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Our Colloquial Moroccan Arabic course

Colloquial Moroccan Arabic (CMA, also known as "darija") is the spoken dialect of Morocco. CMA is grammatically simpler and has a less voluminous vocabulary than Modern Standard Arabic. While most CMA words find their root in MSA, many CMA words are borrowed from Spanish, French, and Berber. Colloquial Moroccan Arabic is the language most commonly spoken in Morocco.

Our Colloquial Moroccan Arabic program consists of three levels which each contain 3 courses:

Beginning Level - (90 hours)
> Course B-I (30 hours)
> Course B-II (30 hours)
> Course B-III (30 hours)

Intermediate Level - (90 hours)
> Course N-I (30 hours)
> Course N-II (30 hours)
> Course N-III (30 hours)

Advanced Level - (90 hours)
> Course E-I (30 hours)
> Course E-II (30 hours)
> Course E-III (30 hours)

All textbooks and study materials are provided on loan.

An oral placement test conducted at school ensures that students are placed at their ideal level. There is also an exit assessment test for each course.

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Beginning Level (90 hours)

This course focuses on Spoken rather than Standard Written Arabic and will target Oral / Aural skills, speaking and listening. At this level, knowledge of Arabic orthography is not required and all texts contain phonetic transcriptions. By the end of the course, students will be able to master a number of social and communicative functions. (90 hours.) Functions students will master include:

1.Introducing oneself, getting information about others
2.Identifying and describing people, objects and places and Giving and receiving directions
3.Narrating daily and habitual actions
4.Making appointments and reservations
5.Dealing with invitations and offers
6.Reading maps

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

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Intermediate Level (90 hours)

The course is a continuation of the CMA beginning level. It covers grammatical structures with a greater focus on vocabulary mastery. It also provides intensive oral drills supplemented by vocabulary exercises and a wide variety of real life situations.

By the end of the course, learners are expected to reach an intermediate – high level based on the ACTFL proficiency scale. They will be able to perform various complex functions that are extensively employed in the Moroccan conversational situation.

Primary textbooks:
> A Basic Course in Moroccan Arabic. By Richard S. Harrell and Mohammed Abu Taleb, Georgetown University Press. > Moroccan Arabic, by Peace Corps. > Various articles from Moroccan newspapers and magazines. _________________________________________________________

Advanced Level (90 hours)

This course has a two fold purpose: it provides students with a window on the social, intellectual and physical aspects of the Moroccan culture. Also, it presents an opportunity for learners to get insight into the diversity of the Moroccan linguistic situation while studying the major characteristics of CMA.

By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the cultural connotations of some Moroccan proverbs and maxims understand Moroccan traditions and rituals. They will also be able to converse and write about a wide of variety of topics. The ability to read and write in Modern Standard Arabic is a pre-requisite for this course.

Primary textbooks:
> A Basic Course in Moroccan Arabic. By Richard S. Harrell and Mohammed Abu Taleb, Georgetown University Press.
> Moroccan Arabic, by Peace Corps.
> Various articles from Moroccan newspapers and magazines.

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Teaching Techniques

The concept of immersion is based on the idea that we acquire knowledge faster and better when we learn it naturally through comprehension. While "immersion" methodologies are widely considered modern teaching techniques, they are in fact nothing new. For as long as human beings have learned to speak we have acquired language by imitating and then comprehending the meanings behind the words we say. An immersive language curriculum merely imitates the natural processes we use to learn language as children from the environment around us.

In practice an immersion curriculum does not rely heavily on grammar drills or assignments in translation. Grammar is learned by inference and gentle corrections of speech by the teacher. At the beginning level of our Arabic classes teachers will speak as little English as possible. From the intermediate level onward English will not be spoken at all.

Several different types of immersion methodologies are incorporated into the curriculum. One methodology is task-based learning. During a task-based learning activity the focus of the classroom is the completion of a task and language is the instrument used to achieve it. The aim of this method is to create a need to learn and use language skills.

Another technique, Total Physical Response, is based on the theory that memory of a new language skill is enhanced when associated with physical movement. This method works especially well in learning commands as well as simple actions and nouns.

Simply put, the curriculum strategy is to involve students in a multi-faceted process of learning rather than simply lecturing to them. Students are encouraged to speak and use their new language skills, as much as possible, in order to cement them as a part of memory. What this curriculum demands of students is merely that they be open to learning and willing to try to speak and practice the language skills the teacher wants them to produce.

Instructors
Each classroom is led by an experienced and enthusiastic Native speaking Arabic teacher. Our teachers are all former Fullbright scholars. They have previous experience teaching at American universities during a fullbright exchange program. They also have held positions as Professors of Arabic at distinguished Moroccan Universities.