Product Description
A Short Reference Grammar of Iraqi Arabic is the only volume of its kind, reflecting Iraqi Arabic as spoken by educated Muslims in Baghdad. With all the Arabic transcribed, it is written for beginners as well as Arabic speakers wanting to learn the dialect. It covers the phonology, morphology (word formation of nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and numerals, achieved by adding prefixes and suffixes to roots), and syntax, teaching the reader how to make the sounds, form words, and construct sentences. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

a good reference
This is a reprint of a well-written grammar of the Arabic variety spoken in Baghdad, Iraq. Despite its old-fashioned descriptive line, it offers a good and precise characterization of Iraqi Arabic syntax and phonology and shows the author's good knowledge and in-depth research into this dialect. I recommend it for both researchers and learners. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Pleasantly surprised...
I found this at my local library and remain thoroughly impressed by this slim volume.I have been a fervent believer that until we gain a better understanding of the expansiveness and the limitations of our language to express spritual concepts, our knowledge of our own spiritual natures will remain only on the most basic level.In a few essays and a rather comprehensive glossary of both Arabic and English words defined in a spiritual context, this book does more to further our understanding of language in a 100+ pages than most heftier volumes I have read lately.Highly recommended for any collection of Islamic texts. ... Read more

Product Description
The Middle East has become an increasingly important place in the minds and concerns of the English-speaking world. This volume, originally published under the title Jerusalem Arabic, is the gold standard for anyone beginning to learn the Arabic spoken by the Palestinians, or those who live in Syria or Lebanon. Written in transcription using the Roman alphabet, the "Levantine" Arabic, or Jerusalem dialect, is a central Middle Eastern dialect and recognized by Arabs virtually anywhere - in large part due to the Palestinian diaspora - and a good choice for anyone wishing to learn a base Arabic dialect. Enhanced by a CD with MP3 files (replacing the former set of nine audiocassettes), Eastern Arabic provides the best available structured introduction to the essential features and vocabulary of spoken Palestinian Arabic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

decent and usable, but also a little old
This is probably the best available option for learning the Arabic actually spoken around the Eastern Mediterranian. Originally its title was 'Jerusalem Arabic' which means that what you are really getting is the Palestinian dialect, which is very close to Syrian and not quite as close to Lebanese.Learners who come to it from an Egyptian background will also find much that is familiar in the grammar and vocabulary.

The lessons build on each other in a very logical way so that even an absolute beginner with no previous Arabic exposure should be able to work through them.The vocabulary is not the most interesting, but it is useful for everyday life and interactions with native speakers in their own environment- however, it doesn't go much beyond that. Also, the drilling is very 1960s- rote exercises, for instance a set of sentences with a feminine subject which have to be converted to plural, or plural subjects to be converted to singular. And because of the book's age, some of the expressions it introduces might be a little dated by now.The only solution for this, of course, is the help of a native speaker.

Still, since there are many fewer pedagogical materials for Levantine Arabic (and very few of them recent) than other forms of vernacular Arabic (Egyptian or even Gulf) this is a course that a beginning learner can plow ahead with. One irksome feature: the book does not make use of the Arabic alphabet at all. Transcription is a lot of unnecessary bother for a native teacher and an absolute dead end for the student, who will never have any occasion to use it again after completing the course.

bestyet
I wrote the previous review. I want to make sure that people are aware they need the tapes to this book which covers all the chapters. If you have a person that speaks this dialect then you probably will not need the tapes.
What makes this a good book is it covers the same sentences when spoken to a man, woman, group, and third person.
1.It introduces each word separetly with its meaning before adding it to a sentence.
2. It covers grammer but not to the point you get sick.
3.It has exercises at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge.
4.Each chapter is only several pages and cover situations, example shopping.
5. Each lesson builds on the previous and makes sure to keep words that were learned continue to be used or reviewed.
6. The book contains 30 lessons and an arabic-english, english -arabic dictionary at the end of most of the words covered in the book.
The bad
1. If this course is bought throuh Amazon the tapes do not come with it and must be purchased seperatly.
2. I bought the entire course through Audio forum for 185$ which includes the 8 tapes. I know its expensive but I have not seen any eastern arabic course compare to it. ( not yet)

Great book
If you want to learn Eastern Arabic, This is the book! ... Read more

Product Description
For those beginning their study, this volume is a comprehensive introduction to the Arabic language as spoken by educated Muslim Baghdad residents. It does not assume prior knowledge of Arabic. Transcribed and not in Arabic script, it is further enhanced by the inclusion of Iraqi–English and English–Iraqi glossaries.

