Beginning Arabic I The goal of this course is to begin developing reading, speaking, listening, writing, and cultural skills in Arabic. This course stresses written and oral communication, using both formal Arabic and some Egyptian dialect. Emphasis is also placed on reading authentic texts from Arabic media sources, listening to and watching audio and video materials, and developing students' understanding of Arab culture. 6 hrs lect/disc.

Advanced Readings: Arabic across History In this course we will read a variety of Arabic texts representing different eras in the history of Arabic, from pre-Islamic times in the Arabian Peninsula until the modern era in the Arab world. Readings will be mostly drawn from Arabic poetry across its different eras, as well as from religious and historical texts. Other types of texts will be chosen in consultation between students and instructor. In addition to discussion of the linguistic features of texts, we will address their literary, historical, and cultural aspects.

Introduction to Linguistics In this course we will discuss the major issues and findings in the study of human language within theories of modern linguistics. The main topics include the nature of human language as opposed to other communication systems; sound patterns (phonology); word-formation (morphology); sentence structure (syntax); meaning (semantics); language and the brain; language acquisition; geographical and social dialects; and historical development of language and language change.

Beginning Arabic III This course is a continuation of ARBC 0102.

Advanced Arabic II This course is a continuation of Arabic 0301. It aims to help students reach an advanced level of proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing Arabic, as well as to develop further an understanding of Arab culture. Readings include articles on cultural, social, historical, political, and literary topics.  Course will be conducted entirely in Arabic.

Advanced Arabic 1 A continuation of Arabic 0202. This course aims to help students reach an intermediate-high level of proficiency in reading, speaking, writing, listening, and culture. Readings include articles on cultural, social, historical, political and literary topics.

Intermediate Arabic II This course is a continuation of Arabic 0201. Fifth in a series of courses that develop reading, speaking, listening, writing, and cultural skills in Arabic.  This course stresses communication in formal and spoken Arabic. (ARBC 0201 or equivalent).

Arabic Sociolinguistics (taught in English) In this course we will focus on the inter-relationships between the way Arabic is used by native speakers and the various social contexts affecting that usage. In particular, we will discuss the phenomenon of diglossia in Arabic speech communities (that is, the co-existence of Modern Standard Arabic with the vernacular Arabic dialects of today); aspects of linguistic variation and change in the Arab world; the relation between register and language; as well as the relation between language and such sociological variables as education, social status, political discourse, and gender. Readings are primarily drawn from sociolinguists' studies in the Arab world.

The Structure of Language: Introduction to Morphology and Syntax In this course we will focus on two fundamental areas in the study of language structure: morphology and syntax. Morphology is the study of the internal structure of words and their meaningful parts (e.g., roots and affixes), whereas syntax studies how words are combined to form larger units (phrases and sentences). Linguistic data for illustration and analysis will be taken both from English and a variety of languages belonging to different language families to help us better understand the unity and diversity of human language with regard to word and sentence structure. The course is intended to enhance students’ skills in linguistic description and analysis, as well as general problem-solving and analytical reasoning skills.

Intermediate Arabic I This course is a continuation of ARBC 0103. Emphasis is placed on reading authentic materials from Arabic media, expanding students' vocabulary, listening to and watching audio and video materials, and developing students' understanding of Arab culture and communicative competence.

Usama Soltan

Reviews and ratings for Usama Soltan at Middlebury College.Usama Soltan teaches Beginning Arabic I, Arabic across History, Introduction to Linguistics and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Usama Soltan good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

Love ustaaz Soltan!!! He makes learning Arabic feel so much more accessible. Really hoping I can take another class with him! Course goes really fast but he makes it manageable and is very motivating.

There were daily exercises just to apply the reading, which was really helpful to be able to gather the main points of the reading without reading every word. This was a very helpful introduction to what linguistics entails and I recommend it for anyone interested in how languages are structured or used. 

Sultan is best prof in the dep. He was super chill and I learned so much. Class was always super fun. Lots of speaking which is great and we watched a lot of cultural videos. The readings in class were all interesting and at a good level. Would 1000% recommend. He's not very linenet if you miss class so be aware of that. Overall would take again. You got this Arabic students!!!