BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
1) Knowledge and Understanding
The course aims to consolidate and further develop the language skills acquired during the first-year course through the analysis of complex sentence structures using a contrastive and translation-oriented approach. By studying morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic features from a functional perspective, complemented by selected metalinguistic reflections, students will develop an understanding of how different kinds of meaning are structured and expressed in Arabic. They will also further enhance their awareness of linguistic variation across the Arabic-speaking world through an introductory approach to one Arabic dialect.
2) Applying Knowledge and Understanding
Students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired to the reading, analysis, and comprehension of texts of intermediate complexity, translating from Modern Standard Arabic into Italian and vice versa. They will also be able to recognise and use more complex linguistic structures in the production of written texts of a comparable level of difficulty.
Through the Language Learning Activities (AAL Lingua araba II - Oral Skills and AAL Lingua araba II – Written Skills), students will develop practical skills in listening, comprehension, and the production of spoken texts related to everyday situations, as well as in reading, understanding, and translating written texts taken from the Arabic-language media. Finally, the AAL Lingua araba II – Tunisian Arabic will provide students with basic knowledge and skills for the comprehension and oral production of this specific dialect variety.
3) Making Judgements
Through the analysis of carefully selected texts, the course also aims to raise students' awareness of linguistic, sociolinguistic, and cultural issues, fostering more advanced skills in the observation and interpretation of phenomena characterising the contemporary Arab world and its relationships with other socio-cultural contexts. To this end, selected topics related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will also be addressed.
4) Communication Skills
Students will acquire intermediate-level communicative competence in Modern Standard Arabic and basic communicative competence in Tunisian Arabic, enabling them to understand and produce spoken and written texts in both language varieties. Vocabulary and linguistic structures will be progressively expanded throughout the course. Students will also be able to present in Italian, by using appropriate terminology, metalinguistic observations as well as reflections on the historical, cultural, and sociolinguistic context of the Arabic language.
5) Learning Skills
Throughout the course, students will progressively develop the skills required for autonomous learning across all areas of language study, including vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and related domains. They will also learn how to apply these skills to both the theoretical and practical aspects of the course, making informed and effective use of the teaching materials provided.
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of the grammatical topics and vocabulary covered in the course of Arabic Language I - Linguistics and Translation.
Passing the exam of Arabic Language I - Linguistics and Translation is a prerequisite for taking the exam of Arabic Language II - Linguistics and Translation.
Teaching Methods
Regular participation in classroom activities and independent study outside class are considered integral components of the learning process, as they foster the development of autonomous learning skills, pair work, and collaborative group work. Interaction between the instructor and students, as well as peer interaction, is regarded as an essential methodological component of language learning.
These teaching methods apply both to the official course, Arabic Language II – Linguistics and Translation, and to the Language Learning Activities (AAL Lingua araba II – Oral Skills, AAL Lingua araba II – Written Skills, and AAL Lingua araba II – Tunisian Arabic.
For these reasons, although attendance is not compulsory, it is strongly recommended in order to achieve the intended learning objectives and learning outcomes.
Assessment Methods
The Arabic Language II examination consists of both written and oral tests.
Assessments for the Language Learning Activities (AAL Lingua araba II - Oral Skills, AAL Lingua araba II - Written Skills, and AAL Lingua araba II - Tunisian Arabic: the oral and written tests related to the Language Learning Activities are prerequisites for the remaining components of the Arabic Language II exam. Passing these assessments is a mandatory requirement for admission to the exams of the official course.
For information regarding the content, assessment procedures, and exam schedule of the Language Learning Activities, students should refer to the relevant pages of the University Language Centre (CLA) and to the respective Moodle courses.
Written Exam of the Official Course – Grammar and Translation: the written exam is designed to assess the candidate’s grammatical knowledge and translation skills. It consists of a series of grammar exercises (concerning morphology, syntax, and semantics) and the translation of a text from Arabic into Italian. The exercises and translation text largely draw on the vocabulary covered during lectures and assigned readings throughout the course.
Oral Exam of the Official Course – Theory and Practice of the Language: the oral exam consists of an interview aimed at assessing the candidate’s theoretical and practical linguistic knowledge, including, where appropriate, discussion of the results obtained in the written exam.
Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of the grammatical topics covered during the course and the ability to present them appropriately. They must also be able to read, translate, and analyse unvocalised or partially vocalised Arabic texts studied during the course or otherwise related to its content. Information on the readings required for the oral exam is available through the Moodle course associated with Arabic Language II – Linguistics and Translation.