The text, A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC, contains ten chapters of phonology, the study and identification of the meaningful sounds of Iraqi Arabic, and thirty more chapters deal with grammar and vocabulary. The phonology chapters all contain extensive drills, and the grammar chapters start with a dialogue or brief narrative, then explain the new vocabulary, points of grammar, and also conclude with drills.

Accompanying the text and drills is a bound-in CD containing audio MP3 files that aid in pronunciation and practice. As the English-speaking world has become increasingly aware of the lands and cultures where Arabic is spoken, books augmented with audio material such as A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC WITH MP3 AUDIO FILES have become more important and necessary--there can be no peace or concord without understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Rapping with the shoe thrower
OK, so you're one of the 200 million or so Americans who want to meet the Iraqi shoe thrower- to shake his hand and take him out to lunch.What is available in the way of materials for learning to speak Iraqi Arabic?

This book is an outstanding contribution to a very limited and underserved area of Arabic dialectology.Although it may seem to take forever to get through the introductory sections on pronunciation, they are worth the time and effort required. From there the lessons move on with very thorough treatment of grammar and particularly rigorous treatment of the Iraqi verb. There are some mutations that take place in Iraqi Arabic that affect the basic verbal paradigm (particularly in the imperfect tense), but the many drills are excellent and persistence does pay off. A buyer of this book should be advised that in this book, which dates from the 1960's era of language tutelage, "drill" means exactly that- there is a lot of repetition.My one quibble (a small one) is that the book could use some translation exercises- but of course there is nothing to stop a learner from trying to do some of this on their own. This course provides a first-rate foundation. The MP3's are also fine- and a serious student will practice with them on a daily basis.

Wallace Erwin, by the way, was one of the real pioneers of Arabic education- he was a prominent contributor to 'the Big Orange Book', which was the leading (and almost the only) resourse for Standard Arabic for a generation or more.

Excellent foreign language materials
This is an absolutely wonderful text and audio files. I have learned so much about Iraqi Arabic from these materials. The main thing is the excellent presentation of verb forms so that the learner becomes completely familiar with both perfect and imperfect verb forms. I have seen so many Arabic language books and materials where the imperfect "tense" (essentially the present tense) is "shied away from" (for some unknown reason,) or as if the imperfect tense were "too difficult" for the beginning learner. Here, the author is completely upfront about it, and one learns these forms right away. This is exactly what is needed! I gave up on "Modern Standard Arabic" because the authors in all the books on the subject that I read refused to discuss the imperfect tense!

Other positive aspects of these materials are: the audio files are extremely professional, and most, if not all of the exercises are not only interesting, but very useful for the learner. I originally began my study of Iraqi Arabic just to learn enough to satisfy my curiosity about the language, but I have found that once into the materials, I could not stop learning!I have been a lifelong foreign language learner, and these are some of the best language materials I have ever encountered for ANY language.

I like to write out the dialogues and exercises on big sheets of paper to help reinforce my learning, and I found the romanized Arabic system that the author uses to be excellent. There are only some slight variations in the script that I use. For example, instead of the author's more "linguistic" use of "x" for the gutteral sound, I always transpose this into "kh" which to me is a better representation of the sound. But aside from certain minor variations that I prefer, the romanization is a great asset to helping the learner learn the aural-oral aspects of the language without being encumbered by the Arabic writing system at the beginning. I feel the writing system, because it is basically phonetic, can be learned later, or separately, if need be. But for the learner, studying the language at the beginning, in particular, in a familiar orthography ensures faster progress.

I highly recommend Iraqi, in general, as a dialect choice for Arabic, and to a great extent, I owe that to these great materials.

