Ahlan wa Sahlan

Ustaatha Amina Yassine

I was born and raised in El-Mina, Lebanon. In 1994, I began my studies at IVC and transferred to UC Irvine, where I studied Spanish Linguistics and French Literature. In 2000, I earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Spanish. That same year, my journey to teach Arabic and Spanish began at UC Irvine, Saddleback, and IVC. In 2009, I joined the department of International Languages as a full-time professor.I have many hobbies, but most of all, I enjoy traveling, dancing, karaoke, fishing, and a great espresso in the morning.

Our Class

Course Description

In Arabic 1, we will explore and learn together about the Arab World, its language, and its culture(s). Arabic 1 employs a proficiency-oriented, task-based approach designed to develop communicative competence fundamentals in daily Arabic. The emphasis is on listening, comprehension, and conversational skills. In addition, early reading and writing skills and fundamental aspects of culture are introduced. I will attempt to balance a relaxed atmosphere, where students will be willing to use Arabic without fear of criticism, with the need for academic excellence.


Highlights

  • This is a hybrid course: We meet on campus on Tuesdays from 10:30 am - 12:45 pm in LRC 104, and the rest of the work will be done online, asynchronously. There won't be any Zoom class meetings.

  • You will have flexibility in organizing your own study times, one week at a time, to learn and complete new material and weekly assignments.

  • You may schedule online one-on-one meetings. However, be aware that these are not meant to replace our Tuesday meetings. To sign up, please click on my calendar.


How this course works

  • Canvas is the platform we use at Saddleback College. You can access it by clicking Saddleback College. Also, I highly recommend you download the CANVAS application to your smartphone.

  • This course is organized into 16 1-Week Modules.

  • Begin learning about each module by going to the “What is Due Week …" tab.

  • Each weekly module will become available on Monday at 12:01 am.

  • Each module will include reading, listening, speaking, writing, and culture assignments and due dates.

Language Lab

Before you complete your registration for Arabic 1, the system prompted you to add Arabic 901, the Language Lab, for 0.5 units.

You must turn in FOUR movies to satisfy the requirements and pass the Language Lab. You could submit your movie reviews to me by completing the Movie Review Worksheet. You must provide many details in English, and your work must be neat and legible. I will collect your reviews and forward them to the language lab.

For your convenience, here are the links to several movies you may watch in Arabic 1. Only pre-approved movies will count for the lab. There are due dates for submitting the movies, so start early.

Grade Breakdown

I will weigh your COURSE GRADE in the following way:

Tests 30%

Quizzes 10%

Participation 10%

Oral Presentation 15%

Homework 05%

End-of-Class Essay 10%

Final 20%

To determine your grade in the course, I will use the following scale:

A = 100.0 - 90.0 B = 89.99 - 80.0 C = 79.99 - 70.0 D = 69.99 - 60.0 0 F = 59.99 - 0


Expectations

What can you expect of me?

  • As your instructor, I will actively engage and commit to your learning experience.

  • I will provide individualized support in response to your needs.

  • I will strive to make complex topics as easy to understand as possible.

  • I will answer your questions promptly.

  • I understand that this class may not be your only priority. I will be flexible in supporting you in successfully completing this course.


What I will expect of you

  • You will submit assignments on time. If something prevents you from doing so, you will notify me as early as possible and keep the communications lines open to work out an arrangement.

  • When working in groups, you will work toward successfully completing the project and collaborating with your team members.

  • You will try new things and work through any mistakes, understanding that this is how everyone improves.

  • You will respect the different perspectives that arise from our diverse classroom.

  • You will be actively engaged in the course. Participation fuels learning.


Accessibility

Online courses are required to meet ADA accessibility guidelines, which means all aspects of the online learning experience are accessible. Please let me know if you have adaptive software and hardware to assist you in taking this course or if there are any specific needs I should be aware of. DSPS is available to assist you via the following:

  • Zoom Lobby (Link is external)

  • E-mail your questions to scdsps@saddleback.edu (Link will send e-mail)

  • Call the office at (949) 582-4885

In-Class Learning


  1. Ask for help - I will attempt to balance a relaxed atmosphere, where students will be willing to use Arabic without fear of criticism, with the need for academic excellence. If you know what works for you and communicate it with me, your learning experience will be awesome.

