête de l’identité. 3. favoriser une ambiance de confiance et de sérénité capable d’encourager les étudiants à s’exprimer librement en utilisant la langue française comme unique moyen de communication en classe pour les conduire progressivement à débattre et écrire dans cette langue qu’ils cherchent à maîtriser. Les oeuvres au programme sont:

Rachid MIMOUNI, Une peine à vivre (1991)

Souad BAHECHAR. Ni fleurs, ni couronnes (2000)

Assia DJEBAR, La Disparition de la langue française (2003).

Abdelkébir KHATIBI. Pèlerinage d’un artiste amoureux (2003).

Colette FELLOUS, Aujourd’hui (2005)

Mohamed LEFTAH, Au bonheur des limbes (2006).

Abdelfattah KILITO. Le Cheval de Nietzsche (2007) HIST 310: Contemporary History of Morocco and North Africa (History 310; 3 credits) This course focuses on the evolution of modern Morocco, specifically Morocco's integration into the world system during the last two centuries and its influence on traditional society and state growth. Major topics include the traditional Moroccan society and state, Moroccan reactions to Western expansion, Morocco under colonial rule, the emergence of nationalism, politics and society after independence, and the Islamist revival.


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HIST 320: The Islamic World and the West (History 320; 3 credits) In this course students will examine the historical background of relations between Islam and Europe from the 7th century to the present in order for them to understand better the present debate over the Clash of Civilizations thesis. The initial Islamic expansion, the Crusades and the confrontation between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburgs took place during an extended period that was also marked by major cultural exchanges in art, architecture, philosophy and other fields. Later, imperialism and colonization added new dimensions to the interaction and new forms of Islamic reform and extremism developed in response to growing materialism, the spread of European mores and values, and the imbalance of power between East and West from the 19th century on. The rise of al-Qaeda and the September 11, 2001 attacks once again hardened relations between the Islamic world and the West. Morocco’s Jewish Heritage (History 340; 3 credits) Jews have lived in Morocco for nearly two millennia, and Morocco’s Jewish community, which once numbered more than 250,000, remains the largest in the Muslim world. In this course the history, culture, religious practices, economic activity, language, and living conditions of the Jewish minority in Morocco are examined in detail. Among the specific elements treated in the course are the origins of Morocco’s Jewish community at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple, its development under Muslim rule, and connections with the Jews of Muslim Spain. In addition, students will explore Sephardic religious beliefs and practices and rites of passage as practiced by Moroccan Jews. Lastly, the course will address the economic life of the Jewish community, the relationship between the community and Morocco’s Muslim rulers, life in the Jewish quarters of Moroccan cities (mellahs) and in villages in the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. The course concludes with an examination of the position of Moroccan Jews today both in Morocco and in the other countries where they live, particularly France, Israel, Canada, and the United States. MENA 310: Contemporary Moroccan Culture (MENA Studies 310; 3 credits) This course introduces visiting US-American students to the different facets of contemporary Moroccan culture. Being caught between the North and the South, the East and the West, Moroccan culture has embraced a wide diversity of cultural variants and has integrated them into a homegrown cultural hybrid. Pre-Islamic, African, Berber, European, and modern technological cultures have intermingled to create contemporary Moroccan society. This hybridizing process has resulted in a number of fascinating mixes and paradoxes (linguistic, cultural, religious, ethnic, and political). Among the topics covered in this course are Moroccan traditional culture in the cyber age; current popular culture: religious rituals; youth culture; media culture of newspapers, T.V., and radio stations; the impact of modernization on Moroccan social practices; perceptions of time, space and the body; changes in the culture of womanhood; recent reforms in Morocco (education, women, human rights, labor laws); culture of dress, fashion, and traditional clothing; arts, music, and painting; intellectual production in different areas; the language question (Arabic, Amazigh, French, English…); and facing globalization: the Moroccans' conception of the past, the present, and the future (religious, cultural, philosophical, and political implications). MENA 311: Amazigh History and Culture (MENA Studies 311; 3 credits) This course outlines the history of the Imazighen (or Berbers, North Africa’s indigenous people) since ancient times. It covers how early Berbers founded the scattered Libyan kingdoms of classical antiquity, later interacting with outsiders (Phoenician, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Vandal, Byzantine) until the decisive Arab conquest. It then traces their adaptation to Arab culture and Islam, highlighted by the prestigious medieval Berber empires that made a bilingual Arabo-Berber Morocco a force to be reckoned with in the Mediterranean world, and the all-pervading growth of Sufism, before an inward-looking sultanate in decline (XVIIth-XIXth centuries) paved the way for colonial domination. The remainder of the course is devoted to the linguistic erosion suffered by the Berber tongue, the anti-colonial resistance period (1908-1934), not to mention the Amazigh renaissance of the post-1980s and today’s identity crisis. Although not a language course, some rudiments of Tamazight (Berber) will be imparted, together with its oral poetry. The course will basically consist of lectures, with assigned readings and preparation for oral presentations by students, plus oral question-and-answer sessions, relevant power-point projections, and scope for one or two field-trips into the Middle Atlas. It is also imperative that time be allotted for instructor to meet students and provide advice with research papers.


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MENA 390: Community-Based Learning in the MENA Region (MENA Studies 390; 3 credits) This course is designed to enhance students’ critical and analytical intercultural communication skills with the aim of developing intercultural competence. This is accomplished through course work and practical engagement with host country society in private, official, and semi-official environments. Guided and facilitated by the course instructor, students are expected to spend a minimum of six to seven hours at their community placement work-site each week and submit journal entries reflecting on their experiences. At the end of the semester they design and deliver a final Community-Based Learning project to be shared with a larger audience. Through their experiential education, students develop their intercultural competence which is a valuable asset in the global marketplace. POLS 310: Political Systems of the Maghrib (Political Science 310; 3 credits) This course is an overview of Maghribi politics with a focus on the political dynamics and system of post-independence Morocco. It begins with the historical background of the region (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya) focusing on the 20th century. Then it moves on to an outline of the general conditions that shape the formation of modern Maghribi states: colonial and international interests, regional geopolitics, anti-colonialism and the impact of Arab nationalism, cultural factors including Berberism, the conflict over the western Sahara and the rise of Islamism. Case studies of Maghribi political systems will create a comparative perspective with other states in the Arab world. Following this introductory and comparative look, the course will focus on the Moroccan political system from the 1950s to the present. In a historical perspective, this part will investigate the evolution of the kingdom from the authoritarianism of the “years of lead” to a relative democracy at the turn of the century. This course will examine also the interplay of the monarchy, the political parties, civil society organizations and the Islamist movements.

