54
Arabic Language and Literature
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students are expected to have developed advanced intermediate skills in various areas of competence, including reading comprehension (understanding written texts), listening comprehension (understanding spoken language), writing (composition and translation), and speaking (oral communication skills). An additional objective is to acquire specific language skills. By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- understand the main ideas of complex texts on concrete and abstract topics, as well as technical discussions in their field of specialisation
- interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes natural interaction with native speakers possible without causing strain for the other person
- produce clear, detailed texts on a wide range of subjects and explain a point of view on a topic, providing the pros and cons of various options
Autonomy of judgement:
By the end of the course, students should be able to apply the acquired skills with a critical attitude and exercise autonomy of judgement, formulating assessments even on the basis of limited or incomplete data.
Communication skills:
Students will be required to demonstrate their ability to communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions effectively in Arabic, using correct morphology and syntax. Students must demonstrate their ability to understand, analyse and translate literary texts.
Learning skills:
By the end of the course, students must demonstrate that they have acquired the critical skills necessary to find in-depth materials suitable for the programme and to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.
Course Prerequisites
Before starting the course, students must have a basic knowledge of standard Arabic morphology and have reached an intermediate level in the following areas: reading comprehension (understanding written texts), listening comprehension (understanding spoken language) and writing and speaking (oral communication skills).
Teaching Methods
The chosen teaching approach is communicative and aims to develop all four language skills — listening, speaking, reading and writing — in harmony. Students are guided through a learning process that gives equal attention to each skill.
The Arabic language course includes lectures, seminars and exercises incorporating listening, reading, comprehension and conversation activities. Students will be required to complete individual assignments or research projects on specific topics to assess the skills acquired. Self-assessment tests will be carried out throughout the course.
The course is divided as follows:
Syntax: theory and practice
Exercises A: Conversations in Standard Arabic on Specific Topics
Exercises B: Writing exercises in Arabic.
Assessment Methods
The final exam consists of a written test and an oral test, which are graded on a scale of 30. The final written test consists of comprehension and production of written texts, multiple-choice and open-ended exercises, and a syntax test on a digital platform. The oral test is designed to assess the quality of language learning through commentary and analysis of texts studied during the course, as well as through an interview in standard Arabic on topics covered during the course, conducted with both the teacher and the CELs. The student must demonstrate the ability to analyse and summarise content, provide complete information, use terminology correctly, and apply the analysis procedures and methodologies specific to the discipline.
There will be intermediate tests and presentations of papers.
Texts
Reference texts:
Maria Elena Avino, Caterina Pinto, Fares Aljaramneh, Monica Ruocco, Communicating in Arabic. Volume 3. Level B1-B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, Milan, Hoepli, 2024.
Translations and exercises from:
Jonas M. Elbousty, Muhammad Aziz, Advanced Arabic Literary Reader For Students of Modern Standard Arabic, London, Routledge, 2016.
M. Alhawary, Arabic Grammar in Context, London, Routledge, 2016.
Contents
From Maria Elena Avino, Caterina Pinto, Fares Aljaramneh, Monica Ruocco, Comunicare in arabo. Volume 3. Livello B1-B2 del Quadro Comune Europeo di Riferimento per le Lingue, Milano, Hoepli, 2024.
Unit 1: Environment and sustainability
Unit 4: Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
Unit 6: Politics
Unit 9: The digital virtual world
Unit 10: From the halāl economy to new energy sources
Syntax
From M. Alhawary, Arabic Grammar in Context, London, Routledge, 2016.
Unit 9: Adverb of manner (al-hal)
Unit 11: Adverb of specification (al-tamyiz)
Unit 12: Adverb of cause (al-maf'ul li-ajli-hi)
Unit 13:Adverb of emphasis/cognate accusative (al-maf'ul al-mutlaq)
Unit 18: Exceptive sentences (al-istithna')
Unit 19: The vocative (al-nida')
Unit 20:Exclamation (al-ta'ajjub)
Unit 21:Apposition (al-badal)
Narrative texts and elements of translation studies:
Readings from Jonas M. Elbousty, Muhammad Aziz, Advanced Arabic Literary Reader For Students of Modern Standard Arabic, London, Routledge, 2016.
Munīf, Abdulrahmān, al-Nihāyāt
Al-Sa’dāwī, Ahmad, Frankishtine
‘Ujailī, ‘Abdussalām, al-Khayl wal-Nisā’
Khūrī, Elyās, Bāb al-Shams
Al-Shaykh, Hanān, Man Yu‘allimunī al-Biyānu
Kanafānī, Ghassān, Rijāl Fī al-Shams
Sālih, al-Tayyib, Mawsim al-Hijra ilā al-Shimāl
Al-Aswānī, ‘Alā, ‘Imārat Ya‘qūbiān
Al-‘Uthmān, Layla, Wasmiyya Takhruj min al-Bahr
Course Language
Italian
More information
Although attendance at lectures is not compulsory, it is strongly recommended. Regular attendance at tutorials with the CEL is also recommended.
The programme does not distinguish between students who do not attend and Erasmus students.