AC-101: INTRODUCTION TO ARABIC LANGUAGE- I

FALL 2016
INSTRUCTOR

: Dr. Salar Alsardary

Office

: STC 212

Office Hours

: MTWTH 11:00 AM-12:00 PM

(Or stop by my office any time you have a question)

Office Phone

: (215)-596-8761

E-mail

: s.alsard@usciences.edu

Class Schedule

: Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:00-4:20 PM, STC 137

TEXT : Alif Baa with DVDs Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds, Third Edition
By: Kristen Brustad, Mahmoud Al-Batal, and Abbas Al-Tonsi
Georgetown University Press. No electronic copies are acceptable.
Everyone must have his/her copy. The book is a work-book so you
need a new copy in order to be able to do the assignments.
Tips for Using This Book:
1. Prepare for active participation in class.
2. Repeat the activity as many times as you can.
3. Study out loud.
4. Study in groups.
5. Review constantly.
6. Expect to feel tired occasionally.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. You should plan to spend a minimum of twice the number of class hours on
reading, homework assignments, and studying. The assigned homework is the
minimum amount of practice you should complete. It is your responsibility to
come to class prepared to ask questions on any covered concept or assignment.
2. There will be two 75-minute tests plus a comprehensive final exam. Grades are
computed according to the following system:
Test-1: September 29th, 2016, 20 %
A+
grade 98
th
Test-2: November 10 , 2016, 20 %
A
93 grade < 98
90 grade 94
Final Exam: Final Week
25 %
A87
grade 90
Quizzes
10 %
B+
83 grade 87
Home-Work
10 %
B
80 grade 83
Cultural Project
10 %
B77 grade 80
Attendance
5%
C+
73 grade 77
C
1

CD+
D
DF

70 grade
67 grade
63 grade
60 grade
grade 60

73
70
67
63

3. The Cultural Project will be graded on the content, organization, creativity, and
the presentation. You have 10-12 minutes to present and 3-5 minutes for question
and answer. Projects should only be on Arabic speaking countries. Topics could
be more personal, and focus on family life, wedding, geography, history,
government, culture, religion, cuisine, art, and music. An outline or report should
be turned in as well. Students should introduce themselves and the country in
Arabic. Include in your project recipes of the food that you bring in. You should
wear the costumes of the country that you present or wear the costume of your
original country. The presentations will be on November 29 th & December 1st
2016.
4. No makeup EXAM OR QUIZ will be given unless the excuse for missing the
scheduled EXAM OR QUIZ is acceptable to the instructor. Any makeup EXAM
OR QUIZ must be taken before the next regularly scheduled EXAM OR QUIZ.
Any makeup of the FINAL EXAM must be arranged through the registrars
office.
5. All students are expected to attend all classes. Attendance worth 5% of the course
grade. Students are responsible for all materials covered in class.
6. Absence Due to Athletic Contests Policy
The University maintains that students have the responsibility to attend classes regularly
so as not to jeopardize their understanding of the material. The University also recognizes
that athletes who compete in varsity sports on behalf of the institution provide recognition
and value to the University community. In order for athletes to meet the requirements for
contractually obligated athletic contests with other institutions, under NCAA Division II
standards, they are afforded class release time. To obtain release time, athletes must
provide the course instructor with written notification prior to the competition date. The
course instructor has the right to require documentation (e.g., competition schedule, letter
from the Athletic Director) before release time is granted. It is the responsibility of the
student to provide each course instructor with a schedule of competition dates and times at
the beginning of each semester. Should contest dates be added once the schedule is
printed, it is the responsibility of the student to provide an amended schedule to his or her
course instructors as soon as the additional dates and times are available from the
Department of Athletics. Students are advised to interact with a course instructor in
advance and determine a plan to meet the learning outcomes for the time the student is
likely to miss. Should a contest conflict with an exam or other graded in-class activity, the
student must make arrangements with the course instructor to establish an alternative
method and/or date for testing or grading.

7. Academic Integrity
2

Academic integrity is at the center of the educational experience at USciences. Students

are therefore expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and not
engage in or tolerate academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not
limited to, fabrication, cheating or plagiarism. Any violation of academic integrity will be
investigated and, where warranted, the student will receive appropriate sanctions through
the University's Student Conduct Process. Please familiarize yourself with the current
USciences
Student
Handbook,
which
is
available
online
at
www.usciences.edu/studenthandbook. Adherence to the Student Conduct Policy and
Academic Integrity Policy will help to ensure that your learning and living experiences are
founded on integrity.
USciences has an honor code. All graded material will have the following statement:
I pledge, as a USciences student, that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized
assistance on this exam, quiz, or project.
Unauthorized assistance will be defined for graded material at the time of the assignment.

8. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

USciences supports the educational endeavors of all students, including students with
disabilities. ADA defines a disability as a mental or physical impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life activities. If you believe that you have a disability that may
impact your ability to fulfill your course or degree requirements, and you would like more
information on applying for an accommodation under ADA, please contact
the Administrator of Student Accommodations at 215-596-8758.
For additional
information about student accommodations refer to the USciences Student Handbook,
which is available online at www.usciences.edu/studenthandbook.

9. Mental Health Wellness Statement

USciences encourages students to recognize that academic success requires students to be
emotionally and physically well. If you are having difficulty coping with stress associated
with the classroom or are experiencing other personal issues, please go to USciences
Health and Counseling (SHAC) located on the first floor of Whitecar Hall or
call 215.596.8536. Additional emotional support is available 24/7 and can be obtained by
contacting the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800.273.8255 or by texting Go to
the Crisis Text Line 741-741. The services listed above are all free and confidential.

10. Notification/discussion of grades via e-mail is in violation of FERPA. Grades

will be posted on Blackboard as an unofficial record of your progress your
official course grade is calculated in the instructors Excel worksheet, which takes
precedence in case of any discrepancy.
8. If you own a cell phone please turn it off before you enter the classroom. Every
time your Cell Phone is heard or used, there will be a 1% reduction in your course
grade.

Course Objectives for AC-101

At the completion of this course, the student will be able to demonstrate performance of
all of the following competencies on examinations, course activities and course
assignments:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

To be able to know, identify and write all the Arabic Alphabets.

To be able to write/read any word in Arabic.
To be able to communicate orally with simple conversation in Arabic.
To be able to identify the meaning of some simple words in Arabic.
To be able to know the meaning of some simple sentences in Arabic.
To be able to learn some aspects of Arab cultures.

I wish you a successful and enjoyable learning experience