POLS 312: The Arab Spring: Revolution and Reform in the Arab World (Political Science 312; 3 credits) Beginning in December 2010, movements for political reform in the Arab world engulfed the region in a sea of change. This outpouring led to unprecedented outcomes across the region from the January 2011 Jasmine Revolution that forced Tunisia’s President Zine Eddine Ben Ali to flee to the Egyptian Revolution that toppled President Hosni Mubarak after 18 days of demonstrations centered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Protest movements seeking greater democracy and accountability arose in virtually every corner of the Arab world. The demands for change have led to both peaceful and violent demonstrations of varying intensity in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen. Students will examine the conditions that led to the Arab Spring uprisings through a series of case studies including Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Topics covered include conditions that preceded the uprisings, regime reactions, the role of external players, and prospects for the future. POLS 335: U.S. Relations with the Arab/Muslim World (Political Science 335; 3 credits) This course will introduce students to United States relations with the Muslim world with a focus on the Maghreb. The Maghreb countries—Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania—have unique histories, politics, and cultures where contestation, change, and dynamic political culture affect domestic, regional, and international politics in misunderstood and underappreciated ways. Topics and approaches to these topics will include the politics and international relations of democratization in the Arab world, the history of Islam and Empire; the legacies of colonialism, nationalism, and postcolonialism (including subaltern studies); Islamism; women’s issues; the politics of identity; demographics and youth issues; U.S. perceptions of and relations with the Muslim world in the context of the war on terror; regional views of U.S. foreign policy; international political economy; and efforts at regional (re)integration. Core and primary source material will feature Maghrebi perspectives and debates and local political and cultural production. POLS 360: Morocco and Africa (Political Science 360; 3 credits) This course aims to explain the African roots of the Maghrib, in addition to its Mediterranean and Arab/Muslim dimensions. It also connects its overall relationship between the Maghrib and the rest of the African continent.


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The course also addresses the cultural diversity of the regions. The approach addresses current issues in the economic, political, and historical relationships between the Maghrib and sub-Saharan Africa. RELG 340: Islamic Reform and Islamism (Religion 340; 3 semester credits) Since the 19th century, Islamic reformism has emerged as a response to the challenges of modern times in the Islamic world. Muslim intellectuals presented a number of theories to explain the relative decline of Islamic civilization vis à vis the West. As a result, reforming Islam and improving the living standards of contemporary Muslims have become fundamental issues in Islamic thought. This course examines the different responses and attitudes expressed by eminent Islamic modernist thinkers and the religious movements that have emerged over the past two centuries – conservative, fundamentalist, Salafist, Islamist, and radical to name a few – and their approaches to the reformation of Islamic thought and action. RELG 360: Islam in Morocco Today (Religion 360, 3 credits) This course sheds light on how Islam is lived and practiced in contemporary Morocco. Building on an analysis of the foundations of the Islamic legal system, the main focus of the course is on the practice of Islam in Morocco today. Although the main analysis is done on the basis of Sunni Islam, Shi’i Islam and Sufism are also discussed and contrasted with Sunni practice. Islamic philosophy is discussed as an important consequence of the spread of Islam and interaction of Muslims with other cultures and civilizations. Focus is then placed on Morocco per se, its history, religious institutions, political system, social constructs, and cultural idiosyncrasies, which all stem from its general Islamic background. Such issues as extremism, economics, women’s status are presented and discussed from the Islamic perspective. WMST 311: Gender, Islam, and Society (Women’s Studies 311; 3 credits) This course will take a multidisciplinary look at gender within the context of Muslim majority countries with a particular focus on Morocco. A major part of the course will be fieldwork oriented. Some of the class sessions will be visits to women’s associations, both secular and Islamic. Discussion will focus on the processes of empowerment and disempowerment that are engendered by Islamic and secular women’s activism in Morocco. The overall objective is introduce students to contemporary scholarship on women’s issues, feminist activism in both a secular and Islamic context and the nature of women’s engagement with power in the Islamic world. In addition to fieldwork visits to some Moroccan women’s associations, students will read texts written by academic and activist feminists.


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Semester Courses: Regional Studies in French

