Arabic Language and Translation I
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
This course aims to strengthen linguistic skills in Modern Standard Arabic by teaching students intermediate-to-advanced morphosyntactic structures and semi-specialist vocabulary. Another goal is to reinforce students' ability to understand journalistic and informative texts on current affairs, to rephrase them orally and in writing, and to reflect on their stylistic features and discourse strategies. The course also offers a theoretical and practical reflection on the most suitable translation strategies for different text types (sector-specific texts, non-fiction, literary products). Lastly, it provides an introduction to dialectology, and trains students to achieve basic proficiency in an Arabic dialect.
Expected learning outcomes
- Identifying intermediate-to-advanced morphosyntactic structures and semi-specialist vocabulary in journalistic, informative and sector-specific texts;
- Mastering the morphosyntactic structures and vocabulary needed to be able to rephrase texts and express oneself orally and in writing;
- Analysing the stylistic features and discourse strategies used in a text;
- Critically debating the comprehension, production and translation strategies presented during the course;
- Achieving basic proficiency in an Arabic dialect.
- Mastering the morphosyntactic structures and vocabulary needed to be able to rephrase texts and express oneself orally and in writing;
- Analysing the stylistic features and discourse strategies used in a text;
- Critically debating the comprehension, production and translation strategies presented during the course;
- Achieving basic proficiency in an Arabic dialect.
Lesson period: year
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
year
Course syllabus
This course consists of two parts:
1. Language skills and translation seminar (I semester)
Students will revise the main morphosyntactic structures, with a closer look at some syntactic and lexical structures relevant for intermediate-advanced learners, through written and oral texts and different types of exercises. The students will reflect on the role of morphosyntax to develop reading and listening skills and to increase their translation abilities. The translation seminar will consist of the translation Arabic<>Italian of a various textual genres (specialized / non-fiction / literary texts) in parallel with theorical considerations.
Texts - comprehension and production skills (40 hours, II semester)
Students will be introduced to complex written and oral material about current issues, which they will read, analyse and discuss, concentrating on discourse structure and use of connectors and working on their own production skills (summary, exposition, debate).
To consolidate the acquisition of new structures and vocabulary, students will be asked to participate in seminars to present and discuss authentic material, concentrating on the analysis and further re-elaboration of discursive strategies and stylistic peculiarities.
1. Language skills and translation seminar (I semester)
Students will revise the main morphosyntactic structures, with a closer look at some syntactic and lexical structures relevant for intermediate-advanced learners, through written and oral texts and different types of exercises. The students will reflect on the role of morphosyntax to develop reading and listening skills and to increase their translation abilities. The translation seminar will consist of the translation Arabic<>Italian of a various textual genres (specialized / non-fiction / literary texts) in parallel with theorical considerations.
Texts - comprehension and production skills (40 hours, II semester)
Students will be introduced to complex written and oral material about current issues, which they will read, analyse and discuss, concentrating on discourse structure and use of connectors and working on their own production skills (summary, exposition, debate).
To consolidate the acquisition of new structures and vocabulary, students will be asked to participate in seminars to present and discuss authentic material, concentrating on the analysis and further re-elaboration of discursive strategies and stylistic peculiarities.
Prerequisites for admission
To attend this course, students should have a level of proficiency corresponding to the B1 CEFR level.
They should have a strong knowledge of morphosyntactic structures such as: regular and irregular verb conjugation (active and passive; simple and augmented forms); elative for comparative and superlative; tamyīz; ḥāl; mafʿūl muṭlaq; subordinate clauses (to express declarations, time, cause, and aim); relative clauses; conditional clauses.
Moreover, students should be able to understand, produce, and translate simple texts and to communicate in various everyday situations.
The students enrolled in the MA program who do not have the required level should revise the contents of the following textbooks: D'Anna, L., G. Mion, Grammatica di arabo standard moderno, Milano 2021; Darghmouni S., kalima/parola, 2 vol., Milano, 2019; Deheuvels, L.W., Grammatica araba, (ed. it. a cura di A. Ghersetti), 2 vol., Bologna, 2010; Durand, O., A. D. Langone, G. Mion, Corso di arabo contemporaneo, Milano, 2010; Manca, A., Grammatica teorico-pratica di arabo letterario moderno, Roma, 1989; Salem, A., C. Solimando, Imparare l'arabo conversando, Roma, 2011 e successive; Veccia Vaglieri, L., M. Avino, Grammatica teorico-pratica della lingua araba, 2 vol., Roma, 2017.