Less accessible
I purchased both this book and the Alkalesi book and found the Alkalesi book to be much more straightforward and accessible.This book is good for doing lots of drills, but it is not an easy way to learn the basics of Iraqi Arabic.

Great Resource and Starter for an English Speaker
I am a US army Captain intent on teaching myself Arabic....What I quickly found out through discovery learning is there are many dialects.I started with several other MSA resources, but Iraqi is very different.If you are going to Iraq, you need this book or at least a book that solely focuses on the Iraqi dialect.I have a Syrian interpreter and sometimes he has difficulty with some words and phrases here.He can communicate very clearly with the Iraqi people, but even I can notice the dialectal differences. There are a lot of ways to say things in Arabic and although they can understand each they simply say things differently.It may not be that confusing for a native non-Iraqi speaker to communicate, but for the non-native speaker who is just learning, it can sound like a different language sometimes.I am currently in Iraq, 6 months into my tour and I am about half way through the book.Already I am able to have very basic conversations and I can pick out a lot of words in any conversation.The outstanding drills do eventually take hold.I'll hear a conjugation of a word and I'll know what it means.Its my lack of vocabulary that is holding me back, but that should come with some more time.The drills must be listened to, not read.You have to train you brain to hear and comprehend it.The MP3s that come with the book really make it a complete package.It takes a while to understand, but you'll start to understand it.It makes it worthwhile when you can pick up even a few words out of a conversation.

Don't expect to learn the script with this book.It isn't in it.The intent of this book is listening and understanding and responding, not reading and writing.The phonics section is outstanding,it tells you exactly how to hold you tongue to make all the sounds.BTW there are 31 consanants in Iraqi Arabic, a couple more than MSA.Not a big deal, the book will have you pronouncing the sounds almost like a native.

An outstanding learning resource.
Ten chapters, 77 pages, just on the phonology of the Iraqi dialect! The author is very gifted at explaining in exquisite detail how each consonant, vowel and diphthong is to be produced, and strangely enough he actually made this subject interesting and comprehensible, something no one else has done in my lifetime. No highbrow "linguist only" babble, but all of that detail in a pleasant straight forward style. A CD with 665 Megs of MP3 files covers the entire text. The grammar notes on each new pattern are extensive. All in all, this course seems far superior to others I have bought. No introduction to the Arabic script in this text. ... Read more

Product Description
A user-friendly Arabic alphabet-and-culture book for complete beginners
"This book makes the Arabic alphabet much more approachable for the complete beginner, and can generate enthusiasm for expanded study of the language."
--Paul Beran, Director, The Outreach Center, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University

No other Arabic alphabet book demystifies the letters in such a comfortable way, by introducing them in English alphabetical order of the Roman alphabet and using the spelling of English names and words as a way to learn the Arabic. Look up matching letters, follow the directions, and soon you'll be writing your own name in Arabic!

Clear, concise illustrations show how to draw and remember each letter. Color photographs and explorations of individual words reveal important and often unrecognized connections between the West and the Arab world, such as the delicious gift of sugar. Sugar Comes from Arabic is an exciting entry into the language of more than twenty countries and more than 300 million people.

Simple stick-figure cartoons show you how to draw and remember each letter. Winning illustrations of words reveal important and too-often-unrecognized connections between our cultures, such as the delicious gift of sugar we received from the Arab world. This book is an irresistible way to raise cultural literacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

How to easily learn the Arabic alphabet
How to easily learn the Arabic alphabet!
Sugar Comes from Arabic
A Beginner's Guide to Arabic Letters and Words
Barbara Whitesides
ISBN 978-1-56656-757-2

When I lived in Dubai for eight years I often tried to learn Arabic. I probably hindered myself from memorizing the alphabet, thinking "This alphabet has 124 letter shapes to remember. Woe is me! I've never been good at memorizing."

Then I discovered information about Sugar Comes from Arabic from the Saudi-Aramco magazine. Hope re-ignited! Maybe I could master Arabic letters!

