Teacher: Dr Dorota Molin, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge
Class Level: Beginners (the course will be accessible to all, though students will find that knowledge of another Semitic language or Classical Aramaic will be of advantage)
Class Schedule 2023-24: Thursdays from 15:00-16:00 UK Time (you can check time-zone comparisons on sites such as this one)
Class Length: 3-term class (Michaelmas Term 2023-Trinity Term 2024) (Oxford dates of term are available on the University website)
Class Description: The first part of the class will consist of immersive, communication-driven language learning focused on everyday topics (approximately to the A2 level). We will use Latin transcriptions of Neo-Aramaic for the most part, for the sake of both linguistic accuracy and accessibility for all students. In the second part, we will study (listen to and read) texts of cultural significance: a traditional oral midrash and a folktale, shedding some light on the relations of the Jews with their Christian and Kurdish neighbours. We will also have a linguistic overview of the wider Neo-Aramaic family. The dialect taught will be the Neo-Aramaic of the Jews of northwestern Iraq, especially Dohok and Zakho.