Morocco: Arabic Language and Community Service (Summer)

Coursework

This interdisciplinary program consists of three courses: Arabic language instruction in Modern Standard Arabic, the Arabic Writing Seminar, and the Community Service Project.

The following syllabi are either from a recent session of this program or for an upcoming session. Because courses develop and change over time to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, actual course content will vary from term to term.

The syllabi can be useful for students, faculty, and study abroad offices in assessing credit transfer. Read more about credit transfer.

Intensive Language Study: Beginning Modern Standard Arabic - syllabus (PDF)
(ARAB 1000–1500 / 3 credits / 45 class hours)
Intensive Language Study: Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic - syllabus (PDF)
(ARAB 2000–2500 / 3 credits / 45 class hours)
Intensive Language Study: Advanced Modern Standard Arabic - syllabus (PDF)
(ARAB 3000–3500 / 3 credits / 45 class hours)
The course is designed to equip students with a proficiency level in spoken Modern Standard Arabic to prepare them to engage in everyday communication. The course integrates instruction in reading, writing, listening, grammar, vocabulary, and conversation. Based on in-country evaluation, including oral proficiency testing for non-beginners, students are placed in intensive beginning, intermediate, or advanced classes. Students also learn spoken Moroccan Arabic (Darija) during program orientation, and then during homestays, lectures, and site visits. Students with prior study in Arabic find reinforcement of Modern Standard Arabic through media such as newspapers, TV, and the Internet.

Arabic Writing Seminar - syllabus (PDF)
(ARAB 3050 / 3 credits / 45 class hours)
This course aims to introduce students with no prior background in the Arabic language to the writing skills necessary for the production of a short paper in Arabic. Students learn how to use an Arabic dictionary, an Arabic keyboard, the Web, and other study resources in Arabic. The content of this course is coordinated by the academic director and the Arabic department so students develop the skills required to produce a written paper in Arabic and perform an oral presentation—in Arabic—of their field study project. The approach of this course is based on combining Arabic language instruction with community service, while giving priority to students’ academic interests.

Community Service Project - syllabus (PDF)
(PRAC 3000 / 3 credits / 45 class hours)
The community service course aims at allowing students to put their academic achievements and personal development into practice in order to gain knowledge and professional skills in their field of study. It helps students gain practical experience in an international framework and gives them the opportunity to develop a deeper interest in a specific field of professional development and to apply theory learned in the classroom to the real world. The course is an academically directed, for-credit, training program through which students gain practical work experience as a volunteer under both academic and professional supervision and guidance. Throughout the summer term, the course focuses on combining academic coursework with community service experience. These two strategies, theoretical and professional, are designed to complement each other. The course focuses on ethics and the cross-cultural experience as well as on methods of fieldwork study and of writing an academic paper. The course is structured to enable students to do community service while allowing contact hours for the accompanying course lectures and meeting sessions.