This book's logic, memory aides, personal approach (first step-- write names easily), cultural additions, word source explanations, delightful lay-out--the entire book impresses me.

The ring bound pages lay open easily, the large page size makes full but uncluttered pages readable, the pictures are colorful...I can't find anything I'd suggest as lacking in this book. Each page with a new letter has the entire alphabet along one edge for easy reference. Back pages have the entire Arabic alphabet and numbers.

The method used to remember each letter and how it fits in words--so clear and simple!

I'm happily working on learning Arabic! And making great progress.

Thank you, Barbara Whitesides and crew!

© Geni J. White

Sugar Comes from Arabic
Not only is this book a wonderful introduction to arabic script, it reveals so many english and latin words which are derived from Arabic.With the wonderful illustrations and vignettes, the book succeeds in humanizing Arab culture to its readers.

Demystifies the letters
Arabic written script commonly in use by more than 300 million people in more than twenty countries around the world is radically different from that of the scripts descended from the Roman alphabet. But now American and European students wanting to learn to read and write in Arabic have a superbly produced learning tool with Barbara Whitesides' "Sugar Comes From Arabic: A Beginner's Guide To Arabic Letters & Words". This deftly composed and presented Arabic alphabet book demystifies the letters by introducing them in an English alphabetical order, and then using the spelling of English names and words as a way of learning Arabic. Students will be able look up matching letters, follow clear directions, and quite quickly become able to write their own name in Arabic. Profusely illustrated throughout, "Sugar Comes From Arabic" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, school, and community library Language Studies reference collections and curriculum supplements.

Helps calligraphy too
This book helps unlock the meshed letters so you can see how they're put togetherIt's a huge help for anyone trying to get from knowing single letters to reading words.And it's full of insight into culture and customs.Worth every penny and every minute you put into it.

Warm and friendly Arabic learning
I love this book.I've been slowly trying to learn Arabic with help from friends, and this book creates a warm and friendly environment in which to learn the language and alphabet.It is amazing how Barbara Whitesides has figured out how to make Arabic fun and accessible for an American audience.For someone first looking at the Arabic alphabet, it can seem so different from our own that it seems completely out of our reach.She uses friendly hints, fun cultural references, and her own clear enthusiasm for the language and culture to make her readers as excited as she is about the beauty of the Arabic language. ... Read more

Product Description
Key to Exercises for W.M. Thackston's Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Okay, but could certainly be better
For a general evaluation of this book, I can hardly do better than a previous reviewer, Muhammad Omer Iqbal. I just want to add a couple of details.

First, this answer key shows the same minimalist style as the grammar itself when it comes to offering information useful to the student. Aside from the lack of the tiniest jot of explanation for the answers given, the answers themselves can be rather minimal. In the section of each lesson where the student is asked to produce inflected forms of words (always part "a" and sometimes part "b"), the answer key does not always provide complete vocalization. By lesson 19, for example, the student's head will be brimming with hundreds of vocalized forms of words, many of which are not distinguished from others in unvocalized writing. Exercise 19(a) asks the student to give the jussive of a number of verb forms. The key for this section only puts in the most minimal distinguishing features of the vocalization of each word, rather than fully vocalizing each. Yes, the student theoretically should have all this memorized, but in practice, practically no one will have every detail perfectly and unhesitatingly fixed in his or her mind. And yes, the student can flip around in the book or in a dictionary and find the missing details. But why not just put all the vowels in the key and be done with it? It would save some frustration in what is already a daunting task.

Second, as I have already suggested in my review of the textbook, the student would do well to acquire the very useful reference grammar by William Wright, Arabic Grammar. It is not very expensive and it is a treasure trove of grammatical explanations that will supplement Thackston's textbook and answer key.

Nearly Indispensable
If you plan on using Thackston's text to teach yourself Arabic, this answer key is nearly indispensable.The answer key is virtually free of mistakes.And, when used in tandem with the teaching text, the student should be able to understand the grammar involved in each sentence that he comes across.

I only have one mild complaint about this answer key: I wish the Arabic font had been a point or two larger, because the vowel marks are sometimes difficult to discern.

