Arabic Language Placement Exams (ALPE)
If you do not know the Arabic alphabet, please enroll in Elementary Arabic I, which is offered every fall semester. If you have prior exposure to the language, you studied Arabic in the past, or you wish to show sufficient proficiency to "test out" of the CAS Language Requirement in Modern Standard Arabic, please email the Arabic Language Coordinator to start the placement process. You will receive a link to a brief survey: please fill it out promptly and completely.
The Arabic Language Placement Exam (ALPE) is offered on a rolling basis throughout the year. It is in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and is offered online via Zoom. The ALPE consists of an interview followed by a writing exercise; it takes about 2 hours.
After we receive your survey, we will contact you to provide details about the exam, scheduling, and answer any questions you might have.
* You'll need your NYU Net ID to fill out the survey, and to sit for the exam via Zoom.
The results of the ALPE are valid for the next 12 months; after that you will have to retake it to determine your level.
Scheduling – please plan ahead
Please see Albert (under the College of Arts and Sciences/CAS and the Graduate School/GSAS) for current Arabic course listings.
If you wish to enroll in Arabic in the fall, please send an email as early as possible in the summer (and no later than August 1st) to ensure we can determine your level in time to register you for an open section. If you wish to enroll in Arabic in the spring, please send an email before January 1st.
Fall Courses
- MEIS-UA 101 Elementary Arabic I
- MEIS-UA 103 Intermediate Arabic I
- MEIS-GA 1005 Advanced Arabic I (OPEN TO QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATES)
- MEIS-GA 1112 Contemporary Media & Literary Arabic I (OPEN TO QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATES)
- MEIS-GA 1118 Colloquial Arabic (OPEN TO QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATES)
Spring Courses
- MEIS-UA 102 Elementary Arabic II
- MEIS-UA 104 Intermediate Arabic II
- MEIS-GA 1006 Advanced Arabic II (OPEN TO QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATES)
- MEIS-GA 1113 Contemporary Media & Literary Arabic II (OPEN TO QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATES)
- MEIS-GA 1118 Colloquial Arabic (OPEN TO QUALIFYING UNDERGRADUATES)
MEIS-UA 101 Elementary Arabic I
This course builds basic skills in Modern Standard Arabic, the language read and understood by educated Arabs throughout the Middle East. No prior experience in Arabic is necessary. The texts and audio-visual materials used will introduce the student to various aspects of Arab and Islamic culture.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds," Georgetown University Press. A significant portion of the drills in this book ought to be done online. (latest edition)
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic," Part One, Georgetown University Press. Please note that we continue to use the second edition of this book.
- CD's and DVD's that accompany both textbooks above
Course Requirements:
Attendance at all Arabic language classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and to use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. Homework is assigned daily and must be submitted in a timely manner in order to count towards your grade. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times. Quizzes will be given once a week at first, and then bi-weekly afterwards.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria
|
Percentage
|
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework
|
20%
|
Quizzes
|
20%
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
Final
|
40%
|
MEIS-UA 103 Intermediate Arabic I
This course is open to students who have successfully completed two semesters of Arabic through Elementary Arabic II or who have had equivalent exposure to Modern Standard Arabic, the language read and understood by educated Arabs throughout the Middle East. Students will continue to develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking and understanding MSA. Practice with an Arabic-English dictionary based on the Arabic root system will enhance the ability of students to read texts independently.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic," Part One, Georgetown University Press. Please note that we continue to use the second edition of this book
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic," Part Two, Georgetown University Press. Please note that we continue to use the second edition of this book
- CD's and DVD's that accompany both the textbooks above
- Wehr, Hans Cowan, J. Milton (ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic," Spoken Languages Services, Ithaca NY
Course Requirements:
Attendance at all Arabic language classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and to use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. Homework is assigned daily and must be submitted in a timely manner in order to count towards your grade. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times. Quizzes will be given bi-weekly.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria
|
Percentage
|
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework
|
20%
|
Quizzes
|
20%
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
Final
|
40%
|
MEIS-GA 1005 Advanced Arabic I
All students have to have successfully completed at least two years of Modern Standard Arabic (4 semesters) through Intermediate Arabic II or equivalent. Outperforming undergraduate students can take this graduate course but they must request permission from the department.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic," Part Three, Georgetown University Press
- CD’s and DVD's that accompany the textbook
- Supplemental materials provided by the professor
- Wehr, Hans Cowan, J. Milton (ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic," Spoken Languages Services, Ithaca NY
Course Requirements:
The class is conducted in Modern Standard Arabic. The focus is on all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. There is a written home-work assignment every week. Attendance at all Arabic language classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and to use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria
|
Percentage
|
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework
|
20%
|
Quizzes
|
20%
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
Final
|
40%
|
MEIS-GA 1112 Contemporary Media & Literary Arabic I
All students have to have successfully completed at least three years of Modern Standard Arabic through Advanced Arabic II (6 semesters) or equivalent.
