Admission requirements
Admission to (one of) the programme(s) listed under Part of in the information bar on the right.
Description
During this course, students read (under supervision) the well-known Arabic novella Qindil Umm Hashim by the Egyptian author Yahya Haqqi (d. 1992). In addition to enjoying this wonderful book, they will learn about the connections between literary tropes, culture, and society in the novella. Students will also considerably increase their knowledge of the grammar and vocabulary of Modern Standard Arabic. Half of the weekly classes focus on the novella and its contents; the other half of the classes introduce the students to new grammar based on the chapters they have read.
Course objectives
Knowledge: Students increase their knowledge of the grammar and the vocabulary of Modern Standard Arabic. Students’ grammar is sharpened by exercises in lectures and by means of homework. Repetition plays a major role in this learning process. This increases the insight into a (literary) text. Students are introduced to the cultural context of the read Arabic text.
Insight: Better knowledge of the Arabic sentence construction; the impetus for faster recognition of word forms and word structures, feeling more (actively and passively) at home in Arabic.
Skills: Students learn to apply the acquired knowledge of Arabic when they read new Arabic texts; they enhance their searching skills in Hans Wehr’s dictionary; and they learn to find answers to grammatical questions using a reference grammar.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Assessment method
Assessment
| Partial Assessment | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Participation | 5% |
| in-class tests and assignments | 15% |
| Midterm exam (written, 2 hours) | 30% |
| Final exam (written, 2 hours) | 50% |
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.
Resit
If the final grade is 5.49 or lower, there is the possibility to take a re-sit. The resit covers the material of both the midterm and the final exam and counts for 80%. Of the final grade. The grades for participation, assignments and in-class tests cannot be retaken and will count towards the final grade.
Inspection 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.
Reading list
Required:
Hans Wehr, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (Arabic-English). Edited by J. Milton Cowan. Fourth Edition, considerably enlarged and amended by the author. Ithaca, NY, 1994. For sale here.
Optional (also available in the Leiden University Library):Karin C. Ryding, A Reference Grammar of Modern Standard Arabic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2005.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Herta Mohr.
Remarks
Please note that the additional course information is an integral part of this course description.