ARB490

Arabic Media content encompasses a wide variety of themes and styles that may come across as hard to decipher for Arabic learners. However, media language can become largely predictable once students possess a \"toolkit\" that they can use to navigate each theme and accompanying style. This course will address a variety of themes ranging from current affairs to sports and natural disasters that will offer students the opportunity to tackle content that is typical of media texts and prepare them for reading authentic news by themselves. Students will learn how to discuss these topics as well as describe and narrate events both orally and in writing and in multi-modal form.

The course embraces the diglossic nature of Arabic by explicitly integrating and welcoming use of materials that include Modern Standard Arabic as well as the various Arabic dialects. It is aligned with ACTFL's updated Arabic guidelines that perceive the Arabic language as a continuum in which both the local varieties and Modern Standard Arabic constitute a whole in terms of usage.

Moreover, the course builds students' digital literacy by providing them opportunities for research as well as oral and written production in Arabic using technology. This is also intended to support student autonomy, learning inside and outside the classroom and their ability to continue using these skills beyond this course. In fact, it is expected that students will start using Arabic news sources as one of the venues where they will get their news especially if they are interested in getting multiple perspectives on the same story.

Active participation is expected from all members of the class. Students get a chance to choose the news stories that interest them for their homework as long as they are related to the theme of the week. They read, watch, or listen to the stories then briefly present and discuss them with classmates in class. Where disagreement on issues occurs, respectful behavior that is inclusive of all is expected from all participants in the discussions.

The themes that will be covered in the course include the following and may be modified to include others as needed: Elections, Diplomacy, Violence, War and Military Action, Economy, Law, Trade and Industry, and Natural Disasters. Each theme will take about 1.5 weeks on average (3 sessions) to complete followed by projects and presentations that integrate themes covered till then.

ARB 406