Take me to the Fall Time Schedule
Arabic Placement Test
3050 Frieze
Friday, Sept. 4th
9:00-12:30 pm
100(GNE 100)/ACABS 100/HJCS 100/Hist.
132. Peoples of the Middle East. (4). (HU).
This course will survey Middle Eastern political, social and cultural history
from Sumer (3000 BC) to Khomeini's Iran (1979-89). The lectures, the readings,
the visuals (web, movies, slides) are all geared towards providing the student
with a sense of the nature of authority, political and cultural styles,
the fabric of society, attitudes and behaviors, heroes and villains, that
are and were part of the heritage of those peoples who lived in the lands
between the Nile and Oxus rivers, generally referred to as the Middle East.
Throughout the term you will have 4 quizzes (10%), a midterm (25%) and an
accumulative final exam (40%). A one page synopsis of your readings will
be due weekly for your discussion section. Cost:2
WL:3
(Babayan)
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Times, Location, and Availability
101(Arabic 101). Elementary Modern
Standard Arabic, I. (4). (LR). Laboratory fee ($12) required.
This is the first course of a two-term sequence in elementary Arabic. It
is designed for non-concentrators and those who need Arabic to fulfill the
language requirement. It provides an introduction to the phonology and script
of Modern Standard Arabic and its basic vocabulary and fundamental structures.
It offers combined training in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
There will be a focus on simple interactive communicative tasks involving
teacher-student, student-student and group interactions. Reading and cultural
skills are developed through simple short texts and situational dialogues.
There will be daily written assignments involving supplying answers to certain
drills and questions on reading comprehension passages, filling out forms,
and writing short messages and paragraphs. Evaluation will be based on class
participation, weekly achievement tests, monthly comprehensive tests, and
a final. Regular use of the language laboratory or recorded tapes for home
use is required to reinforce classwork and also to do the recorded assignments.
Textbooks: (1) Programmed Course in Modern Standard Arabic Phonology
and Script by McCarus-Rammuny, (2) Elementary Modern Standard Arabic
Part One by Abboud et al. (Lessons 1-10), (3) Supplementary Enrichment Vocabulary
to accompany EMSA by R. Rammuny, and (4) Standard Achievement Tests to accompany
EMSA by R. Rammuny. Cost:2
WL:3
(Rammuny,
Staff)
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103(Arabic 221). Intensive Elementary
Modern Standard Arabic, I. (6). (LR). Laboratory fee ($16)
required.
The sequence of Arabic 103 and 104 is designed for students concentrating
in Arabic or those who expect to use Arabic at an accelerated rate. It is
primarily intended for highly-motivated students who want to study Arabic
for academic purposes. Arabic 103 starts with an intensive introduction
to Arabic phonology and script combined with basic oral communication practice.
This is followed by short reading selections and situational dialogues including
basic vocabulary and fundamental grammatical structures. The course offers
combined training in the four language skills, plus practice in using the
Arabic dictionary. Course requirements include daily preparation of the
basic texts and grammatical explanations, extensive oral and written practice
utilizing newly learned vocabulary and structures, and written assignments.
These assignments involve answers to certain drills and reading comprehension
questions, filling out short forms, and supplying short messages and biographical
information. Course evaluation is based on class participation, daily written
assignments, weekly achievement tests, monthly comprehensive tests, and
a final examination. Textbooks:(1) Programmed Course in Modern Standard
Arabic Phonology and Script by McCarus-Rammuny, (2) Elementary
Modern Standard Arabic, Part One by Abboud et al. (Lessons 1-15), (3)
Supplementary Enrichment Vocabulary to Accompany EMSA, and (4) Standard
Achievement Tests to Accompany EMSA. Cost:2
WL:3
(Bardenstein/Farghaly)
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141(Iranian 201). Elementary Persian,
I. (4). (LR).
Persian has been called the French of the Near/Middle East. Certainly, Persia/Iran
has been in the news. Persian is an Indo-European language, related to English,
etc. Its literature, like other arts, is a major part of Near/Middle Eastern
and Muslim tradition. Persian 141 is the first term of a four-term sequence.
