Arabic for Heritage Speakers I · Middle Eastern, South Asian, And African Studies
Homework every single day, a few quizzes, and a final— a LOT of work, but worth it. Don't focus on your grade— focus on learning. You will do well in the class as long as you put in effort and prove to him that you're a hard worker.
Professor Nouhi is the sweetest man I know. He is so understanding and he genuinely cares about his students. He is incredibly smart and knows SO much about Arabic and linguistics. He also knows four languages!! He's amazing. Don't even be concerned about your grade— he just wants his students to learn and to try their best. He does whatever he can to make the class easier for you, and he's so helpful in office hours. He is super energetic and enthusiastic every single day, even at 8:50 in the morning. Arabic is a super hard language, but he makes it less daunting and more manageable. I learned so much and grew so much in his class, and I only wish I could take Third-Year Arabic with him. I cannot recommend him enough.
Doable. Usually one assignment per class, sometimes writing or other times a grammar drill.
This man is an angel. He is so intelligent, and knows so much about linguistics and Arabic and history--it's truly impressive. Asides from that, he's so sweet and really cares about his students.
It's Arabic - lots of homework, a midterm, final, and a couple of papers. He's a very fair grader.
Youssef Nouhi is an AMAZING teacher. He is so approachable and kind and understanding. He loves what he's doing and really cares about his students. The grade is not so important as whether or not you are learning the language, and he'll whatever he can to make it easier for you. I had Youssef for four consecutive semester, and only wish that I take his class again. Arabic can be pretty intimidating at Columbia, but Youssef takes away the scary factor without compromising on how much you get out of the class.