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Beginning Somali 1 (SOMI 1000)
Total Credits:
5
Lecture Credits:
5
Description:
Beginning Somali provides an introduction to the language and cultures of Somali, and introduces you to contemporary Somali language, including the written alphabet and sound system.
You will develop basic listening, speaking, reading and writing skills necessary to communicate about self, family and daily life, as well as basic survival needs. You will also explore history and cultural aspects of the Somali-speaking world.
Topical Outline:
1. Listening: Students listen to simple dialogues about self, family, and daily life.
2. Speaking: Students discuss themselves and their own lives as well as other basic cultural and contemporary issues.
3. Reading: Students analyze the content of basic written materials such as cultural information, menus, schedules, advertisements, etc.
4. Writing: Students write short compositions, journal entries, notes, messages, and short descriptions using simple sentences
5. Lexical-Grammatical Topics: register (Somali sentences vs. English sentences, Somali has different Syntactic order than English), the Somali alphabet (P V Z letters) telling time, gender, plural forms, subject pronouns, regular present tense, asking and answering questions, interrogatives, adjectives, (Nin cad ama dheer) possessive adjectives, expressing the future and verbs (Somali verb conjugations), and the present progressive.
6. Culture: Students acquire cultural information for the purpose of understanding and appreciating the products, practices, and perspectives of other cultures. Topics may include: Somali and Somali diaspore around the world, the university systems, naming practices, and clothing
Learning Outcomes:
1. Use basic grammatical structures and fundamental vocabulary to produce short compositions on familiar topics and read and discuss authentic materials in the present tense (ACTFL Novice Low or better for writing and speaking)
2. Participate in paired and group activities to practice self-expression on personal, cultural, and current topics within limits of linguistic ability
3. Read authentic Somali texts at the ACTFL Novice Mid level or better
4. Comprehend spoken Somali at the ACTFL Novice Mid level or better
5. Demonstrate a developing understanding of history, political science, art, and music of the target culture through the target language
MnTC:
Goal 8