OVERVIEW

This is a 36-hour module worth 6 credits. The module will address the language of mass media and it will focus on economic, tourist and socio-political topics. An in-depth study of the course content will be carried out through the reading and the analysis of the lexical and syntactic features of the specialised language, as well as through the listening comprehension of texts.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course intends to provide students with the essential skills for the comprehension and the analysis of texts related to the fields of economics and politics, as well as to enable the development of their speaking skills within these fields. It also aims to consolidate the knowledge of the Arabic sentence structure and the lexis used for special purposes, through the reading of articles and the listening of audiovisual materials.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

This module aims to provide students with the skills to understand and produce texts related to the economic, tourist and political fields, as well as to interact with others on these topics. It also aims to consolidate the Arabic language structure, together with general and specialised vocabulary through reading and translating newspaper and magazine articles.

- At the end of the course, students will be able to:

• read, understand and translate the texts covered in class and others of the same type;
• examine and analyse the main lexical, morpho-syntactic and pragmatic aspects of Arabic for special purposes;
• translate and produce written texts mainly from economic and tourist fields;
• understand the gist of publications in Arabic from economic, tourist and political fields;
• apply the knowledge and skills to hold a conversation on specific topics;
• the student will also acquire the specialised vocabulary and phraseology related to the topics discussed in the module.

PREREQUISITES

The course is for third-year students who have acquired the necessary morphosyntactic skills, both theoretical and practical, as well as the necessary lexis to be able to deal effectively and profitably with the course syllabus.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and seminars. Students will be asked to participate in class discussions, to read and comment on several texts, both in Italian and in Arabic, as well as to prepare summaries and oral presentations. Texts and audiovisual materials will be provided in class. The lessons will be held in the second semester according to the university teaching timetable.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

This module addresses the language of mass media, particularly through the translation and analysis of texts on economic, tourist and socio-political topics. Special attention will be paid to the analysis of the syntactic structures as well as the lexical, semantic, pragmatic and stylistic aspects of the various texts. The teacher will instruct students on the correct use of both paper and online monolingual and bilingual dictionaries. This module “Arabic for Special Purposes” comprises activities to stimulate and enhance the students’ communication skills in both general and specialised Arabic. Authentic material will be provided by the lecturer and will include extracts from newspapers and magazines, as well as short texts.

- This teaching module includes:

• reading and translation of articles and short texts from Arabic into Italian and vice versa (7 texts in total);
• the study of the Arabic sentence structure and the lexis for special purposes;
• analysis of the main word formation processes;
• introduction of new terms within the specialised fields;
• analysis of the translation techniques used;
• preparation of summaries and oral presentations of the contents covered;
• production of written texts in Arabic for special purposes.

- The syllabus is the same for non-attending students. Bibliographical material and texts covered during the course will be available on Aulaweb.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Elisabeth Kendall, Media Arabic, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2012;

El Mustapha Lahlali, Advanced Media Arabic, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2017.

• Newspapers and websites:

- al-Shurūq, Egyptian newspaper, www.shorouknews.com;
- Al-Maṣrī al-yawm, Egyptian newspaper, www.almasry-alyoum.com;
- Al-Quds al-'arabī, London newspaper, www.alquds.co.uk;
- al-Sharq al-awṣaṭ, Saudi newspaper, www.aawsat.com;
- Al-Ğazīra, http://www.aljazeera.net/portal;
- Other material and selected texts will be given during the academic year.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

NASSER AHMED ISMAIL AHMED (President)

ABDELHALEEM HUSSEIN ABDELMOTTALEB SOLAIMAN

MARCO AMMAR (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The lessons will be held in the second semester.

Class schedule

ARABIC FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

There is an oral examination at the end this course which is held in Arabic for Italian speakers and in Italian for Arabic speakers. It lasts approx.15 minutes for each student and consists of a number of questions about general and specialised topics covered during the course.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Students will be assessed on their ability to understand, produce and interact in  specialised language through the reading, the translation and the analysis of the course content.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the lecturer and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.