The written exam (Grammar and Translation) is a prerequisite for the oral exam (Theory and Practice of the Language). The written exam remains valid for 18 months from the date it was passed.
Students are informed of the results of the written exam through a notification sent via the Moodle course. If they pass the exam, they may either accept the grade or decline it and retake the written exam.
The final grade, which takes into account all assessment components, is published through the university’s grade registration system (recording with publication). Students may either accept or decline the final grade. If the grade is declined, students may retake the oral exam by registering for a subsequent session.
Grades are awarded on a scale of 30 points according to the following criteria:
- Excellent (30 cum laude) – Knowledge and competences fully acquired and applied with precision, effectiveness, and autonomy. No errors.
- Very Good (30–27) – Very solid knowledge and competences, applied correctly and confidently. Any errors are minor and occasional.
- Good (26–24) – Adequate knowledge and competences, with some uncertainty or imprecision. Errors may be present but are neither serious nor systematic.
- Satisfactory (23–18) – Basic knowledge and competences acquired, though applied only partially or with evident errors. Overall understanding is satisfactory.
- Fail (below 18) – Incomplete knowledge and inadequately developed competences. Numerous errors significantly affect performance.
The final grade is calculated as the average of the marks obtained in the various assessment components.
Contents
The course consists of disciplinary content and instrumental content, designed to enable students to acquire the linguistic, metalinguistic, and practical competences specified in the syllabus.
Disciplinary Content
The disciplinary content of the course focuses on specific aspects of the morphology and syntax of Modern Standard Arabic, selected semantic and pragmatic issues, and metalinguistic reflection from a functional perspective. In particular, the following topics will be covered:
- Preliminary linguistic concepts: double articulation; morphemes; monemes; synthemes; derivational and inflectional morphology; derivational synthemes; discontinuous signifiers; morphological markers; determination.
- Morphology and syntax: plural formation and number agreement; prepositional phrases; demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative phrases; relative pronouns and relative clauses; the elative used as the comparative and superlative; numerals.
- Syntax and semantics: ʾinna and monemes/synthemes displaying analogous syntactic behaviour; functions of the accusative case (direct object; time / place adverbial accusative; circumstantial (concomitant state) accusative; accusative of cause; specification; exception; cognate accusative; accusative governed by the negation of genus); circumstantial clauses.
- The verbal system (morphology, syntax, and semantics): irregular verb conjugation; derivational morphology and the semantics of the Arabic verb; verbs displaying syntactic behaviour analogous to kāna; inchoative and proximative verbs; passive/non-agentive voice (majhūl).
- Vocabulary, reading skills, and the use of the Arabic dictionary: expansion of core vocabulary through the reading and translation of texts dealing with current issues in the Arab world; the use of derivational morphology as a tool for reading unvocalised or partially vocalised texts; principles for the critical and effective use of Arabic dictionaries.
Instrumental content
The instrumental content is distributed between the official course and the Language Learning Activities (AAL Lingua araba II - Oral Skills, AAL Lingua araba II – Written Skills, and AAL Lingua araba II – Tunisian Arabic). It is designed to develop practical competences in the comprehension, translation, and production of spoken and written texts. The texts used throughout these activities prepare students for understanding the language of the Arabic-language media as well as for everyday communication in both Modern Standard Arabic and Tunisian Arabic. Detailed syllabi for the Language Learning Activities (AAL Lingua araba II - Oral Skills, AAL Lingua araba II – Written Skills, and AAL Lingua araba II – Tunisian Arabic) are available on the website of the University Language Centre (CLA). Participation in these activities is strongly recommended in order to achieve the learning objectives set out in this syllabus.
Online Resources
More information
Students are strongly encouraged to attend both the official course and the Language Learning Activities (AAL Lingua araba II – Written Skills, AAL Lingua araba II – Oral Skills, and AAL Lingua araba II – Tunisian Arabic), as the content covered in these activities is assessed during the exam of Arabi Language II. During the Language Learning Activities, students will engage in reading, dictation, translation from Italian into Arabic, written expression exercises, and short conversations in Modern Standard Arabic and Tunisian Arabic. Guided by native-speaker instructors through highly interactive teaching activities, students will work with spoken and written texts dealing with everyday life and various cultural expressions of the Arab world. Detailed syllabi for the AAL are available on the website of the University Language Centre (CLA).
Students may also participate in guided study groups (Arabic language tutoring) organised by the CLA.
The examination syllabus is the same for attending and non-attending students. Enrolment in the Moodle e-learning courses is mandatory in order to sit the exams. Students must obtain the enrolment key from the course lecturers.