The AMIDEAST Education Abroad Regional Studies in French Program in Rabat offers a diverse set of courses taught in French on Morocco in its Muslim, Arab, African and Mediterranean contexts. In addition, students learn Moroccan Arabic and have the opportunity to study Modern Standard Arabic if they so desire. Students in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Regional Studies in French Program in Rabat carry a 15 credit hour load each semester. All students enroll in Moroccan Arabic and select other courses from offerings taught in French covering such diverse topics as Islam, Women in the Muslim World, North African cinema, the history and politics of Morocco and Morocco’s relationships with its European, Mediterranean and African neighbors. Students must have at least intermediate-high proficiency in French on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) scale to enroll in the program. Students who wish may also enroll in Modern Standard Arabic, which is offered at seven different levels. All courses, other than Moroccan and Modern Standard Arabic, are taught in French exclusively for the AMIDEAST program, and students take classes only with other program participants. Développement économique au Moyen-Orient et en Afrique du Nord (Economie 321; 3 crédits) Ce cours examinera des questions relatives au développement social, économique et politique dans la région MENA, à travers une lentille multidisciplinaire. Et comme ce cours vise également à aborder le côté pratique du développement et de sa mise en œuvre, des visites de terrain seront organisées, ainsi que des conférenciers provenant de diverses organisations travaillant dans le domaine du développement seront invités. Les étudiants seront orientés vers des lectures indicatives sur les sujets de leur intérêt. Ils seront aussi encouragés à explorer des sujets plus profondément, en particulier en utilisant des exemples de problèmes concrets et des questions politiques, tout en cherchant des resources et des rapports de données primaires. Il n'y a aucun pré-requis particulier pour ce cours; les études en sciences sociales, toutefois élémentaires, obtenus dans des disciplines telles que l'économie, les sciences politiques, ou les relations internationales avec un intérêt particulier pour les questions du Moyen-Orient et de l’Afrique du nord contemporain peuvent être considérées comme des atouts pour l'étudiant. Le cours peut aussi être de grande valeur pour les étudiants qui voudront entreprendre des études politiques, économiques, et sociales portant sur le «Tiers Monde» et son développement. ECON 340: Le Maroc et l'Europe: Economie et Politique (Economics 340; 3 credits) Ce cours vise à décrire et à analyser les différentes étapes de la politique européenne à l'égard du Maroc et ce, plus précisément depuis le processus de Barcelone de 1995. Cette politique économique est jalonnée par un certain nombre d'enjeux, de contraintes et d'opportunités pour les deux parties marocaine et européenne. Le cours visera à la fois une analyse critique de cette politique et tentera d'aborder l'implicite de cette politique en termes d'intérêts différentiés/mutuels que de valeurs partagées. FREN 411: Littératures Francophones du Maghreb (French 411; 3 credits) Ce séminaire s’adresse aux étudiants qui souhaitent découvrir une nouvelle forme d’écriture romanesque francophone du Maghreb, améliorer leur prise de parole en français et aborder la littérature comme vecteur permettant d’interroger une société et à travers elle, un mode de pensée et de culture artistique, religieuse, spirituelle et mythique. Ce séminaire vise trois objectifs: 1. Présenter l’historique des littératures francophones du Maghreb (histoire de la colonisation française, mouvements politiques qui ont déterminé l’engagement en littérature, le genre autobiographique comme modèle de société, esthétiques de la langue française comme guerilla linguistique, etc.). 2. Permettre une analyse prudente et progressive des textes au programme en privilégiant l’aspect découverte d’un mode d’écriture et insister sur l’universalité de l’approche de la lecture méthodique qui se construit au contact de références littéraires et théoriques quelle qu’en soit l’origine (intertextualité, thématiques de l’exil, de la lecture, du choix de la langue d’écriture de l’écrivain, des religions, des mythes, de la quête de l’identité. 3. favoriser une ambiance de confiance et de sérénité capable d’encourager les étudiants à s’exprimer librement en utilisant la langue française comme unique moyen de communication en classe pour les conduire progressivement à débattre et écrire dans cette langue qu’ils cherchent à maîtriser. Les oeuvres au programme sont:


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Rachid MIMOUNI, Une peine à vivre (1991)

Souad BAHECHAR. Ni fleurs, ni couronnes (2000)

Assia DJEBAR, La Disparition de la langue française (2003).

Abdelkébir KHATIBI. Pèlerinage d’un artiste amoureux (2003).

Colette FELLOUS, Aujourd’hui (2005)

Mohamed LEFTAH, Au bonheur des limbes (2006).

Abdelfattah KILITO. Le Cheval de Nietzsche (2007) MENA 390: Community-Based Learning in the MENA Region (MENA Studies 390; 3 credits) This course is designed to enhance students’ critical and analytical intercultural communication skills with the aim of developing intercultural competence. This is accomplished through course work and practical engagement with host country society in private, official, and semi-official environments. Guided and facilitated by the course instructor, students are expected to spend a minimum of six to seven hours at their community placement work-site each week and submit journal entries reflecting on their experiences. At the end of the semester they design and deliver a final Community-Based Learning project to be shared with a larger audience. Through their experiential education, students develop their intercultural competence which is a valuable asset in the global marketplace. POLS 310: Systèmes Politiques au Maghreb (Political Science 310; 3 credits) Ce cours s’intéresse aux systèmes politiques maghrébins en focalisant l’attention sur la vie politique depuis l’indépendance en Algérie, au Maroc et en Tunisie. Pour cet effet, le cours commence par un cadrage théorique et méthodologique par le traitement du concept de "système politique", de "vie politique" et de "dynamique politiques" à l’œuvre dans les sociétés maghrébines de nos jours. Ensuite, il étudie le contexte historique nord-africain depuis le début du20éme siècle, et esquisse les conditions générales qui ont conditionné le processus de formation et d'évolution des Etats du Maghreb. Pour ce faire, les mouvements sociaux, politiques et culturels dans les trois pays seront étudiés, à savoir les mouvements nationalistes, les mouvements Amazighs (surtout en Algérie et au Maroc), les mouvements féministes, et finalement les mouvements des jeunes pour la démocratie. Le reste du cours se concentre sur le système politique marocain et son évolution depuis l'indépendance (1956) à nos jours (2011). Du point de vue socio-historique, cette partie du cours étudiera le passage de l'autoritarisme à la démocratie à travers l'institutionnalisation progressive de la représentation des citoyens et la réforme constitutionnelle. L'interaction entre la monarchie, les partis politiques et la société civile seront également étudiées. L'objectif étant de mieux comprendre les subtilités du système politique marocain et l'actualité politique depuis l’adoption de la nouvelle constitution comme réaction aux demandes pressantes du mouvement du 20 Février appréhendé comme prolongement des actions collectives qui balayent les régimes autoritaires de la région MENA. POLS 360: Le Maroc et l'Afrique (Political Science 360; 3 credits) Ce cours tend à démontrer l’enracinement de l’Afrique du Nord au sein du continent africain, en plus des autres dimensions de cette région que ce soit la méditerranéenne ou arabo-musulmane. Aussi il permet de retracer l’histoire générale et globale des relations entre les deux espaces, pour une meilleure connaissance du continent africain dans sa multiplicité humaine et culturelle et une approche plus pragmatique des questions africaines du temps présent en relation avec les différents passés et histoires. RELG 310: Introduction a l’Islam (Religon 310; 3 credits ) Ce cours offre une introduction à L'Islam comme une tradition religieuse prophétique. Il explore les différentes étapes de la naissance et l’évolution de cette religion et les façons dont les musulmans ont interprété et mis en pratique le message prophétique à travers des analyses historiques. Le cours essayera aussi d’expliquer les sources et de la religion qui gouverne la pratique religieuse au Maroc. Le cours se concentre en particulier sur les périodes classiques et modernes de l'histoire islamiques au Maroc comme exemple d’un Islam plus tolérant. WMST 311: Femmes, Islam et Politique (Women’s Studies 311; 3 credits)