To test their level in Arabic, students can do the sample test to enrol in the MA course https://lin.cdl.unimi.it/it/iscriversi and the test available at the website of Institut du Monde Arabe:https://www.imarabe.org/en/activites/cours-arabe/tests-de-positionnement
They should have a strong knowledge of morphosyntactic structures such as: regular and irregular verb conjugation (active and passive; simple and augmented forms); elative for comparative and superlative; tamyīz; ḥāl; mafʿūl muṭlaq; subordinate clauses (to express declarations, time, cause, and aim); relative clauses; conditional clauses.
Moreover, students should be able to understand, produce, and translate simple texts and to communicate in various everyday situations.
The students enrolled in the MA program who do not have the required level should revise the contents of the following textbooks: D'Anna, L., G. Mion, Grammatica di arabo standard moderno, Milano 2021; Darghmouni S., kalima/parola, 2 vol., Milano, 2019; Deheuvels, L.W., Grammatica araba, (ed. it. a cura di A. Ghersetti), 2 vol., Bologna, 2010; Durand, O., A. D. Langone, G. Mion, Corso di arabo contemporaneo, Milano, 2010; Manca, A., Grammatica teorico-pratica di arabo letterario moderno, Roma, 1989; Salem, A., C. Solimando, Imparare l'arabo conversando, Roma, 2011 e successive; Veccia Vaglieri, L., M. Avino, Grammatica teorico-pratica della lingua araba, 2 vol., Roma, 2017.
To test their level in Arabic, students can do the sample test to enrol in the MA course https://lin.cdl.unimi.it/it/iscriversi and the test available at the website of Institut du Monde Arabe:https://www.imarabe.org/en/activites/cours-arabe/tests-de-positionnement
Teaching methods
Lectures and seminars with active participation of students who will be asked to prepare and present materials and to discuss the topics covered.
Language practice with native speakers to develop both writing and speaking skills. Part of the language practice will be devoted to an Arabic dialect at an elementary level to allow basic communication and acquire a method for the further study of vernacular languages.
The MyAriel website for the course contains a Course Blog, detailing the contents and activities for each class as well as additional references and practice material.
The student's participation in the seminars and language practice will contribute to the assessment. The student is encouraged to develop a self-evaluation skill through collective correction and peer-to-peer learning in the classroom. Attendance is highly recommended.
Language practice with native speakers to develop both writing and speaking skills. Part of the language practice will be devoted to an Arabic dialect at an elementary level to allow basic communication and acquire a method for the further study of vernacular languages.
The MyAriel website for the course contains a Course Blog, detailing the contents and activities for each class as well as additional references and practice material.
The student's participation in the seminars and language practice will contribute to the assessment. The student is encouraged to develop a self-evaluation skill through collective correction and peer-to-peer learning in the classroom. Attendance is highly recommended.
Teaching Resources
- Avino M., Pinto C., Aljaramneh F., Ruocco M., Comunicare in arabo vol.3, Hoepli, Milano 2024.
- De Angelis F., Dozio C., Golfetto M.A., Osti L. (a cura di), Letture guidate in arabo, Unicopli, Milano 2022.
- Original material selected by the lecturers, available on the MyAriel course webpage
- (only for the students who don't attend the Moroccan Arabic workshop) Durand O., Dialettologia araba, Carocci, Roma, 2009, Parte Prima: capp.1-5.
Testi aggiuntivi consigliati
- Ni'ma Fu'ād, Mulaḫḫaṣ qawā'id al-luġa al-'arabiyya. Marği' kāmil li-qawā'id al-naḥw wa 'l-ṣarf, al-Maktab al-'ilmī li 'l-ta'līf wa-li 'l-tarğama), Cairo.
- al-Warraki, Hassanein, The Connectors in Modern Standard Arabic, AUC Press, Cairo 2006.
- Ramadan, A. S., Conjunctions and Interjections in Modern Standard Arabic, Routledge, London 2019.
- Lahlali M., Kesseiri R., Essential Skills in Arabic. From Intermediate to Advanced, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2018.
- Lahlali M., How to Write in Arabic. Developing Your Academic Writing Style, 2nd edition, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2021.