  2. Plan, Plan, Plan - People have responsibilities with many tasks competing for time. You will not pass this class by procrastinating. Learning a language takes time and a lot of practice. You will acquire it more effectively by studying, practicing, and frequently revisiting the material in smaller chunks. So, budget some time to work on your homework and collaborate with your classmates.

  3. Participate - Class participation is a vital part of your language learning experience. You belong to a more advanced Arabic class if you do not need to attend and complete assignments to pass the chapter exams. I will assess your participation through the weekly tasks. These tasks will include short answers and multiple-choice questions.

  4. Express Yourself -This class is composed of group chats that result in an oral presentation at the end of the semester. Your language skills will not improve by being passive. So, engage in the practice chats, with your classmates, and in discussions with the rest of the class and me.



Out-of-Class Learning

All humans, under normal conditions, acquire one or more languages, but it is impossible to acquire Arabic in 75 to 150 hours of in-class instruction. Therefore, you must take responsibility for your out-of-class learning. In addition to completing all assignments on time,

  1. Follow Twitter or Instagram accounts that post in Arabic. (At the beginning for reading the script)

  2. Watch Arabic shows on TV, Netflix, YouTube, and Google videos

  3. Converse with native speakers weekly (I can help you find a partner).

  4. Write notes and lists to yourself in Arabic (begin writing in Arabeezi and then transition to Arabic)

  5. Start a journal in Arabic

Above all, make your extra activities fun and incorporate them into your daily life. I can open the door to the Arabic language and culture, but only you can enter.

Students Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Comprehend native daily spoken Arabic in selected social situations.

2. Communicate in selected social situations.

3. Recognize and utilize basic grammatical structures.

4. Comprehend reading of selected written passages in Arabic.

5. Compose original sentences that incorporate the material acquired through reading and speaking activities.

6. Identify a minimum of 400 vocabulary words and relate them to selected social situations.

7. Identify, select, and give examples of appropriate social levels of speech.

8. Compare and contrast general aspects of culture and daily life of the Arabic-speaking population with that of students.

9. Develop an appreciation for historical, political, and artistic individuals.

10. Use software appropriate to the material being taught.

11. Generate solutions to various problems and exercises dealing with vocabulary expressions, grammar, pronunciation, listening, speaking, reading, and writing using the Arabic script.

DSPS - Disabled Students Programs and Services

Online courses are required to meet ADA accessibility guidelines, which means all aspects of the online learning experience are accessible.


Please let me know if you have adaptive software and hardware to assist you in taking this course or if there are any specific needs I should be aware of. DSPS is available to assist you via the following:

  • Zoom Lobby (Link to an external site)

  • E-mail your questions to scdsps@saddleback.edu (Link will send e-mail)

  • Call the office at (949) 582-4885

Campus Services and Student Support Links

Academic Integrity

All students are responsible for understanding and following the student academic honesty found in the following documents:

Student Conduct

Add & Drop Policy

You have the option to take this class on a Pass/ No Pass basis, and the instructor cannot make this change for you. You must change it no later than May 24, 2023. Be sure to check with a counselor if you plan to use this course to satisfy any requirement for your major area of study, as most universities will not allow you to take courses in your major on a Pass/ No Pass basis.

If you should decide that you need to withdraw from this course, you have until February 5, 2023, to make that decision without receiving a "W" on your transcript, and April 13, 2023, is the last day to drop full-term classes with a "W" grade. Failure to withdraw from a course that you are no longer attending will give you a grade of "F."


Contact Me

To schedule an appointment, click on my calendar. I'm available during office hours:

Tuesday 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm, Wednesday 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm, Friday 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

E-mail me via the Canvas email system to avoid any chance of getting lost in Spam or Trash, or at ayassine@saddleback.edu if you have questions about this class. For the latter, please include the course number in your email's subject line and your full name at the end of the email.

I typically respond to emails within 24 hours, often much quicker. Do realize, though, that if you email me after 6 pm, I will most likely get back to you the next day. Response times may also be a bit longer on weekends and holidays. Like you, I am balancing work, taking care of my family, life, and this course. However, if you have not heard back from me in 48 hours, please email me again, as emails occasionally get overlooked.