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Le cours adoptera une approche pluridisciplinaire aux questions relatives au genre dans le contexte des pays à majorité musulmane en générale et du Maroc en particulier. Nous allons lire des textes écrits par des académiciens et activistes œuvrant pour les droits des femmes, qui adoptent différentes positions en ce qui concerne lìslam et les droits humains des femmes. En plus d`étudier et de discuter des textes érudits sur le genre et lìslam, une grande partie du cours prendra la forme de travail de terrain, notamment par la visite dàssociations féministes ou féminines à caractère séculier ou islamique/islamistes. Le but est dàvoir une idée globale de la diversité de làctivisme féminin au Maroc et des différents chemins empruntés dans le processus de réforme. Sexualité, Femme et Religion dans le Monde Arabo-Islamique (Women’s Studies 312; 3 credits) Ce cours présentera les relations qui existent entre les thématiques sensibles de la sexualité, de la femme et de la religion en Islam. A partir d’études anthropo-sociologiques de terrain, le cours présentera des données qualitatives et quantitatives sur ces trois champs du savoir. Il montrera aussi comment les champs de la sexualité et de la femme sont régulés par la religion au niveau des normes tout en s’en libérant au niveau des pratiques sans pour autant atteindre le stade de la sécularisation. WMST 312: Sexualité, Femme et Religion dans le Monde Arabo-Islamique (Women’s Studies 312; 3 credits) Ce cours présentera les relations qui existent entre les thématiques sensibles de la sexualité, de la femme et de la religion en Islam. A partir d’études anthropo-sociologiques de terrain, le cours présentera des données qualitatives et quantitatives sur ces trois champs du savoir. Il montrera aussi comment les champs de la sexualité et de la femme sont régulés par la religion au niveau des normes tout en s’en libérant au niveau des pratiques sans pour autant atteindre le stade de la sécularisation.


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All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic (5 credits) at a level appropriate to their proficiency, to be determined by the results of a placement exam administered prior to departure.

Colloquial Moroccan Arabic (3 credits) instruction begins during on-site Orientation and continues throughout the semester. Students are placed in classes appropriate to their previous knowledge of Arabic (Arabic 111, Arabic 211, or Arabic 311).





Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 102: Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) The course is designed to reinforce and continue fulfilling the objectives set for Arabic 101 in terms of meeting the students’ needs to be able to communicate using Modern Standard Arabic in basic daily life situations. Further this course will help students move to intermediate level, where they can read, listen, and discuss some topics of professional interest. This course focuses on developing the four skills of Arabic: listening, speaking, reading and writing with different levels of focus. In addition to the main textbook, other materials are provided to supplement the textbooks. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition, Chapters 6-13. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Activate the learned vocabulary through interactive activities • Understand basic grammatical structures in Arabic • Produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative discourse in speaking • Express their opinions and show their preferences using structured language • Follow and understand short written and spoken texts in the news in the TV • Read mid- size texts, using skimming techniques appropriate for their level • Learn more aspects of Arabic culture Primary textbooks for Arabic 102:




Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty


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ARAB 201: Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 5 credits) This course is designed to reinforce all the linguistic skills at both the reception and production levels, with special importance given to the development of reading skills. Students will learn to converse on a variety of topics, narrate, and read authentic material in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In addition, in this course, students will learn a majority of the basic structures of MSA which will allow them to accomplish more complicated linguistic tasks. Students will also be exposed to many aspects of Arabic culture. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition (in PDF), Chapters 14-20. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Use basic conversational tasks successfully in different social situations • Understand and correctly use basic grammatical rules in producing written and spoken Arabic • Read mid-size texts • Extract the main ideas of non-technical texts • Extract the main points in video materials and be able to discuss important ideas • Develop conversational skills using a variety of language functions (e.g., description, comparison, cause





simple contemporary poetry, and topics on Arab culture • Write both informal and formal letters • Write medium length compositions on familiar topics, including descriptions and short narratives • Master and distinguish Arabic sentence structures • Understand and construct simple paragraphs and simple texts • Enrich his/her vocabulary • Understand some Arabic spoken situations • Read and understand short paragraphs and short texts • Write correct sentences and correct paragraphs and short texts • Begin to acquire more developed ideas about Arab and Islamic culture • Begin to master the Arabic verb system.


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Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 302: Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 5 credits) This course provides additional practice at the advanced level to help students attain a higher level skill of development (e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing) and linguistic accuracy in Modern Standard Arabic. The teaching and learning process in this course is communication-based and the emphasis is placed more on context rather than grammatical rules. At this level, the student is more autonomous and responsible for his/her own learning, preparing texts, explaining vocabulary and summarizing. The course provides students with the opportunity to examine in depth Arabic cultural heritage, Arab world politics, women’s issues and sustainable development concerns. Students are required to watch TV broadcasts of cultural, historical and religious programs, analyze more complex texts and present their analysis orally in class, and engage in lengthy discussions with other classmates. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Three, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5, with local supplementary materials. By the completion of the course, students will: • Expand their vocabulary to include words that allow them to read, listen, speak and write about topics of


points of view


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• Apply grammatical knowledge as one of the analytical tools in comprehending reading texts • Produce lengthy descriptive and argumentative discourse in speaking • Summarize texts and express their points of view in writing and speaking • Write about a variety of topics with precision and detail • Interact with native speakers and engage in discussions of contemporary issues. Primary textbooks for Arabic 302:




nd

Edition) will also be used, but not as a primary textbook. ARAB 111: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic I (Arabic 111; 3 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures of colloquial Arabic used frequently in everyday life. Students practice these skills in class and then they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with local Moroccans. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in colloquial Arabic with Moroccans. ARAB 211: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic II (Arabic 211; 3 credits) The course introduces and builds on the student’s colloquial Arabic skills in a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Focus is given to strengthening student’s ability to converse with greater ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and social situations of the Intermediate level. These situations may include the exchange of basic information related to work, school, recreation, and describing one’s personal interests. Course content also deepens student’s exposure to colloquial Arabic through more complex tasks, such as securing lodging, transportation, shopping and general areas where a greater array of instructions and directions are involved. ARAB 311: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic III (Arabic 311; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Moroccans in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. ARAB 312: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic IV (Arabic 312; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic study vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life at an advanced level. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in


