Job Discussion Forums

[shfranke]

Greetings.

Three multimedia (textbook and CD / audiocassettes) for self-study of conversational / functional Arabic (in dialects of Iraq and the Gulf) include:

1. Modern Iraqi, by Yasin M. Alkalesi
(Georgetown University Press, pb and six CDs)

2. Iraqi Phrasebook, by Yasin M. Alkalesi
(McGraw-Hill, paperback only)

3. Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic, by Jack Smart and Frances Altorfer
(NTC Publishing Group, paperback; audiocassettes optional)

The contents are organized around the most-likely situations which a visitor / tourist / newly-arrived expat would encounter.

Although some other textbooks and packages exist, these three seem the better-organized and easy-to-use references around.

A university in California is developing a mutlimedia, interactive (a la video game with an interactive component) software for functional training of US military personnel in the Iraqi (Baghdadi central) dialect of Arabic, and that product should appear as a commercial product before the year's end.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Stephen H. Franke
San Pedro, California

[foss]

[Vesuve]

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[shebab]

There is nothing on the market for non-native speakers that matches what's written for native Arabic speaking children. With a solid base in the alphabet and the verb tenses, I simply started buying native speaking Arabic children's books-with pictures-at the Jarir Bookstore! They are fun, colorful, and cheap. The words I don't understand I type into my "Al Mawrid" Arabic/English CD ROM. My laptop has keys in Arabic and English, and learning to type in Arabic is less painful in the long run than learning the alphabetical order needed to use a paper Arabic/English dictionary. I have noticed my reading level and speed increase gradually over the past few months.

While most of what I know is classical Arabic, I have actually been able to have basic conversations with people on the street about things other than fruits or vegetables!

[shebab]

There is nothing on the market for non-native speakers that matches what's written for native Arabic speaking children. With a solid base in the alphabet and the verb tenses, I simply started buying native speaking Arabic children's books-with pictures-at the Jarir Bookstore! They are fun, colorful, and cheap. The words I don't understand I type into my "Al Mawrid" Arabic/English CD ROM. My laptop has keys in Arabic and English, and learning to type in Arabic is less painful in the long run than learning the alphabetical order needed to use a paper Arabic/English dictionary. I have noticed my reading level and speed increase gradually over the past few months.

While most of what I know is classical Arabic, I have actually been able to have basic conversations with people on the street about things other than fruits or vegetables!

[Sekhmet]

Shebabs plan of using kids' books actually does work!!! After spending some time having informal lessons (learning the alphabet and such), I started doing the same thing. However, I'm now much more interested in learning Ammeya (the Egyptian colloquial dialect), mainly because it can be understood throughout most Arabic countries (allegedly!). The total immersion method is currently working out well for me, so I decided not to invest in any books just yet... It doesn't help that I'm WAY below the poverty line in both England and America right now!

However, books I have noticed are: Sabah ElKheer ya Masr (Good Morning Egypt) - Ammeya, and El Kitaab - Fousha. I'm pretty sure studying either of those on your own would be a challenge, though!! For learning to form the writing, using a child's handwriting book has worked well for me. The only problem, again, is you need a translator to help with studying the book!

Interestingly, the kid's book idea worked very well with Mandarin Chinese... Probably better than it is doing for Arabic, for me at least!

[veiledsentiments]

Vesuve,

Gulf dialects are usually used in such a limited geographical area that I think you would be better off learning MSA - and then add local dialects whichever country you go to.

VS

[Vesuve]

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