- Hanna et al., The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Translation, Routledge, London & New York, 2020.
- Durand, Olivier, Ventura, Annamaria, Grammatica di arabo marochino, Hoepli, Milano, 2022.
- Moscoso García, Francisco et el., B chuiya b chuiya, Albujayra, 2013.
- Peace Corps, Moroccan Arabic Textbook, 2011.
Dizionari
- Baldissera, E., Il dizionario di Arabo (italiano-arabo, arabo-italiano), Zanichelli, Bologna 2014.
- Traini, R., Vocabolario arabo-italiano, Istituto per l'Oriente, Roma 1966 (varie ristampe).
- Tresso, C.M., Il Dizionario Arabo (italiano-arabo), Hoepli, Milano 2014.
- Wehr, H., Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, edited by J. M. Cowan (arabo-inglese), 2002 (varie ristampe).
- De Angelis F., Dozio C., Golfetto M.A., Osti L. (a cura di), Letture guidate in arabo, Unicopli, Milano 2022.
- Original material selected by the lecturers, available on the MyAriel course webpage
- (only for the students who don't attend the Moroccan Arabic workshop) Durand O., Dialettologia araba, Carocci, Roma, 2009, Parte Prima: capp.1-5.
Testi aggiuntivi consigliati
- Ni'ma Fu'ād, Mulaḫḫaṣ qawā'id al-luġa al-'arabiyya. Marği' kāmil li-qawā'id al-naḥw wa 'l-ṣarf, al-Maktab al-'ilmī li 'l-ta'līf wa-li 'l-tarğama), Cairo.
- al-Warraki, Hassanein, The Connectors in Modern Standard Arabic, AUC Press, Cairo 2006.
- Ramadan, A. S., Conjunctions and Interjections in Modern Standard Arabic, Routledge, London 2019.
- Lahlali M., Kesseiri R., Essential Skills in Arabic. From Intermediate to Advanced, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2018.
- Lahlali M., How to Write in Arabic. Developing Your Academic Writing Style, 2nd edition, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2021.
- Hanna et al., The Routledge Handbook of Arabic Translation, Routledge, London & New York, 2020.
- Durand, Olivier, Ventura, Annamaria, Grammatica di arabo marochino, Hoepli, Milano, 2022.
- Moscoso García, Francisco et el., B chuiya b chuiya, Albujayra, 2013.
- Peace Corps, Moroccan Arabic Textbook, 2011.
Dizionari
- Baldissera, E., Il dizionario di Arabo (italiano-arabo, arabo-italiano), Zanichelli, Bologna 2014.
- Traini, R., Vocabolario arabo-italiano, Istituto per l'Oriente, Roma 1966 (varie ristampe).
- Tresso, C.M., Il Dizionario Arabo (italiano-arabo), Hoepli, Milano 2014.
- Wehr, H., Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, edited by J. M. Cowan (arabo-inglese), 2002 (varie ristampe).
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of a written test and an oral test, both mandatory, to which a grade up to 30/30 is assigned. Students are admitted to the oral exam after successfully completing the written exam.
The written exam will test reading comprehension, translation and written production about a known topic, as well as the appropriateness of morphosyntax and lexical structures in use.
The oral exam will test: 1. communication skills through the personal elaboration of the texts analysed during the lectures and seminars; 2. translation abilities (theory and practice); 3. conversation in Arabic on the topics treated in the language practice classes.
After Week 10 students can take a test on the topics of the lectures. After Week 20 students can take oral tests on the topics of the lectures and language practice classes; these tests count for the official oral exam.
The written exam will test reading comprehension, translation and written production about a known topic, as well as the appropriateness of morphosyntax and lexical structures in use.
The oral exam will test: 1. communication skills through the personal elaboration of the texts analysed during the lectures and seminars; 2. translation abilities (theory and practice); 3. conversation in Arabic on the topics treated in the language practice classes.
After Week 10 students can take a test on the topics of the lectures. After Week 20 students can take oral tests on the topics of the lectures and language practice classes; these tests count for the official oral exam.
L-OR/12 - ARABIC LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE - University credits: 12
Lessons: 80 hours
Professors:
De Angelis Francesco, Dozio Cristina
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)
Reception:
Tuesday 10:00
Floor 4, room 4012 Sesto San Giovanni (p.zza Indro Montanelli)