ARAB 4010

This class is intended to be an advanced course in the Arabic language pedagogical track; however, in reality it would be more appropriately labeled as "Intermediate Arabic Literature of the 20th Century". The emphasis in this course is almost entirely on the literary skills and involves virtually no conversational practice, and hardly any listening. Attendance in this class assumes prior mastery of grammatically correct writing, which, apart from attendance and the loosely-defined "class participation", constitutes the entirety of the material on which students will be evaluated. Be warned; however, that a standard 3 years of ARAB 1010 through ARAB 3020 will not develop these skills adequately, making it essential that students pursuing this course take advantage of opportunities to study abroad, use tutors, and undertake a focused study of grammar prior to taking the class. The professor, Dr. Sawaie, is a world-recognized star in the academic realm as a researcher and author on the development of Modern Standard Arabic; however, his teaching methods are somewhat archaic and ossified and do not lend themselves to easy or rapid acquisition of the language. That said, he is always willing to work with students outside of class hours and help those who truly have a desire to grow and learn. If you plan on taking this class, make it a point to visit Dr. Sawaie several times throughout the semester to work on your writing assignments and correct previous errors. Another thing that Arabic students at UVA should note is that the assignment of levels such as "Intermediate" and "Advanced" are somewhat relative. No one taking 4 years of Arabic at UVA should expect to achieve the same level of linguistic proficiency that they might after studying another language for four years, such as Spanish, French, German, etc, whether at the high school or university level. The complexities of Arabic are such that it cannot be learned in that time period, using the pedagogical model to which UVA's MESALC has subscribed the same way that one would learn a less complicated European language. Thus, an advanced 4th year class in Spanish may well be advanced and involve a robust study of literature but a 4th year Arabic class (at UVA) would best be described as "intermediate", despite the class' official title and the professor's expectations. Tailor your expectations and goals, accordingly.

The review below is outdated and does not paint an accurate picture of the structure and content of the class nowadays, so I figured I would write an updated one. The other reviewer was correct in that Arabic 1010-3020 will not completely prepare you for this class, however Professor Sawaie recognizes there is a learning curve and will do his best to help you succeed. The structure is different than other Arabic classes at UVA - there is no textbook or a formal curriculum. Rather, there are several readings (poems, short stories, articles, etc.) and listening assignments that would discuss in class. There were also daily presentations (we'd rotate each class) on a topic of your choice and a Q&A afterwards (all in Arabic, of course), which helped build speaking skills. The readings varied, but most of them focused on the Arab world and authoritarianism, which I found interesting and helpful in understanding the intricacies of the region. There were also writing assignments based on these readings, where we were asked to compare and contrast their themes. The workload was extremely manageable, but students are always encouraged to do additional practice on their own time. Given some of Prof. Sawaie's reviews on ratemyprofessor, I was intimidated at first - but he was, without doubt, my favorite Arabic professor at UVA. He is world renowned and truly wants to help you learn Arabic. He always encourages students to visit office hours to discuss their progress and how they can improve, as well as the writing assignments. The other reviewer is correct that you will not attain "advanced" proficiency after this class, but you'll find that working extra hard outside of class will get you closer.