Admission requirements
This course is only available for students in the BA International Studies programme.
Description
The official language of 22 of Europe’s closest neighbors and a United Nations official language, Arabic is the 5th largest language in the world and is relevant to the studies of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia. In this course students will begin learning Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the written variety common to the 22 Arab countries, and Egyptian Arabic, the most widely used variety of spoken Arabic.
Course objectives
This course is the first course in a series of three language acquisition courses within the International Studies program. The final objective of this course series is to obtain a lower intermediate level of proficiency in Arabic, aimed at communication with people in the region in simple situations and enabling students to follow current affairs in the region mostly in written media.
This course enables the student to achieve a good A1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
| Skill | CEFR Level |
|---|---|
| Reading | A1 |
| Writing | A1 |
| Listening | A1 |
| Speaking | A1 |
Timetable
The timetable is available on the BA International Studies website.
Mode of instruction
Tutorials
Three two-hour tutorials every week, with the exception of the midterm exam week. Attending all tutorial sessions is compulsory. If you are unable to attend a session, please inform your tutor in advance, providing a valid reason for your absence. Being absent will result in a lowering of the participation grade with 5/10 for every absence after the first three (3) times.
Course Load
Total course load for this course is 10 EC (1 EC = 28 hours), which equals 280 hours, broken down by:
| Component | Estimated time |
|---|---|
| Attending classes | 72 hours |
| Assessment hours (exams) | 6 hours |
| Preparing for classes, exams and extra activities | 202 hours |
Assessment method
Assessment
- Written exams, quizzes, homework, and an oral project.
Weighing
| Partial grade | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Participation | 10% |
| Oral Project | 10% |
| Homework assignments | 20% |
| Quizzes | 20% |
| Midterm Exam | 20% |
| Final Exam | 20% |
End Grade
To successfully complete the course, please take note that the End Grade of the course is established by determining the weighted average of the in-class oral and listening performance, and written exams.
The End Grade needs to be a 6.0 or higher to pass the course.
Resit
If the End Grade is insufficient (lower than a 6.0), there is a possibility of retaking the full 60% of the exam material (quizzes, Midterm Exam and Final Exam). No resit for the tutorial (participation, homework, or project) is possible.
Exam review and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used for this course. Students are requested to enroll on Blackboard, but only after correct enrolment in uSis.
Reading list
Alif Baa, Third Edition Bundle (Book + DVD), Kristen Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi.
Al-Kitaab Part One, Third Edition Bundle: Book + DVD, Kristen Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi.
Additional material as deemed appropriate by instructor, made available via Blackboard.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis for Tutorials is mandatory.
Students will be enrolled for Exams by the Administration Office, as long as they have a valid Tutorial enrolment.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable
Contact
When contacting lecturers or tutors, please include your full name, student number, and tutorial group number.
Please use your University email-address (uMail) when communicating with any person or department within Leiden University.
Student Affairs Office for BA International Studies
Remarks
Passing this course is an additional requirement for a positive Study Recommendation at the end of the year.
This course uses an integrated communicative language learning approach. Therefore, active participation in the classroom activities is essential for successful learning outcomes.