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conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Students will strengthen their all-around fluency and conversational skills in a wide range of daily situations and common tasks, whether in the home, school, markets, workplace and leisure activities, as well as to events of current, public, and personal interest. Students will also learn to converse and describe all major time frames (past, present, and future) as well as to contribute to conversations on a variety of familiar topics, with a high degree of accuracy, clarity and precision. This course aims also to make students readily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives and able to state an opinion or cite conditions. ARAB 215: Media Arabic I (Arabic 215; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 102; Co-requisite: Arabic 201 or Arabic 202) The course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 216: Media Arabic IA (Arabic 216; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST's Arabic 202 or higher; Co-requisite Arabic 301 or higher) This accelerated course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 315 Media Arabic II (Arabic 315; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 215, Arabic 216, or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This course exposes students to the Arabic used in the media. It focuses on mastering basic vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, developing the ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, developing the ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing short summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media. Arab 316: Media Arabic III (Arabic 316; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 315 or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This is an advanced course for students who have taken at least two media Arabic courses previously. This course exposes students to the Arabic used in opinion pieces and on electronic media (radio, television, documentaries, etc.) and focuses on mastering vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media.


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Semester/Academic Year at Al-Akhawayn University

The AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Ifrane offers a diverse curriculum through direct enrollment at Al Akhawayn University (AUI), a private Moroccan university patterned on the American model of higher education. Students on the program will live in residence halls on the 98-acre AUI campus, which includes modern classroom buildings and dormitories, as well as a library and IT facilities, sports facilities, and a student center including dining halls.

Pre-Session in Rabat

The AMIDEAST program at AUI begins with a 2- to 3-week academic pre-session in Morocco’s capital city of Rabat. The pre-session consists of the following elements:

A 3-semester credit hour course on Moroccan Arabic and Culture, including 35 hours of instruction in Moroccan Arabic and 10 hours of instruction on Moroccan culture

Accommodation and meals with a Moroccan host family

Cultural orientation

Visits to key sites of historical and cultural significance in the Rabat area

Pre-Session Moroccan Arabic and Culture Course (3 credits) This is an integrated course encompassing both Moroccan Arabic and Moroccan culture. Students will be placed in Moroccan Arabic at a level commensurate with their previous study of Modern Standard Arabic. There will be 35 hours of instruction in Moroccan Arabic together with a series of 10 lectures on Moroccan culture during the three-week program. Precise topics for the lectures are determined about one month before the Pre-Session begins.

Colloquial Moroccan Arabic I Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Moroccans. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Moroccan Arabic with native speakers. Living with a Moroccan family provides daily opportunity for practice. Colloquial Moroccan Arabic II Students who have already studied Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life in Morocco. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Moroccans. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in simple as well as complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Moroccan Arabic with native speakers about non-academic topics. Living with a Moroccan family provides daily opportunity for practice. Colloquial Moroccan Arabic III Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in Moroccan everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Moroccans. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Moroccan Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Living with a Moroccan family provides daily opportunity for practice.

Summer Courses

Moroccan Arabic and Culture


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Students enrolled in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Moroccan Arabic and Culture Program in Rabat take one 3-credit course combining 35 hours of Moroccan Arabic with ten hours of lecture/discussion in English on different aspects of traditional and contemporary Moroccan culture. Topics covered include the Moroccan political system, women and Islam, Amazigh culture, linguistic diversity, and Moroccan history. The Colloquial Arabic portion of the course is structured to introduce students to the local spoken language, opening doors to communication with Moroccans.

ARAB 112: Moroccan Arabic and Culture (Arabic 112, 3 credits) The purpose of this course is to provide students with an introduction to Moroccan Arabic and Culture through classroom instruction in Moroccan Arabic (35 hours) and extended lectures/discussions (five lectures for a total of ten hours) on various aspects of Moroccan culture. Students are introduced to common words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday speech by Moroccans. They practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Students also attend lectures focused around many facets of Moroccan culture and have time to discuss these aspects both with each other and with faculty. Intensive Arabic The program offers two 4-week sessions, allowing a student to move through two levels in one summer. The teachers are carefully selected native speakers with excellent language teaching experience and skills. Classes meet 5 hours per day; 5 days per week. Each session therefore includes 100 hours of instruction in Modern Standard Arabic (5 credits) and Moroccan colloquial (1 credit). The curriculum is based on AMIDEAST’s Arabic Language and Culture Curriculum, which is functional and communicative in its approach.

All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic and in Colloquial Moroccan Arabic (Darija) at a level appropriate to their proficiency. MSA meets for 4 hours a day and Moroccan Arabic for 1 hour a day. Students are given placement tests prior to departure and placed in the level appropriate for their Arabic language proficiency. The following levels are offered (see course descriptions for MSA semester courses listed above):

Beginning Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 5 credits) Beginning Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 201; 5 credits) Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 202; 5 credits) Advanced Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 301; 5 credits) Advanced Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 302; 5 credits)

Colloquial Moroccan Arabic I (Arabic 110; 1 credit) Colloquial Moroccan Arabic II (Arabic 210; 1 credit) Colloquial Moroccan Arabic III (Arabic 310; 1 credit)

Colloquial Moroccan Arabic IV (Arabic 370; 1 credit)


ARAB 110: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic I (Arabic 110; 1 credit) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Moroccans. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Moroccan Arabic with native speakers. Living with a Moroccan family or in a student residence hall with Moroccan students provides daily opportunity for practice. ARAB 210: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic II (Arabic 210; 1 credit) Students who have already studied Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life in Morocco. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to


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carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Moroccans. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in simple as well as complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Moroccan Arabic with native speakers about non-academic topics. Living with a Moroccan family or in a student residence hall with Moroccan students provides daily opportunity for practice. ARAB 310: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic III (Arabic 310; 1 credit) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Moroccans in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. ARAB 370: Colloquial Moroccan Arabic IV (Arabic 370; 1 credit) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic study vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life at an advanced level. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Students will strengthen their all-around fluency and conversational skills in a wide range of daily situations and common tasks, whether in the home, school, markets, workplace and leisure activities, as well as to events of current, public, and personal interest. Students will also learn to converse and describe all major time frames (past, present, and future) as well as to contribute to conversations on a variety of familiar topics, with a high degree of accuracy, clarity and precision. This course aims also to make students readily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives and able to state an opinion or cite conditions.


