Carleton College

ARBC 101. Elementary Arabic This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic-the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. 6 cr., ND; NE, Fall—Y. Klein, Z. Haidar

ARBC 102. Elementary Arabic This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic--the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisite: Arabic 101 or equivalent. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—Z. Haidar

ARBC 103. Elementary Arabic This course sequence introduces non-Arabic speakers to the sounds, script, and basic grammar of Arabic--the language of 200 million speakers in the Arab world and the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims. Students will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Modern Standard Arabic. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisite: Arabic 102 or equivalent. 6 cr., ND; NE, Spring—Z. Haidar

ARBC 185. The Creation of Classical Arabic Literature In this course we will explore the emergence of Arabic literature in one of the most exciting and important periods in the history of the Islamic and Arab world; a time in which pre-Islamic Arabian lore was combined with translated Persian wisdom literature and Greek scientific and philosophical writings. We will explore some of the different literary genres that emerged in the New Arab courts and urban centers: from wine and love poetry, historical and humorous anecdotes, to the Thousand and One Nights, and discuss the socio-historical forces and institutions that shaped them. All readings are in English. No Arabic knowledge required. 6 cr., AL, RAD; LA, IS, Winter—Y. Klein

ARBC 204. Intermediate Arabic In this course sequence students will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while building a solid foundation of Arabic grammar (morphology and syntax). Students will develop their ability to express ideas in Modern Standard Arabic by writing essays and preparing oral presentations. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisite: Arabic 103 or placement test indication. 6 cr., ND; NE, Fall—Y. Klein, Z. Haidar

ARBC 205. Intermediate Arabic In this course sequence students will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills, while building a solid foundation of Arabic grammar (morphology and syntax). Students will develop their ability to express ideas in Modern Standard Arabic by writing essays and preparing oral presentations. Classes will incorporate readings and audio-visual material from contemporary Arabic media, as well as popular music. Prerequisite: Arabic 204 or placement test indication. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—Y. Klein

ARBC 211. Colloquial Arabic Colloquial Arabic is a spoken variety of Arabic, used by native speakers of Arabic in various informal everyday situations. In this course we will focus on acquiring conversational and listening comprehension skills and building vocabulary. We will develop communicative skills in colloquial Arabic through active use of the dialect in the class. We will build cultural competence in two Levantine dialects of Arabic, Jordanian and Palestinian, by studying colloquial proverbs, folktales, riddles, and metalinguistic jokes. Throughout our classes we will incorporate a range of audiovisual materials, as well as popular Jordanian and Palestinian songs. Prerequisite: Arabic 103 or the equivalent. 6 cr., NE, Winter—Z. Haidar

ARBC 215. Readings in Medieval Arabic Anthologies The concept of adab as the "liberal arts education" of the medieval Arab world presents itself most vividly in the "Adab anthology." In this genre, medieval Arab authors collected and classified the knowledge of their time, representing a variety of disciplines: literature (poetry, proverbs, historical-anecdotal material), Religion (Qur'an, hadith, jurisprudence, theology), linguistics, as well as philosophy and the sciences. In the class we will read excerpts from the works of some of the major medieval anthology writers: Ibn Abd Rabbihi, Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, al-Nuwayri and al-Ibshihi. All readings are in Arabic. Prerequisite: Arabic 205 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL, RAD; LA, IS, Offered in alternate years. Not offered in 2013-2014.

ARBC 222. Music in the Middle East The Middle East is home to a great number of musical styles, genres, and traditions. Regional, ideological, and cultural diversity, national identity, and cross-cultural encounters -- all express themselves in music. We will explore some of the many musical traditions in the Arab world, from early twentieth century to the present. Class discussions based on readings in English and guided listening. No prior music knowledge required, but interested students with or without musical background can participate in an optional, hands-on Arab music performance workshop, on Western or a few (provided) Middle Eastern instruments throughout the term. 6 cr., LA, IS, Spring—Y. Klein

ARBC 310. Advanced Media Arabic Readings of excerpts from the Arabic press and listening to news editions, commentaries and other radio and TV programs from across the Arab world. Emphasis is on vocabulary expansion, text comprehension strategies, and further development of reading and listening comprehension. Class includes oral discussions and regular written assignments in Arabic. Prerequisite: Arabic 205 or the equivalent. 6 cr., AL, RAD; LA, IS, Spring—Z. Haidar

HEBR 101. Elementary Modern Hebrew Think beyond the Bible! Modern Hebrew is a vital language in several fields from religion and history to international relations and the sciences. This course is for students with no previous knowledge of Modern Hebrew or whose test scores indicate that this is an appropriate level of placement. We continually integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew, incorporating materials from the Israeli internet and films into level appropriate class activities and assignments. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—M. Reinberg