Readings:
There are no required textbooks for the course but there will be assigned readings of general nature for everyone from many sources including current articles from Arabic magazines, newspapers and journals. Additionally, each student according to his or her interest, specialty and/or area of study will read selected materials in that area for individual oral presentations in class.
Recommended Textbooks & Materials:
- Lahlali, El Mustapha (2008), Advanced Media Arabic (Paperback)
- Elgibali, Alaa and Korica, Nevenka (2008), Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News. American University in Cairo Press (Paperback)
- Kendall, Elisabeth (2005), The Top 1,000 Words for Understanding Media Arabic. Georgetown University Press
- Pragnell, Fred (2005) The Palestine Chronicle (The same topic covered from 1880 until 1950 while the language underwent change)
- Wehr, Hans Cowan, J. Milton (ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic," Spoken Languages Services, Ithaca NY
Workload and Evaluation:
To enhance the newly-acquired vocabulary, expressions and structures, the same themes recur in reading, writing and class discussions (listening and speaking), thereby involving all language skills. There will be discussions of the assigned reading materials (1) and (2) under Readings above, viewing and listening to Arabic audio/visual materials, oral presentations and written assignments throughout the semester.
Grading Criteria
|
Percentage
|
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework
|
20%
|
Quizzes
|
10%
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
Final
|
50%
|
There will be a written Final Exam with the focus on Listening, Reading and Writing, to be preceded by a 15-20 minute Oral Presentation per student on the last day of class. These carry 50% of the total grade.
MEIS-GA 1118 Colloquial Arabic
This graduate course teaches a dialect of Arabic* and it is open to undergraduate students as well. You can get credit for this course but it does NOT count towards your NYU Language Requirement. All students have to have successfully completed at least two years of Arabic (4 semesters) in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) through Intermediate Arabic II or equivalent.
*Each semester a different spoken colloquial form of Arabic will be taught like Egyptian, Levantine (spoken in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria) or another major dialect depending on the availability of the instructor and the interest of the students. By virtue of having already studied MSA for two years and adequately developed the language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), familiarity with the sound system including the guttural and emphatic sounds plus an existing repertoire of varied vocabulary, the students can enormously benefit from the fast pace of this interactive course, cover a lot of ground and learn the dialect rather quickly in just one semester. Please note that you can take this course and receive credit for it only once regardless of which dialect is taught.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria
|
Percentage
|
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework
|
20%
|
Quizzes
|
20%
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
Final
|
40%
|
MEIS-UA 102 Elementary Arabic II
This course is open to students who have completed one semester of Arabic through Elementary Arabic I or who have had equivalent exposure to Modern Standard Arabic, the language read and understood by educated Arabs throughout the Middle East. The course builds basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in MSA. The texts and audio-visual materials used will introduce the student to various aspects of Arab and Islamic culture.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic," Part One, Georgetown University Press. Please note that we continue to use the second edition of this book
- CD's and DVD's that company this textbook
Course Requirements:
Attendance at all classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. Written homework is assigned daily and must be submitted in a timely manner in order to count towards your grade. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times. Quizzes will be given bi-weekly.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria
|
Percentage
|
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework
|
20%
|
Quizzes
|
20%
|
Midterm
|
20%
|
Final
|
40%
|
MEIS-UA 102 Elementary Arabic II
This course is open to students who have completed one semester of Arabic through Elementary Arabic I or who have had equivalent exposure to Modern Standard Arabic, the language read and understood by educated Arabs throughout the Middle East. The course builds basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in MSA. The texts and audio-visual materials used will introduce the student to various aspects of Arab and Islamic culture.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic," Part One, Georgetown University Press. Please note that we continue to use the second edition of this book
- CD's and DVD's that company this textbook
Course Requirements:
Attendance at all classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. Written homework is assigned daily and must be submitted in a timely manner in order to count towards your grade. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times. Quizzes will be given bi-weekly.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework |
20% |
Quizzes |
20% |
Midterm |
20% |
Final |
40% |
MEIS-UA 104 Intermediate Arabic II
This course is open for students who have completed three semesters of Arabic through Intermediate Arabic I or who have had equivalent exposure to Modern Standard Arabic, the language read and understood by educated Arabs throughout the Middle East. Students will continue to develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking and understanding MSA. Practice with an Arabic-English dictionary based on the Arabic root system will enhance the ability of students to read texts independently.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic," Part Two, Georgetown University Press. Please note that we continue to use the second edition of this book.
