UBC Asian Studies is launching its Modern Arabic language and culture courses in the fall.
Arabic is the 5th most spoken language in the world. It is the native tongue of more than 400 million people worldwide and the liturgical language of more than 1.5 billion Muslims. It is spoken in a large area that includes North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and other parts of the Middle East, in addition to Arabic-speaking diasporas around the world. Along with being one of the six official languages of the United Nations, Arabic is also the official language of more than 22 countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Morocco, Somalia and Yemen. Arab and Arabic-speaking cultures have made rich contributions to knowledge, arts, and sciences, in history and in contemporary times.
This fall, the Department of Asian Studies is launching four new courses on Modern Arabic language and culture, ranging from introducing the Arabic alphabet to Arabic literature and film. These courses, taught by Asian Studies new faculty member – Nesrine Basheer, are open to all UBC students across different disciplines.
Meet the course instructor: Nesrine Basheer is an applied linguist and a specialist in teaching Arabic as a foreign language with over fourteen years of classroom and curriculum design experience. She has taught Arabic at the American University in Cairo, the United Nations, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Maryland, the City University of New York, and more recently, the University of Sydney.
“My classes are student-centred. I follow a communicative approach that balances accuracy and fluency, and develops learner autonomy. Looking forward to seeing you in class!”
Introductory Modern Standard Arabic I (ARBM 101)
In this introductory course, you will learn how to introduce yourself, ask and answer basic questions about your family and friends, daily routine, likes and dislikes. You will also learn to read and write the Arabic alphabet. We will focus on both Modern Standard Arabic and a spoken dialect. All this while exploring various cultural aspects of the Arabic-speaking world. Get ready for a challenging, rewarding learning experience.
Offered in Term 1
Introductory Modern Standard Arabic II (ARBM 102)
This course develops your Arabic proficiency from basic communication to narration and description in both Modern Standard Arabic and a spoken dialect. The course focuses on the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking while exploring various cultural aspects of the Arabic-speaking world.
Offered in Term 2
Studies in the History of a Major Asian Civilization (ASIA 310D)
In this course, we will examine the contemporary political, social, economic, and cultural history of the Arab world through a survey of Arab film masterpieces. The class includes film viewing and seminar discussion of the films and accompanying readings.
Offered in Term 2
Modern Arabic Literature from the Middle East and North Africa in Translation (ASIA 380)
This course introduces you to some of the major translated works of contemporary Arabic literature written by authors in the Middle East and North Africa. We will analyze the literary works under study in light of the socio-cultural forces that go into producing, receiving, and critiquing modern Arabic literature today.
Offered in Term 1
This course has been cancelled for the 2022W Session.