HEBR 102. Elementary Modern Hebrew This course is for students who have completed Hebrew 101 or whose test scores indicate that this is an appropriate level of placement. We continue expanding our vocabulary and grammar knowledge, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew. We also continue working with Israeli films and internet, particularly for a Karaoke in Hebrew group project which involves learning and performing an Israeli pop song and researching the artists' background and messages for a class presentation. Prerequisite: Hebrew 101 or the equivalent. 6 cr., ND; NE, Spring—M. Reinberg

HEBR 103. Elementary Modern Hebrew This course is for students who have completed Hebrew 102 or whose test scores indicate that this is an appropriate level of placement. We continue expanding our vocabulary and grammar knowledge, integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew. We also continue working with Israeli films and internet, particularly to publish in-class magazines in Hebrew on topics related to Israel, the Middle East, and Judaic Studies. Prerequisite: Hebrew 102 or the equivalent. 6 cr., ND; NE, Fall—M. Reinberg

HEBR 204. Intermediate Modern Hebrew In this course students will strengthen their command of modern conversational, literary and newspaper Hebrew. As in the elementary sequence, we will continually integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Hebrew. Popular Israeli music, broadcasts, internet sources, and films will complement the course's goals. Class projects include a term long research paper on a topic related to Israel, the Middle East, or Judaic Studies. Students will create a poster in Hebrew to illustrate their research. They will discuss this with other Hebrew speakers on campus at a class poster session toward the end of the course. 6 cr., ND; NE, Winter—S. Beckwith

HEBR 221. Israeli Literature in the Middle East Since it began to develop in the early twentieth century, Israeli literature has encompassed diverse reflections of Middle Eastern landscapes and lifestyles. Such images range from typecast to groundbreaking, depending on authors' personal experiences, socio-cultural inclinations, and attitudes toward what makes Israel a nation. We will examine tensions and synergies between Western and Eastern elements in Hebrew fiction by authors of European and Middle Eastern Jewish backgrounds circa Israeli independence in 1948, and by diverse second and third generation writers since then. We will also include some Israeli-Palestinian fiction. In translation; some coursework in Hebrew for advanced students. 6 cr., AL, WR, RAD; LA, WR2, IS, Offered in alternate years. Winter—S. Beckwith

HEBR 222. Discovering Literary Tel Aviv and Jerusalem This course delves into Israel's two major cities, comparing their history and character. How are Tel Aviv's founding Zionist ideals and the Middle Eastern realities that challenged them portrayed in Hebrew literature? Our literary and cultural studies engagement with Tel Aviv will prepare students for our similar exploration of Jerusalem with its much longer multicultural history. How have places in both cities inspired literary reflections on national identity and memory? How have Israeli authors reciprocally influenced people's views of these urban spaces and their national resonance? This course is part of the OCS Winter Break program, which involves two linked classes in fall and winter terms; this class is the first class in the sequence. In translation. 6 cr., AL, WR; LA, WR2, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.

HEBR 223. Faith and Fiction: Exploring Israeli National Identity This course is the second part of a two-term sequence beginning with Hebrew 222. Israel research on-site in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during winter break. It is anticipated that research projects will be shared in a public symposium at the end of the term. Prerequisite: Hebrew 222 or Religion 222. 6 cr., AL; LA, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.

HEBR 241. Israel in A. B. Yehoshua's Literature Since 1962 A.B. Yehoshua has been one of Israel's most prolific, politically engaged, and internationally significant authors. A combination of Middle Eastern and Sephardic (medieval Spanish) Jewish family roots and a Western Zionist education has fueled provocative literary interpretations of the Jewish State's historical origins and many internal fault lines. We will examine Yehoshua's portrayals of Jewish ethnic and religious diversity and of Zionist national consciousness in medieval through modern Mediterranean and European contexts pre-1948. We will then view Israel's domestic East/ West, Jewish/ Palestinian, and religious/ secular divides through an artistic lens of exceptional, debatable historical scope. In English translation. 6 cr., AL, WR, RAD; LA, WR2, IS, Not offered in 2013-2014.

MELA 230. Jewish Collective Memory Judaism emphasizes transmitting memory from one generation to the next. How have pivotal events and experiences in Jewish history lived on in Jewish collective memory? How do they continue to speak through artistic/literary composition and museum/memorial design? How does Jewish collective memory compare with recorded Jewish history? We will study turning points in Jewish history including the Exodus from Egypt, Jewish expulsion from medieval Spain, the Holocaust, and Israeli independence, as Jews in different times and places have interpreted them with lasting influence. Research includes work with print, film, and other visual/ performative media. 6 cr., HU, RAD; HI, IS, Spring—S. Beckwith