Mistake and no explanations in the key
Remember, this is the review for the answer key only.

The book just lists the answers but does not explain any reasoning or grammar for having arrived at those answers. This works in a class environment because you always have a teacher to go to, but for self-studying, it becomes a hindrance quite often and you really have to work hard to get across the book. Sometimes, you just have to let few things go and move on to come back later and find out why that particular answer was correct.

There are often multiple ways to translate from one language to another, but this answer key just gives one answer. This is easy in the earlier chapters where very few rules have been introduced but later in the book, it becomes difficult because you may have formed a past sentence using one way, while the book may have used another method. While you cannot find out if your approach was correct or not, you do have access to 'one' possible solution in the answer key. I would have liked to know multiple translations and which one would be preferable etc, especially in the second half of the book.

Lastly, and most importantly, there are a few mistakes in the answer key, and if you are self-studying, then it takes you off guard at times. When one is trying to 'decode' why a certain answer has been given, at times there is an element of doubt that may be the answer is wrong if one is not able to find the reasoning behind it.

Other than that, if you have energy and stamina, this answer key will help you (along with the book of course) to understand basics of classical arabic.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Modern Iraqi Arabic - Yasin M. Alkalesi
I have purchased six books to assist me in learning Iraqi Arabic.In my opinion, this book is hands down the best.It has an easily understood format, has exercises, a great CD, and best of all it has script!! The transliteration methodology is very easy...it is nothing like the very complicated type of transliteration that you get in the Erwin books and the Georgetown Press (fast approaches learning a 3rd language). Along with Modern Iraqi Arabic, I would also recommend the Iraqi Phrasebook - The Essential Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq by the same author.It is small and packed with very useful words and phrases...but there is no script. It uses the same tranliteration method so again, no learning curve.

Essential Resource for the Iraqi Dialect!
I recently purchased this book to learn the Iraqi dialect, having studied Modern Standard Arabic and was very impressed by it's quality and relevance.

This book differs from most other texts that teach Arabic dialects, in that it presents the material in English, transliteration and Arabic script.For learners who have studied Arabic and can read Arabic (even at a basic level), the use of transliteration can be a frustrating experience and a step backwards in reading proficiency.

From the beginning, the book is well set out and details the Arabic alphabet with the additional Iraqi letters and vowels and the basics of Arabic script and pronunciation. The book then builds with dialogues which add valuable colloquial vocabulary, grammar and drills.The dialogues culminate in an excellent chapter that focuses on a selection of Iraqi folk tales with an explanation of the relevant vocabulary. Again an example of the excellent integration of cultural context.

There are a significant amount of commonly used Iraqi idioms throughout the book, often difficult to obtain in standard Arabic teaching texts. The book also takes many opportunities to give the student information on Iraq, it's culture and it's traditions.

The glossary at the rear is well organised and categorised by English and Arabic.The audio files are in a logical order and contain all elements within the book, again a rarity for many texts. The amount of audio material is very impressive and provides a valuable resource for pronunciation and drills.The audio is clear and well spaced to allow the listener to repeat phrases and or vocabulary if required.

Overall, I would unreservedly recommend this book to those who have some knowledge of Arabic and wish to learn about the Iraqi dialect, or those who will primarily speak with native Iraqis.

Excellent Materials
I ordered this book with MP3 files sight unseen from Amazon because I wanted all the Iraqi Arabic materials I could find, and I have not been disappointed one bit! It has been well worth the price, and the learning materials in this book and audio files are superb!

The book reminds me of a very good high school or college foreign language textbook; it is very communicative, with a LOT of great information on grammar, vocabulary, culture and especially useful idioms! The dialogues are extremely useful as well, and the text is peppered with great drawings of Iraqi life and culture.

I am about half way through the book (and the course), and I would say the only drawback so far is that there could be more examples of verb forms in the perfect and imperfect tenses to illustrate how they are conjugated to suit me. However, it is better than many books and texts I have seen on Arabic, in general, on verbs, but perhaps not nearly as thorough as the Erwin book: "A Basic Course in Iraqi Arabic". Nonetheless, that is a small matter in comparison to all the positive aspects to this book. It is not only a great language text and audio program for beginners, but a cultural one, as well. When studying Iraqi Arabic, I would have both this text AND the Erwin one on my shelf. They approach the learning of Iraqi Arabic from slightly different perspectives, but they complement each other nicely.