It takes the student through to the basic mastery of the skills of reading
and writing, and of comprehension and speaking. Cultural as well as communicative
skills are emphasized. By the end of the term the student should be well
versed in these skills. Individual students work with the instructor to
polish and improve the student's Persian language skills. The objective
is language use. Students who have special needs, such as those acquiring
the knowledge of Persian for reading purposes, only, or for communicative
skills, only, will be given special attention, and special sessions. Similarly,
students of Iranian heritage, who may know some Persian in its colloquial
form, will find the linguistic and cultural content of this course stimulating.
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151(Turkish 201). Elementary Turkish,
I. (4). (LR).
Part of the departmental sequence in modern Turkish language, this course
aims at introducing and providing the opportunity to practice the basic
structures of Turkish. Although it specifically focuses on enhancing spoken
proficiency, reading, and writing skills are taught and practiced through
special readings and written assignments. Students are evaluated in accordance
with the provisional Proficiency Guidelines prepared by the American Association
of Teachers of Turkic Languages, class participation, achievements in weekly
quizzes, a midterm, and a final examination. The required texts are named
by the person who happens to be teaching the course in a given year.
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200(Arabic 200)/Rel. 201/ACABS
200/HJCS 200. Introduction to World Religions: Near Eastern. (4).
(HU).
See Religion 201. (Williams, Jackson,
Schramm)
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201(Arabic 201). Intermediate Modern
Standard Arabic, I. APTIS 102. (4). (LR). Laboratory fee ($16)
required.
Arabic 201 continues the process of acquiring proficiency in Modern Standard
Arabic. Reading, listening, writing, and speaking skills are developed through
short texts, drill practice and interactive exercise and activities. Required
outside homework includes daily written assignments and regular use of the
tapes that accompany the course text. Evaluation is based on class participation,
quizzes, tests, and a final examination. Textbooks: (1) Elementary Modern
Standard Arabic (EMSA), Part One (Lessons 21-30), (2) Supplementary Enrichment
vocabulary to Accompany EMSA, and (3) Standard Achievement Tests to Accompany
EMSA. Cost:2
WL:3
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251(Turkish 401). Intermediate
Turkish, I. APTIS 152. (4). (LR).
Part of the department sequence in modern Turkish. Those who enroll in the
class should have completed APTIS 152 or equivalent. All participants are
tested in ascertain their levels of proficiency in the language and results
determine the strategy to be followed by the instructor. Normally the first
few weeks are devoted to structures and syntax not covered in the first
year. The text used for this is G. Lewis' Teach Yourself Turkish or its
new equivalent. M. Galin's Turkish Sampler is used for reading. The learning
is done through exercises, compositions, reading, translation and conversation.
Student evaluation is based on class performance, written work, a midterm
and final as well as a test to determine level of proficiency. (Stewart-Robinson)
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271(Slavic 271)/Armenian 271. Intermediate
Western Armenian, I. APTIS 172 or 173. (4). (LR).
This course concentrates on reading Armenian texts with commentaries on
grammatical and stylistic points, and an equal emphasis on conversation
and frequent written work. Grade is based on performance, attendance and
a final examination. The reading material consists of the literature appended
to Bardakjian's and Thomson's A Textbook of Modern Western Armenian
and a coursepack. Cost:2
(Bardakjian)
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274(Slavic 221)/Armenian 274. Armenia:
Culture and Ethnicity. (3). (HU).