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Oman Oman programs are currently suspended


Students enrolled in the AMIDEAST Education Abroad Program in Muscat carry a 14-17 credit hour course load per semester. All students enroll in two to three Arabic and two or three other Area studies courses (depending on the student’s preference) from a variety of disciplines taught in English including economics, Media Arabic, Middle East and North African studies, political science, religious studies, and women's studies

ECON 320: Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa (Economics 320; 3 credits) This course will explore issues relating to social, economic and political development in the MENA region through a multidisciplinary lens. And, as the course also aims to address the practical side of implementing development, it will depend on augmenting the classroom activities with field visits to and guest speakers from a variety of organizations working in the field of development. Students will be given indicative readings on the topics and encouraged to explore them more widely, especially by using examples of practical problems and policy questions, seeking primary data sources and reports. There are no particular prerequisites for this course; however elementary social science studies obtained in disciplines such as economics or politics or an interest in contemporary Middle East issues can be considered as foundational assets for the student. The course may also be of interest to students who are undertaking disciplinary social science degrees and who are interested in “Third World” politics or economics.

HIST 360: Globalization and the Western Indian Ocean: Its Roots and Development (History 360, 3 credits) Globalization is a powerful force within the world today that has deep historical roots. This course will focus on the history of globalization within the western Indian Ocean, with a particular emphasis on Omani and Muslim involvement in its development. Specifically, it will examine certain essential elements of globalization, including the evolution of international trade, the rise of global political entities, the acceleration of human migration, and the intercultural transmission of knowledge and technology in the region. The goal is to develop a deeper understanding of these sets of interactions that have had such a significant impact on the Middle East, East Africa and the South Asian subcontinent, and that connect the region with the rest of the world today. A combination of selected primary and secondary source readings will be assigned, as well as a research paper related to a specific aspect of globalization in the region.

MENA 340: Omani Society and Culture (MENA Studies 340; 3 credits) This course focuses on the social history and contemporary culture, in particular the expressive culture, of Oman. This course will explore Oman’s cultural role as representative of both a unique Omani identity and of Oman’s various cultural connections past and present: Muslim, Gulf, Middle Eastern, Arab and Indian Ocean, as well as its connections to east Africa and the Indian subcontinent. Woven throughout the program, students attend lectures by Omani experts and write weekly reflective essays, along with a larger Synthesis Essay, to evaluate their experiences and cultural understanding. By the end of this course, students are able to relate Omani history and social developments to broader events and trends, understand diverse Omani perspectives on social affairs and current vents, and understand the similarities and differences between their lifestyles and those of their Omani counterparts. POLS 345: The Politics of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Political Science 345; 3 credits) This course focuses on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in its regional and international contexts, particularly its

role in international affairs. The GCC has both stated and unstated goals which are examined in terms of three

main themes: economic growth; consolidation of political power (within the region and beyond) around a


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distinctively Gulf Arab-monarchical system; and competitive considerations surrounding the contestation between

Sunni and Shia branches of Islam, principally embodied in the age-old geostrategic struggle between the Gulf Arab

countries and Iran. These themes form the background for course as benchmarks against which to measure both

the prospects of the GCC and the problems and challenges it faces. These are examined in terms of four

dimensions:

1) Institutional structure, internal organization, and political culture of the GCC; including the apparent

relative stability of the monarchical system; the role of Islam, tribalism, and other tradition-based aspects

which (directly or indirectly) shape GCC policy; internal points of friction and competitive concerns within

the GCC; the proposed expansion of the GCC.

2) Political-economy of the GCC including trade; the implications of the proposed single currency; geopolitics

of the Gulf oil resource; diversification away from oil.

3) Foreign relations and defense including defense and security arrangements with foreign powers (US, EU);

bi-lateral and multi-lateral treaties; international security commitments; internal and external security

threats; the GCC and the UN.

4) Challenges and prospects going forward, with special focus on the challenges posed by the integration of

the GCC, given its distinctive political culture, into a (predominantly Western-shaped) international order.

RELG 345: Islam in Oman Today (Religion 345, 3 credits) This course examines Islam in contemporary Oman in light of the country’s history, political development and current domestic policies. The Sultanate of Oman is the only Islamic nation where Ibadi Islam is the national religion. In recent years several of the countries surrounding Oman have experienced a rise in sectarian violence and a growth in religious extremism. Oman is one of the great exceptions to this regional trend. Ibadism, in its scholastic approach to the formation of legal opinion, has been one of the sources for domestic policies that protect the peaceful coexistence between all branches of Islam and all religions. Oman has become an important focal point for the study of this interplay between a successful domestic policy of religious and ideological pluralism and its grounding in both a regionally respected school of Islam and a long history of global maritime trade. Ibadi scholars and Omani guest lecturers will supplement course discussions, visits to important Ibadi sites, and lectures and discussions. WMST 330: Women and Society in the Arab World (Women’s Studies 330; 3 credits) This course presents a multidisciplinary overview of the status of women in contemporary Arab society. It highlights the complex socio-cultural, political, and economic factors that shape the lives of Arab women. Omani guest speakers, including academics and prominent women leaders, and field visits will provide opportunities to share knowledge and experience to compliment the class readings. The overall objective is to introduce students to the breadth of scholarship on women’s issues in modern Arab societies and the diversity of Arab women’s lives challenging some of the assumptions and stereotypes of Arab women in the region and globally.


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All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic (5 credits) at a level appropriate to their proficiency, to be determined by the results of a placement exam administered prior to departure.

Colloquial Omani Arabic (3 credits) instruction begins during on-site Orientation and continues throughout the semester. Students are placed in classes appropriate to their previous knowledge of Arabic (Arabic 151, Arabic 251, or Arabic 351).





Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty ARAB 102: Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) The course is designed to reinforce and continue fulfilling the objectives set for Arabic 101 in terms of meeting the students’ needs to be able to communicate using Modern Standard Arabic in basic daily life situations. Further this course will help students move to intermediate level, where they can read, listen, and discuss some topics of professional interest. This course focuses on developing the four skills of Arabic: listening, speaking, reading and writing with different levels of focus. In addition to the main textbook, other materials are provided to supplement the textbooks. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition, Chapters 6-13. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Activate the learned vocabulary through interactive activities • Understand basic grammatical structures in Arabic • Produce a lengthy descriptive and narrative discourse in speaking • Express their opinions and show their preferences using structured language • Follow and understand short written and spoken texts in the news in the TV • Read mid- size texts, using skimming techniques appropriate for their level • Learn more aspects of Arabic culture Primary textbooks for Arabic 102:




Locally produced materials, selected by program faculty


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ARAB 201: Modern Standard Arabic III (Arabic 201; 5 credits) This course is designed to reinforce all the linguistic skills at both the reception and production levels, with special importance given to the development of reading skills. Students will learn to converse on a variety of topics, narrate, and read authentic material in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). In addition, in this course, students will learn a majority of the basic structures of MSA which will allow them to accomplish more complicated linguistic tasks. Students will also be exposed to many aspects of Arabic culture. The course will cover the material in Al-Kitaab, Part One, Second Edition (in PDF), Chapters 14-20. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Use basic conversational tasks successfully in different social situations • Understand and correctly use basic grammatical rules in producing written and spoken Arabic • Read mid-size texts • Extract the main ideas of non-technical texts • Extract the main points in video materials and be able to discuss important ideas • Develop conversational skills using a variety of language functions (e.g., description, comparison, cause





simple contemporary poetry, and topics on Arab culture • Write both informal and formal letters • Write medium length compositions on familiar topics, including descriptions and short narratives • Master and distinguish Arabic sentence structures • Understand and construct simple paragraphs and simple texts • Enrich his/her vocabulary • Understand some Arabic spoken situations • Read and understand short paragraphs and short texts • Write correct sentences and correct paragraphs and short texts • Begin to acquire more developed ideas about Arab and Islamic culture • Begin to master the Arabic verb system.


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Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 301: Modern Standard Arabic V (Arabic 301; 5 credits) This course is designed to move learners from a stage where they have achieved the basic grammatical skills to being able to use language in a wider cultural context. At this stage, learners will be widely exposed to the main issues related to the Arab world and local culture. This course adopts a skill-based approach in which learners gain mastery of the language through the use of authentic materials taken from various sources (books, periodicals, videos, and radio documentaries). The selection of the materials is based on the complexity of the tasks and the learners’ professional and personal interest. Teaching vocabulary and grammar is integrated into the skill-based activities, and it is incorporated in the class activities as an aid to overcoming any communicative problems. Teaching techniques are student-centered, with the instructor as the facilitator, and the goal of teaching to make students independent users of Arabic. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Two, Second Edition, Chapters 6-10. By the completion of the course, students will be able to: • Understand more complex grammatical structures • Listen to daily news, lectures, take notes, and make comments • Describe things that are close to them in elaborate detail • Express their own viewpoints and defend them • Behave in a linguistically appropriate manner. • Use professional vocabulary to address topics interest. • Analyze the ideas presented in a text in order to discover an author’s point of view. Primary textbooks for Arabic 301:



Audio-visual materials, texts selected by faculty from Arabic newspapers and magazines, etc. ARAB 302: Modern Standard Arabic VI (Arabic 302; 5 credits) This course provides additional practice at the advanced level to help students attain a higher level skill of development (e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing) and linguistic accuracy in Modern Standard Arabic. The teaching and learning process in this course is communication-based and the emphasis is placed more on context rather than grammatical rules. At this level, the student is more autonomous and responsible for his/her own learning, preparing texts, explaining vocabulary and summarizing. The course provides students with the opportunity to examine in depth Arabic cultural heritage, Arab world politics, women’s issues and sustainable development concerns. Students are required to watch TV broadcasts of cultural, historical and religious programs, analyze more complex texts and present their analysis orally in class, and engage in lengthy discussions with other classmates. This course covers the material in Al-Kitaab, Part Three, Second Edition, Chapters 1-5, with local supplementary materials. By the completion of the course, students will: • Expand their vocabulary to include words that allow them to read, listen, speak and write about topics of


points of view • Apply grammatical knowledge as one of the analytical tools in comprehending reading texts


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• Produce lengthy descriptive and argumentative discourse in speaking • Summarize texts and express their points of view in writing and speaking • Write about a variety of topics with precision and detail • Interact with native speakers and engage in discussions of contemporary issues. Primary textbooks for Arabic 302:




nd

Edition) will also be used, but not as a primary textbook. ARAB 151: Colloquial Omani Arabic I (Arabic 151; 3 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures of colloquial Arabic used frequently in everyday life. Students practice these skills in class and then they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with local Omanis. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in colloquial Arabic with Omanis. ARAB 251: Colloquial Omani Arabic II (Arabic 251; 3 credits) The course introduces and builds on the student’s colloquial Arabic skills in a variety of uncomplicated communicative tasks in straightforward social situations. Focus is given to strengthening student’s ability to converse with greater ease and confidence when dealing with most routine tasks and social situations of the Intermediate level. These situations may include the exchange of basic information related to work, school, recreation, and describing one’s personal interests. Course content also deepens student’s exposure to colloquial Arabic through more complex tasks, such as securing lodging, transportation, shopping and general areas where a greater array of instructions and directions are involved. ARAB 351: Colloquial Omani Arabic III (Arabic 311; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Omani in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic ARAB 352: Colloquial Omani Arabic IV (Arabic 352; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic and Omani Arabic study vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life at an advanced level. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Students


