Prof. Eric Zakim, Coordinator 301-405-4250 hebrew-advise@umail.umd.edu School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures 3215 Jimenez Hall University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 The Hebrew Program is affiliated with the Meyerhof Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Maryland Q. What is the placement exam? A. The placement exam is a brief evaluation of your level of Hebrew meant to help us place you in the proper course level within the language sequence. The exam has both a written and an oral component. You will not be graded on the exam, and it has no bearing on your standing within any course. It is simply a tool for us to make sure you are in the right course. Q. I know my level of Hebrew. Do I really have to take a placement exam? A. Yes. Every student wishing to register in a course above the HEBR111 level must take the placement exam. Please note the times when the exam is offered. It is difficult for us to make special arrangements for students who miss the exam dates because part of the exam is an oral evaluation. Q. I hear that you really need some Hebrew before taking HEBR111 (Elementary Hebrew) because there are students there who know Hebrew from Hebrew School. Is this true? A. Our elementary Hebrew courses assume no prior background in the language. Yes, we do get a number of students in these classes who have learned some Hebrew before, but not enough to advance to the next level. It is our general opinion that students arriving with no prior background are at no disadvantage in this setting, and in fact have the advantage of beginning with good instruction and developing a proper base. Certainly, in terms of grades, we see no disadvantage for students who are truly interested in learning the language. Q. My Hebrew is good and I already took HEBR382. Is there any course I can take? A. Yes. Since courses above the HEBR381 level are topical, then you can take any advanced course. They are not sequential and do not repeat material learned earlier. It is true that the program is small, which might mean a shortage of choice during some semesters. But in that case, you can take a course in Hebrew literature or Israeli culture taught in English and then do the readings in the original. The professor will certainly be willing to discuss readings in Hebrew during office hours. Q. I know Hebrew and want to keep up my skills, but I'm not really interested in Hebrew literature. Can't we just read the newspaper and talk about current events? A. Journalistic Hebrew is an important register in the language, and several of our courses work to develop the skills necessary to read the Israeli newspapers. However, the goal of the Hebrew Program is the development of critical skills in understanding language, literature, and culture, all of which are important for the academic study of Israel or for extended stays in the country. For the development of critical skills in Hebrew, you need to engage all levels of the language. We make every effort to offer a myriad of topics that will be of interest to the students. But each advanced course focuses on the critical study of its topic. If you can read, write, and talk about advanced concepts in class, you will able to do just about anything in the language. Q. I can speak Hebrew fluently, but I can't read or write. Is there a class for me? A. Students with unbalanced language skills represent a special challenge for small programs such as ours. In general, yes, there is a class for you, but while you work on the skills you need, you will need to have patience because your other skills will be ahead of the rest of the class. This mix can lead to a good class situation where advanced speakers can encourage the rest of class. While there are more and more students at the university coming in with mixed backgrounds, we do not have as yet the budget to offer special courses for this group of students. Courses with mixed levels are a challenge for both students and instructors, but they can work very well to move everyone's skill levels forward. Q. There is no Hebrew course that fits my schedule. Can I take an independent study? A. No. Independent studies will be granted to students wishing to study in depth a topic in Hebrew language or literature, or Israeli culture that is not covered in any regularly taught course. Students must apply for independent studies in writing by filling out both the Hebrew Program Independent Study Application form and the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures independent study form. Independent studies will be granted based on the intellectual rationale of the proposal and the feasibility of the proposed course of study. Q. Can I get CORE credit for taking Hebrew? A. At the moment, no Hebrew courses fulfill CORE credit requirements. However, we are in the process of applying for CORE designation for the second-year Hebrew language courses (HEBR211 and HEBR212). Also, from time to time we will offer CORE course credit for certain culture and literature courses. Check our course offerings in Testudo for appropriate courses.