2020-21 Academic Catalog

Egyptian Arabic is the spoken dialect used in daily life in Egypt, the vernacular of Arab cinema and media, and the lyrical backbone of most modern Arab music. It is, thus, central to the cultural life of Egypt and the wider Arab world. Given this wide diffusion of Egyptian Arabic, learning to communicate in Egyptian Arabic opens doors across the Arabophone world. In this course, students with no prior Arabic language experience will build oral proficiency using instruction in the forms and vocabulary of spoken Egyptian, but also through a use of a variety of media, including films, songs, and other contemporary materials. Please note: This class is intended for students with a general interest in Arabic, who did not study Arabic before. It is not open to students who have had prior classroom experience with the Arabic language. Prerequisite: Not open to students who have had prior classroom experience with the Arabic language.