This course will explore various aspects of the Christian Armenian identity,
from the earliest times to the 1990s, against a historical and political
background, with a greater emphasis on the more modern times. It will highlight
the formation of the Armenian self-image; its principle features (political,
religious, cultural); and its historical evolution in a multi-religious
and multi-national region that has undergone territorial and cultural transformations
and has experienced many conflicts, at times deadly, resulting from the
clash of national-ethnic identities and aspirations, governed and driven
by oppression, distrust, religious and cultural intolerance and aggressive
political designs to name but a few. There will be class discussions. Students
will be required to write one short term paper (5-7 pages long) and a final
paper (8-10 pages long) reflecting research on a selected topic. (Bardakjian)
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364/MENAS 334/Hist. 334. Selected
Topics in Near and Middle Eastern Studies. (3). (Excl).
See Middle Eastern and North African
Studies 334. (Cole)
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381(Arabic 440). Introduction to
Arab Literature in Translation. Taught in English. (3). (HU).
Materials in English translation will illustrate the progression of Arabic
Literary culture from the earliest recorded sources to the present. Lectures
and discussion, along with audio-visual materials, will introduce the essentials
of the history of the Arabs and the cultural context expressed in their
writings. Examination of pre-Islamic poetry will lead to discussion of the
religious and historical texts of Islam. The literary legacy of the Caliphal
period will be presented. The Arabian Nights will be seen to illustrate
the popular culture of the times. Bell-lettrist works and those of the Arab
explorers, scientists, and philosophers will be sampled. The contacts between
the Arab world and the West in the modern era will be seen to have resulted
in new departures in Arabic Literature, with the rise of the play, the short
story, and the novel. Particular attention will be given to the works of
Naguib Mahfouz, the Egyptian winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Students
will write a series of short papers commenting upon aspects of the works
assigned. Credit will also be given for attendance and for class discussion.
A professor of Arabic literature, the instructor is a much-published translator
and commentator on Arabic literature. (LeGassick)
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403(Arabic 421). Advanced Intensive
Modern Standard Arabic, I. APTIS 104 or 202. (6). (LR). Laboratory
fee ($7) required.
This course emphasizes the use of Arabic language. That is, students will
develop the ability to: (1) communicate/speak in Arabic with native speakers
of Arabic; (2) understand spoken Arabic; (3) read and understand selected
readings taken from various genres of modern prose fiction and non-fiction
as well as Arabic newspaper and magazines/ and (4) enhance writing skills.
Use of Arabic is emphasized throughout the whole course based on communicative
approaches to learning. Course grade is based on class attendance and participation,
written assignments, weekly quizzes and tests, and a final exam. Required
text: Peter Abboud et al., Elementary Modern Standard Arabic Part II
(Lessons 30-45), Supplementary Enrichment Vocabulary to Accompany EMSA,
and Standard Achievement Tests to Accompany EMSA. Successful completion
of Arabic 403 will fulfill the LSA language requirement. (Farghaly)
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431(Arabic 430). Introduction to
Arabic Linguistics. APTIS 202 or 403. Taught in English. (3).
(Excl).
Arabic 431 is designed to provide a clear understanding of the goals of
linguistic theory and training in linguistic analysis at the phonetic, phonological,
morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic levels. Differences and
similarities between traditional treatments of Arabic and recent analyses
of Arabic within the generative paradigm will be highlighted. The diverse
and dynamic linguistic situation in the Arabic World will be examined. Since
the structure of Arabic presents a challenge to most contemporary linguistic
formalisms, there will be frequent references and discussions of relevant
theoretical questions and controversial issues. Students will gain insights
into the structure of Arabic which will help those who wish to acquire the
language for communicative purposes. Students who are more interested in
applied or theoretical work in Arabic or linguistics will find the theoretical
part particularly useful. Course requirements include class participation,
readings, presentations, quizzes and writing a term paper on an aspect of
the structure of Arabic. Cost:1
WL:3 (Farghaly)
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440(Turkish 440). The Literature
of the Turks. (3). (Excl).