The addition of the Arabic script along side the romanized texts is good, although as I have said in other reviews of Arabic materials, I believe it useful to learn this particular language (Arabic) in a familiar orthography (i.e. romanized form) first to get a good grasp of the grammar, and structure, etc. Since Arabic is essentially a "phonetic" script, it can be learned later, or separately. I believe that learning a language this way (in a romanized form) helps the student remember words and phrases in an aural-oral context.

I highly recommend it as an addition to your Iraqi Arabic learning materials. The Phrasebook by Alkalesi is also extremely useful.
... Read more

Product Description
86 per cent of visitors to Morocco are Europeans (WTO). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A little disappointing
This is a fairly good learning tool - it comes with a book and a CD.I would have liked more on the CD (Not many of the phrases in the book are on the CD).One problem is that the CD is not aligned with the material in the book, so you can't follow the CD as you look at the book.Another problem is that the transliteration in the book doesn't always look like the way it is pronounced on the CD.For example, a word on the CD might have more than one syllable, but the book only shows one.The word for "some" is one example.One gripe I have is that the CD has many phrases using "or."For example "hot or cold."It is difficult to tell where the word "hot" ends and where the word "cold" begins.

"keiderrni rashi" but the book is good
Just a book.I got A couple of Audio Guides in addition.This book is small and light and a great little traveling companion.

Fab Fab Fab ****
Fab, recieved the book within a week when stated it would take upto a month! what a fantastic book! never again will there be a mis-understood word in my house! thank you very very much!

Highly recommend!
:o) :o)

Good reference...
if you have had some language training in Moroccan Arabic or classical/standard Arabic.It's otherwise a bit difficult to use, especially if it's your first exposure to the language.One added benefit is the book's two short sections on French and Berber phrases for the traveler.

Good Phrasebook but needed some help.
The phrasebook was very helpful when I went over to Morocco for vacation. But before I left I had to have my friend from Morocco help me to make sure I was pronouncing them correctly. But for the most part it was helpful and very useful. ... Read more

Product Description
This important reissue, enhanced with an audio CD to supplement the text, is another addition to Georgetown's world-renowned Arabic language-learning materials, and is considered to be one of the most outstanding descriptions of any Arabic dialect written for the English-speaking world. It is comprehensive in its coverage - ranging from phonology (how sounds are organized and used) to morphology (sound, syllable, and word structure), with an analysis that is insightful and original. It contains hints on how to master nuances in dialectical pronunciation, as well as the differences of meaning in their various forms. Based on the dialect of Damascus, the language covered here is part of what has variously been called "Syrian Arabic," "Eastern Arabic," and "Levantine Arabic," encompassing the dialects of Beirut, Amman, and Jerusalem - as well as Damascus - with references made to regional variants. In a world drawn ever closer to events in the Middle East, this comprehensive grammar reference is yet another extraordinary addition to the growing library of Arabic language-learning materials published by Georgetown University Press. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good Comprehsive Review
This is not for beginners but it is a good comprehensive review of the Syrian dialect.

disappointment
The book is not even written in Arabic. To use it I would have to spend hours understanding a new tranliteration system It is useless as a link from classical arabic to spoken arabic.Don't waste your money

Highly Recommended
There are some books out there about Levantine Arabic, but most of them deal with Palestinian Arabic, Levantine Arabic with a taste of Egyptian Arabic in terms of glossary and grammar. This book is simply awesome for anyone intersted in Syrian Arabic. It's the most complete work on Syrian Arabic I've been able to find. I have bought all the books I could find on Levantine or Eastern Arabic thinking they dealt with Syrian or Lebanese Arabic, only to find out they dealt with the Arabic Colloquial spoken in Jerusalem, Palestine. But this is purely Syrian, and also highlights the differences with Lebanese, Palestinian and Jordanian Arabic, when these are relevant. Excellent work! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