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will strengthen their all-around fluency and conversational skills in a wide range of daily situations and common tasks, whether in the home, school, markets, workplace and leisure activities, as well as to events of current, public, and personal interest. Students will also learn to converse and describe all major time frames (past, present, and future) as well as to contribute to conversations on a variety of familiar topics, with a high degree of accuracy, clarity and precision. This course aims also to make students readily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives and able to state an opinion or cite conditions. ARAB 215: Media Arabic I (Arabic 215; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 102; Co-requisite: Arabic 201 or Arabic 202) The course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 216: Media Arabic IA (Arabic 216; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST's Arabic 202 or higher; Co-requisite Arabic 301 or higher) This accelerated course introduces students to the Arabic used in the media. The course is designed to assist students to read simple news items in different newspapers from Arab countries; listen to and understand broadcast news; and understand the role of media in shaping Arab thought. This course utilizes the book Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News (Revised Edition) by Alaa Elgibali and Nevenka Korica in addition to authentic materials, with an emphasis on the local media. ARAB 315 Media Arabic II (Arabic 315; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 215, Arabic 216, or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This course exposes students to the Arabic used in the media. It focuses on mastering basic vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, developing the ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, developing the ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing short summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media. Arab 316: Media Arabic III (Arabic 316; 3 credits; Prerequisite: Mastery of the material covered in AMIDEAST’s Arabic 315 or the equivalent; Co-requisite Arabic 202 or higher) This is an advanced course for students who have taken at least two media Arabic courses previously. This course exposes students to the Arabic used in opinion pieces and on electronic media (radio, television, documentaries, etc.) and focuses on mastering vocabulary commonly used in Arab print and electronic media, ability to read and understand Arabic newspapers without using a dictionary, ability to listen to radio and television news broadcasts, writing summaries of news articles and broadcasts, and discussing current economic, political and social issues covered in the Arabic media. All of the material used is authentic, with an emphasis on the local opinion pieces and advanced news from local media.


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Summer Courses

Intensive Arabic The program offers two 4-week sessions, allowing a student to move through two levels in one summer. The teachers are carefully selected native speakers with excellent language teaching experience and skills. Classes meet 5 hours per day; 5 days per week. Each session therefore includes 100 hours of instruction in Modern Standard Arabic (5 credits) and Colloquial Omani Arabic (1 credit). The curriculum is based on AMIDEAST’s Arabic Language and Culture Curriculum, which is functional and communicative in its approach.

All students enroll in Modern Standard Arabic and in Colloquial Omani Arabic at a level appropriate to their proficiency. MSA meets for 4 hours a day and Moroccan Arabic for 1 hour a day. Students are given placement tests prior to departure and placed in the level appropriate for their Arabic language proficiency. The following levels are offered (see course descriptions for MSA semester courses listed above):

Beginning Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 101; 5 credits) Beginning Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 102; 5 credits) Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 201; 5 credits) Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 202; 5 credits) Advanced Modern Standard Arabic I (Arabic 301; 5 credits) Advanced Modern Standard Arabic II (Arabic 302; 5 credits)

Colloquial Omani Arabic I (Arabic 150; 1 credit) Colloquial Omani Arabic II (Arabic 250; 1 credit) Colloquial Omani Arabic III (Arabic 350; 1 credit)


ARAB 150: Colloquial Omani Arabic I (Arabic 150; 1 credit) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Omanis. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Omani Arabic with native speakers. ARAB 250: Colloquial Omani Arabic II (Arabic 250; 1 credit) Students who have already studied Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life in Oman. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Omanis. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express facts and engage in conversations in Omani Arabic. ARAB 350: Colloquial Omani Arabic III (Arabic 350; 1 credit) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with Omani in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic ARAB 360: Colloquial Omani Arabic IV (Arabic 352; 1 credit) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic and Omani Arabic study vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life at an advanced level. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with native speakers. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions


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and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in colloquial Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Students will strengthen their all-around fluency and conversational skills in a wide range of daily situations and common tasks, whether in the home, school, markets, workplace and leisure activities, as well as to events of current, public, and personal interest. Students will also learn to converse and describe all major time frames (past, present, and future) as well as to contribute to conversations on a variety of familiar topics, with a high degree of accuracy, clarity and precision. This course aims also to make students readily understood by native speakers unaccustomed to dealing with non-natives and able to state an opinion or cite conditions.


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Tunisia Tunisia programs are currently suspended

Summer Courses: Learn & Serve

Learn & Serve in Tunisia is a unique summer education abroad opportunity for undergraduate students to study in the Middle East/North Africa region and engage in an intense service learning experience with Tunisian university students. The program includes a study component on Tunisian culture and society, a service learning component as native speaker resource persons in an English immersion program for Tunisian university students, and intense and sustained interaction with Tunisian university students.

Students enrolled in Learn & Serve take two academic courses: Tunisian Society and Culture and either Tunisian Arabic I or Tunisian Arabic II (depending on previous background in Arabic)

ANTH 320: Tunisian Society and Culture: Locating Tunisia (Anthropology 320; 3 credits) This course focuses on the social history and contemporary culture, in particular the expressive culture, of Tunisia as representative of both a unique Tunisian identity and of Tunisia’s various cultural connections past and present: Muslim, African, Middle Eastern, Arab and Mediterranean. Woven throughout both Learn and Serve portions of the program, students attend lectures by Tunisian experts and write weekly reflective essays, and a larger Synthesis Essay, to evaluate their experiences and cultural understanding. By the end of this course, students are able to relate Tunisian history and social developments to broader events and trends, understand diverse Tunisian perspectives on social affairs and current events, and understand the similarities and differences between their lifestyles and those of their Tunisian counterparts. ARAB 161: Colloquial Tunisian Arabic I (Arabic 161; 3 credits) Students are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Tunisians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express basic facts and opinions in simple sentences, and engage in basic conversations in Tunisian Arabic with native speakers. ARAB 261: Colloquial Tunisian Arabic II (Arabic 261; 3 credits) Students who have already studied Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to words, expressions, and structures used frequently in everyday life in Tunisia. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Tunisians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask essential questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in simple as well as complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Tunisian Arabic with native speakers about non-academic topics.

ARAB 361: Colloquial Tunisian Arabic III (Arabic 361; 3 credits) Students with a strong background in Modern Standard Arabic are introduced to vocabulary, expressions, and structures used frequently in Tunisian everyday life. Students practice them in class before they are given assignments to carry out with native speakers in real situations. Evaluation combines performance in class and successful interaction with Tunisians. By the end of the course, students are able to ask questions and understand the responses, express facts and opinions in complex sentences, and engage in conversations in Tunisian Arabic with native speakers about a wide range of topics, both academic and non-academic. Living in Tunisia will provide daily opportunity to practice.

AMIDEAST Education Abroad Course Catalog...Arabic language instruction in both Modern Standard and Colloquial Arabic Program-related excursions Facilitated dialogue discussions with

Documents