- CD's and DVD's that accompany both this textbook
- Wehr, Hans Cowan, J. Milton (ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic," Spoken Languages Services
Course Requirements:
Attendance at all classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and to use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. Written homework is assigned daily and must be submitted in a timely manner in order to count towards your grade. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times. Quizzes will be given bi-weekly.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework |
20% |
Quizzes |
20% |
Midterm |
20% |
Final |
40% |
MEIS-GA 1006 Advanced Arabic II
This class is a sequel to Advanced Arabic I (MEIS-GA 1005). All students have to have successfully completed at least two and a half years of Arabic (5 semesters) through Advanced Arabic I or equivalent. Undergraduate students must request permission from the department.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
- Brustad, Kristen, et al. "Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya: A Textbook for Arabic," Part Three, Georgetown University Press.
- CD’s and DVD's that accompany the textbook
- Supplemental materials provided by the professor
- Wehr, Hans Cowan, J. Milton (ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic," Spoken Languages Services, Ithaca NY
Course Requirements:
The class is conducted in Modern Standard Arabic. The focus is on all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. There is a written home-work assignment every week. Attendance at all classes is mandatory. You are expected to come to class prepared and use Arabic in class to the full extent of your abilities. All quizzes and exams must be taken at their designated times.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework |
20% |
Quizzes |
20% |
Midterm |
20% |
Final |
40% |
MEIS-GA 1113 Contemporary Media & Literary Arabic II
All students have to have successfully completed at least three years and a half of Modern Standard Arabic through Contemporary Media & Literary Arabic I (7 semesters) or equivalent.
Readings:
There are no required textbooks for the course but the materials used have a more literary focus this semester. There will also be assigned readings of general nature for everyone from many sources including current articles from Arabic magazines, newspapers and journals. Additionally, each student according to his or her interest, specialty and/or area of study will read selected materials in that area for individual oral presentations in class.
Recommended Textbooks & Materials:
- Lahlali, El Mustapha (2008), Advanced Media Arabic (Paperback)
- Elgibali, Alaa and Korica, Nevenka (2008), Media Arabic: A Coursebook for Reading Arabic News. American University in Cairo Press (Paperback)
- Kendall, Elisabeth (2005), The Top 1,000 Words for Understanding Media Arabic. Georgetown University Press
- Pragnell, Fred (2005) The Palestine Chronicle (The same topic covered from 1880 until 1950 while the language underwent change)
- Wehr, Hans Cowan, J. Milton (ed.), "A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic," Spoken Languages Services, Ithaca NY
Workload and Evaluation:
Print media will be used in conjunction with electronic media, whereby live broadcasts from Arabic radio and satellite TV stations will be used. To enhance the newly-acquired vocabulary, expressions and structures, the same themes recur in reading, writing and class discussions (listening and speaking), thereby involving all language skills. There will be discussions of the assigned reading materials (1) and (2) under Readings above, viewing and listening to Arabic audio/visual materials, oral presentations and written assignments throughout the semester.
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework |
20% |
Quizzes |
10% |
Midterm |
20% |
Final |
50% |
There will be a written Final Exam with the focus on Listening, Reading and Writing, to be preceded by a 15-20 minute Oral Presentation per student on the last day of class. These carry 50% of the total grade.
MEIS-GA 1118 Colloquial Arabic
This graduate course teaches a dialect of Arabic* and it is open to undergraduate students as well. You can get credit for this course but it does NOT count towards your NYU Language Requirement. All students have to have successfully completed at least two years of Arabic (4 semesters) in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) through Intermediate Arabic II or equivalent. In some cases you may be able to take this course with the permission of the instructor after successfully completing Intermediate Arabic I. This may necessitate that you simultaneously take Intermediate Arabic II in order to fulfill your Language Requirement.
*Each semester a different spoken colloquial form of Arabic will be taught like Egyptian, Levantine (spoken in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria) or another major dialect depending on the availability of the instructor and the interest of the students. By virtue of having already studied MSA for two years and adequately developed the language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing), familiarity with the sound system including the guttural and emphatic sounds plus an existing repertoire of varied vocabulary, the students can enormously benefit from the fast pace of this interactive course, cover a lot of ground and learn the dialect rather quickly in just one semester. Please note that you can take this course and receive credit for it only once regardless of which dialect is taught.
The Grading System:
Grading Criteria |
Percentage |
Attendance, Preparation, Class Participation and Written Homework |
20% |
Quizzes |
20% |
Midterm |
20% |
Final |
40% |