Usama Soltan
Office
Voter Hall 016
Tel
(802) 443-5869
Email
usoltan@middlebury.edu
Office Hours
SPRING 2024: Tue 1:30-3:30, and Wed 4:00-5:00, and by appointment.

Usama Soltan has been at Middlebury College since 2006, where he teaches courses in Arabic language and culture at all levels as well as courses in Arabic linguistics, including Arabic Sociolinguistics (taught in English) and Arabic Diglossia and Arabic across History (upper-level seminars taught in Arabic). He is also a faculty member of the Linguistics Program at Middlebury, offering courses on general linguistics, including Introduction to Linguistics and Morphology and Syntax. He holds a PhD in linguistics from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is primarily interested in questions related to the study of human language as a cognitive capacity: What is the nature of linguistic knowledge and how does such knowledge arise in the human mind? To this endeavor, his research agenda has focused on bringing empirical facts from Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic to bear on issues of linguistic theory, particularly with regard to the study of cross-linguistic diversity in syntactic structure in human languages.

Courses Taught

Course Description

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.

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

Requirements

LNG

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Course Description

Beginning Arabic II
This course is an intensive continuation of ARBC 0101. In addition to the goals stated for that course there will be extra emphasis on cultural skills during winter term. (ARBC 0101 or equivalent).

Terms Taught

Winter 2021

Requirements

LNG, WTR

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Course Description

Beginning Arabic III
This course is a continuation of ARBC 0102. 6 hrs. lect/disc (ARBC 0102 or equivalent)

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2023

Requirements

LNG

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Course Description

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. (ARBC 0103 or equivalent) 6 hrs. lect/disc

Terms Taught

Fall 2021, Fall 2022

Requirements

LNG

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Course Description

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). 6 hrs. lect/disc

Terms Taught

Spring 2022, Spring 2024

Requirements

LNG

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Course Description

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. (ARBC 0101 or instructor's approval)

Terms Taught

Spring 2021, Spring 2024

Requirements

AAL, MDE, SOC

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Course Description

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. (ARBC 0202 or equivalent) 3 hrs. lect/disc. on T/R., plus a 50-minute lect time on Mondays TBD by enrolled students.)

Terms Taught

Fall 2020

Requirements

LNG

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Course Description

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. 3 hrs. sem. (ARBC 0302 or equivalent)

Terms Taught

Fall 2022

Requirements

LIT, LNG, MDE

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Course Description

Independent Study
(Approval Required)

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis I
Approval required.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

Senior Thesis II
Approval required.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Winter 2025, Spring 2025

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Course Description

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.

Terms Taught

Spring 2020, Spring 2022, Spring 2023

Requirements

DED, WTR

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