54
Arabic Language and Literature
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Course Learning Objectives
The course aims to strengthen and further develop students' proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), with particular emphasis on the specialist vocabulary required in the degree programmes for which it is designed, especially in the fields of international relations, politics, the media, and the social sciences.
By the end of the course, students will have consolidated their oral and written receptive and productive language skills and expanded their specialist vocabulary. They will be able to understand and analyse authentic journalistic, political, and institutional texts; deliver a presentation in Arabic on one of the topics covered during the course; and engage in a critical discussion with a native speaker, demonstrating an appropriate command of specialist vocabulary and the formal registers of Modern Standard Arabic.
Language Proficiency Level (CEFR)
The course is designed for students working between B2 and C1 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). By the end of the course, students will be able to understand complex spoken and written texts, interact fluently and effectively in academic and professional contexts, and produce clear, well-structured oral and written texts using the appropriate registers of formal Modern Standard Arabic.
Course Prerequisites
Students are expected to have a solid command of the morphology and syntax of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), as well as a sufficiently broad vocabulary to enable them to analyse and discuss texts employing the specialist language of international relations and MENA studies.
Any additional prerequisite requirements are specified in the academic regulations of the respective degree programmes.
Teaching Methods
The course is structured around two complementary components.
Classes taught by the course instructor adopt a critical approach aimed at providing students with an in-depth understanding of the ideologies, language policies, and major sociolinguistic issues of the contemporary Arab world. Through the analysis of a wide range of authentic texts and multimedia materials, students will explore the linguistic dynamics that characterise the use of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in different communicative contexts.
Language practice sessions conducted by the Language Instructor (Collaboratore ed Esperto Linguistico, CEL) follow a communicative, student-centred approach. Students are gradually exposed to a variety of linguistic input supported by targeted preparatory activities and are encouraged to participate actively through written assignments, guided conversations, pair and group work, oral presentations, and discussions of current issues.
Particular emphasis is placed on the integrated development of the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through activities involving listening, reading, text analysis, and interaction. These sessions are conducted predominantly in Arabic, providing an immersive language-learning environment that prepares students to communicate effectively in academic and professional contexts.
Assessment Methods
Assessment consists of a written examination and an oral examination. Throughout the semester, students will complete practice exercises and formative self-assessment activities designed according to the same format as the final examination.
The written examination consists of Arabic text-comprehension exercises and multiple-choice questions covering the topics addressed during the course, administered through the Moodle platform.
The oral examination consists of three components: an oral presentation in Arabic on one of the topics covered during the course; a conversation with the Language Instructor (Collaboratore ed Esperto Linguistico, CEL) on the topics addressed during the language practice sessions; and the reading and analysis of a text in Arabic. The examination is designed to assess students' overall language proficiency, their ability to use specialist language appropriately, and their capacity to present and discuss the main course topics critically in Arabic.
Language of the examination: Arabic and Italian.
Assessment Criteria
The final grade will be based on the following criteria:
- achievement of the intended learning outcomes;
- command of the morphological and syntactic structures of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA);
- appropriate use of specialist language related to the fields covered during the course;
- ability to understand, analyse, and discuss texts in Arabic;
- overall communicative competence across the four core language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Texts
a) Mohamed, Yehia A., Arabic for Politics and International Relations, London–New York: Routledge, 2021.
b) Mohamed, Yehia A., Reading the Arab World: A Content-Based Textbook for Intermediate to Advanced Learners of Arabic, London–New York: Routledge, 2021.
Additional readings, supplementary materials, and audio-visual resources will be provided by the instructor throughout the course and made available via the Moodle platform.
Contents
The course aims to consolidate and further develop students' proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), with particular emphasis on its use in contemporary communicative contexts. Special attention will be devoted to the sociolinguistic dynamics of the Arab world, language policies, and the role of Arabic in the construction of cultural and national identities. Through the reading and analysis of authentic texts, students will explore major historical, political, social, and cultural issues related to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), while further developing the linguistic, analytical, and interpretative skills required to understand contemporary phenomena and to communicate effectively in academic and professional settings.
Course Language
Arabic; Italian
More information
The component taught by the course instructor focuses on the analysis of language policies, language ideologies, and the major sociolinguistic issues of the contemporary Arab world through the reading and discussion of selected Arabic texts related to the MENA region.
The component taught by the Language Instructor (Collaboratore ed Esperto Linguistico, CEL) is designed to consolidate students' proficiency in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and to develop the specialist language required in the fields of international relations, political science, economics, and MENA studies.
Although attendance is not compulsory, students are strongly encouraged to attend both components of the course in order to achieve an integrated development of their linguistic competence and disciplinary knowledge.