The objective of the course is to share information on the literary activities
of the Turkish people from 600 AD when they were in Central Asia to their
present home in Asia Minor. Taught in English with English translations
of prose and poetry, it will serve Near Eastern concentrators, undergraduates,
graduates and other interested students, to savor a literature that began
with a few "quatrains" and is, today, on a par with the best of
literatures, both in quality and quantity. Meeting three times a week, the
course will consist of lectures and discussions focusing on background,
historical contexts and critical appraisals of literary material. Students
will be expected to prepare short essays on works read and have a final
examination. WL:3
(Stewart-Robinson)
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461(GNE 442)/Hist. 442. The First
Millennium of the Islamic Near East. Junior standing. Taught
in English. (3). (Excl).
Team taught by Professors Bonner (NES and Lindner (History), this is the
first course in a two-course introductory sequence (442 and 443) that covers
Near Eastern history from the era of Muhammad to the present. Our purpose
is to introduce you to (and give you some practice in ) methods of studying
the Near East as well as to some of the content of Near Eastern history;
we expect no previous background in the field. This course begins with the
background and rise of Islam and ends in the heyday of the Ottoman Turkish
and Safavid Persian empires, circa 1700. Although the basic organization
of the course is chronological, we will discuss topics in such areas as
politics and governance, religion (formal and "folk," including
theology and mysticism), law, foreign relations and war, art and architecture,
literature, economics, and social life. The classes will include lectures
by (and probably discussions between) the instructors, and there will also
be weekly class discussion of the assigned readings. In addition to the
final examination, students will be expected to prepare two three-page exercises
based on the readings, which will consist of modern scholarly works and
translated medieval sources. WL:4
(Bonner/Lindner)
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465(GNE 483). Islamic Mysticism.
Taught in English. (3). (Excl).
Beginning with the Qur'anic origins of Islamic mysticism and its early Christian
and ascetic influences, this course will explore the central themes and
institutional forms of Sufism, a stream of Islam which stresses the esoteric
(mystical) dimensions of religious faith. It will reflect upon the inward
quest and devotions of Muslim mystics as these have been lived and expressed
in art, theology, literature, and fellowship since the 8th century BC. Concepts
of the self, divine love, self-perfection, the mystical path with its states
and stages, and mystical knowledge will be introduced through a study of
key philosophical and didactical treatises of Sufism as well as specimens
from its rich tradition of ecstatic mystical poetry. Course requirements
include three short papers, a class presentation, and a term paper. Format:
lectures and discussions. (Knysh)
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478/Armenian Studies 478. Classical
Armenian I. (3). (Excl).
This course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Classical
Armenian. Emphasis will be on grammar and readings of classical and medieval
Armenian texts. Classes will meet three times a week. Students will be assigned
homework and will be required to take a midterm and a final. Robert W. Thomson's
textbook, An Introduction to Classical Armenian and supplementary
materials will be used. (Bardakjian)
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486(GNE 446). Modern Middle Eastern
Literature. Taught in English. (3). (HU).
Section 001 - Mapping the Arab Renaissance. The different histories
of the Arab Nahdah (Renaissance)have mainly been a reflection of the different
mappings of the problematically complex relationship between the Arab World
and the West, as pivoted on the French invasion of Egypt in 1798. This course
will offer a cultural, literary reading of the Arab Renaissance from the
standpoint of its forerunners, from Al-Jabarti to Jabra, while dealing with
some of the highly ignored events of the nineteenth century that were played
down by most of the historians of the Nahdah: the publication of the Bulaq
edition of The Book of the Thousand and One Nights in 1935; Shidyaq's 1855
Al-Saq 'ala Al-Saq; the 1865 Protestant translation of the Bible into Arabic;
Bustani's Encyclopedia; the 1882 "Darwin Affair," etc.
A special emphasis will be put on the interactions between orality and literacy
within the history of narrative art in modern Arabic literature, against
the emergence of the Arabic novel as a literary genre. The course will attempt
to subvert some of the prevalent, mainly Egypt-oriented notions about the
emergence of the Arabic novel, and re-examine some of the Levantine counter-arguments.
