COLLOQUIAL MOROCCAN ARABIC (DARIJA)

ISLAM (RELIGION, POLITICS, AND CULTURE) (A 330)

Colloquial Moroccan Arabic, also known as « darija, » is the spoken Arabic dialect of Morocco. It is the language most commonly spoken in Morocco and is grammatically simpler and has a less sophisticated vocabulary than Modern Standard Arabic. While most Darija words find their root in Modern Standard Arabic, many Darija words are borrowed from Spanish, French, and Berber.

Darija courses at INLAC are taught according to the communicative approach and conversation methodology. The courses can be taken in conjunction with Modern Standard Arabic courses, but it is important for students to approach the two courses as two separate languages, so as not to interfere with the correct understanding of either language. Each course can be completed in 6 weeks, and has a minimum of 80 class hours.

As with Modern Standard Arabic courses, students may choose to study Darija for any length of time (minimum three weeks), beginning a course at their level and then continuing as long as they wish.

PROGRAM OUTLINE

The Darija program consists of three levels which are each divided into three courses.

Elementary Darija (80 hours) Course E-I (40 hours) – Course E-II (40 hours) / Intermediate Darija (80 hours) >> Course I-I (40 hours) – Course I-II (40 hours) / Advanced Darija (80 hours) >> Course A-I (40 hours) – Course A-II (40 hours)

All textbooks and study materials are available for purchase.

STUDENTS MUST PROVE ELIGIBILITY FOR THEIR REQUESTED COURSE BY SUCCESSFULLY PASSING THE COURSE’S PLACEMENT TEST.

ELEMENTARY LEVEL COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course focuses on spoken Arabic and emphasizes listening and speaking skills. At this level, knowledge of Arabic orthography is not required and all texts contain phonetic transcriptions. By the end of the course, students are expected to master a number of social and communicative functions, including introductions, giving and receiving information, description of persons, objects, and places, etc. (80 hours.)

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is a continuation of the Darija elementary level. It introduces grammatical structures through examples and exercises with a greater focus on vocabulary and conversation based on real-life situation. By the end of the course, students will attain an intermediate level based on the ACTFL proficiency scale. They are expected to master the different complex functions used in everyday conversations. (80 hours.)

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

A Basic Course in Moroccan Arabic. By Richard S. Harrell and Mohammed Abu Taleb. Georgetown University Press. Moroccan Arabic, by Peace Corps.

ADVANCED LEVEL COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course introduces students to the social and cultural aspects of Moroccan life. By the end of the course, students are expected to understand the Moroccan traditions and cultures. They are also expected to speak Darija fluently and to write about a various subjects. The ability to read and write in Modern Standard Arabic is a pre-requisite for this course. (80 hours.)

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

A Basic Course in Moroccan Arabic. By Richard S. Harrell and Mohammed Abu Taleb. Georgetown University Press. Moroccan Arabic, by Peace Corps.