Readings will include a course-pack and a selection (in English) of different
histories of modern Arabic literature. Students will be evaluated through
class performance, an oral presentation and a term paper. Cost:2
(Shammas)
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495(GNE 495)/WS 471/Hist. 546/Religion
496. Gender and Politics in Early Modern Islamdom. Students
should preferably have had one course in Islamic Studies. Taught in English.
(3). (Excl).
The general aim of the course is to understand gender roles in Islam, both
from a legal and religious perspective, as well as from behind the veil
and the walls of royal harems. An introduction to Muslim understandings
of gender and sex, first, through a survey of those sacred texts (Quran
& Hadith) that came to define gender as well as the roles and mores
of women and men in their relationships. Sexuality and the erotic will then
be studied through other forms of popular Islamic literature such as Tbelles
lettresU and mystical poetry. Finally, gender participation in the political
and cultural life of the Safavi, Ottoman and Mughal courts shall be explored
to view the interplay between theory and practice in early modern Islamdom.
Weekly readings and preparation for class discussions. A mid-term and final
exam. One final research paper. (Babayan)
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501(Arabic 501). Advanced Arabic
Conversation and Composition. APTIS 404. (3). (Excl).
The objectives of this course are to develop fluency and accuracy in understanding,
speaking, and writing modern standard Arabic, and to expand students' awareness
of Arab-Islamic culture and civilization. The course is based on a variety
of literary texts and authentic cultural audio-visual materials including
slides, video cassettes, and films. The course materials reflect not only
the literary but also the cultural, social, and political trends of contemporary
Arab society. Occasionally, students are required to read outside topics
and give brief presentations. Evaluation is based on daily preparations,
weekly written compositions, monthly tests, and a final paper in Arabic.
Textbook is Advanced Standard Arabic by Raji Rammuny. Parts One and Two.
(Rammuny)
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551(Turkish 511). Readings in Ottoman
Turkish. APTIS 252 and 452. (2). (Excl).
This course is the next stage in the acquisition of proficiency in the reading
and interpretation of Ottoman printed or archival material in the Arabic
script dealing with the literature and administration of the Ottoman Empire
until the early nineteenth century. The texts that are read in this course
are xeroxed and distributed in class. Evaluation varies. (Stewart-Robinson)
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561(Arabic 551). Modern Arabic
Fiction, I. APTIS 202 or 403. Taught in English. (2). (Excl).
Selected examples of contemporary imaginative prose writing, such as short
and long fiction and drama, will be studied. Readings will be in Arabic
and class discussions will be in English. (LeGassick).
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563(Arabic 553). Modern Arabic
Nonfictional Prose. APTIS 202 or 403. Taught in English. (2).
(Excl).
This course introduces the work of major Arab writers of the 19th and 20th
centuries. Variable in focus according to the interests of the class, readings
are selected for translation, analysis, and commentary. The course explores
the historical progression in the development of political and societal
theories in modern times in the Arab world. (LeGassick)
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583. Medieval Arabic Historical
and Geographical Texts. APTIS 404. (3). (Excl). May be repeated
for a total of 9 credits.
Section 001 – Arabic Biographical Texts. Biography is one
of the most distinctive genres of Arabic literature. It is also an important
element in the history and historiography of the Islamic Near East. In this
course, we read biographical texts taken from a variety of periods and genres.
Much emphasis on developing navigational skills; main requirement is a good
reading knowledge of Arabic. (Bonner)
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587/Hist. 531. Studies in Pahlavi
and Middle Persian. (3). (Excl).
This course has a two-fold aim, the introduction to the Middle Persian language,
and the vast literature written in this language by the adherents of two
world religions. Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, the small corpus of Middle
Persian inscriptions of the Sasanian dynasty. It has no prerequisites, and
is designed for the general student of linguistics, Indian linguistics,
history, comparative religion, literature and Near Eastern studies. There
will be a special additional component for language study proper. (Windfuhr)
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