A Functional Approach to Arabic
The previous reviewers make some good points regarding minor discrepancies between the book's CDs and printed material. Such mistakes are in most books and do not significantly limit the advantages of a fine text such as Ahlan wa Sahlan.
Perhaps there is some confusion about purpose. Ahlan wa Sahlan is a unifying approach to Arabic instruction, combining grammar elements like those in the Elementary Modern Standard Arabic series and fluency-based activities such as those in the al-kitab series.
Rather than being nearly useless for speaking (EMSA) or nearly useless for grammar (al-kitab), Ahlan wa Sahlan combines both with a fine selection of useable, contemporary vocabulary. It is comparable to Standard Arabic by Schulz but with many more pictures, maps, and signs, and of course the clear, professional CDs.

Don't buy this book if you want to learn Arabic
This book in confusing, the vocabulary is boring and often irrelevant, and the approach convoluted. I recommend Al Kitaab, which has better vocabulary (focused on international relations, politics and such).

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
Do NOT buy this book! It is terrible. Rather than improving on the first Ahlan wa Sahlan, this book is actually worse. Just a few of the things wrong with it include:

1. The text on the CDs does NOT follow the written text. There are extra words/sentences added as well as words/sentences deleted. This makes it very difficult to follow when listening/reading. The dates as spoken on the CD are different from the dates written in the text, i.e. the speaker will read the date in the passage (in Arabic) as "1997" but the written passage says (in Arabic) "2000."

2. One of the things I liked about the first Ahlan wa Sahlan book was the ability to use the CDs independently, and the number of oral drills/exercise on them. These are non-existent in the intermediate Ahlan wa Sahlan. All you get is the initial reading passage and the comprehension passage - no drills or vocabulary list.

3. The CDs, in addition to not following the written texts, are very difficult to use because of the way they are set up. The first two CDs go through the initial reading passage of each chapter ONLY. Each passage is one track. The third CD has two tracks. The first is the reading passage of the final chapter. The second is ALL the comprehension passages from ALL the chapters -- in one track! This means that if you are working on chapter 4, you have to first use the initial CD to hear the reading passage, and then you have to switch to the third CD to hear the comprehension passage at the end of the chapter. But even worse, you have to find the Chapter 4 comprehension passage somewhere in the middle of track 2 on the third CD.

4. There are numerous other errors--in both Arabic and English--throughout the grammatical notes in the book, i.e. using the word "suffix" when they mean "prefix" and so on.

Unfortunately, once you open the CDs and realize what a terrible job the creators/editors have done, you cannot return the book. ... Read more

Product Description

TEACH YOURSELF BESTSELLING LANGUAGE COURSES!

From Cantonese to Thai, Gaelic to Modern Persian, learning the languages of the world is attainable for any beginning student. Learners can use the Teach Yourself Language Courses at their own pace or as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are based on the very latest learning methods and designed to be enjoyable and user-friendly Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:

• Up-to-date, graded interactive dialogues
• Graded units of culture notes, grammar, and exercises
• Step-by-step guide to pronunciation
• Practical vocabulary
• Regular and irregular verb tables
• Plenty of practice exercises and answers
• Bilingual glossary

The new editions also feature:

• Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
• Self-assessment quizzes to test progress
• Website suggestions to take language study further
• Audio recordings on CD for easy access and review

Customer Reviews (7)

Gulf Arabic
I agree with the last posting. My fiancee is Bahraini and I wanted this book to help me before going to Bahrain. It was hard to find a book with Gulf Arabic - because what they speak there is definitely not the same as what you find titled as Arabic (most of these books are Egyptian dialect). This book is concerned with teaching you the spoken language - if you want to learn to read and write you must learn Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, which is basically a separate language. This book provides enough of the alphabet and things like street signs so that you can get by. The cultural notes included with each chapter also provide an insight into some of the customs, history, and heritage. I agree that some of the expressions may be out-of-date, but words in every language are being out-dated, or meanings are different, or slang has changed. All in all this book does a good job in teaching you everyday phrases and conversations for use in the gulf area - not Saudi.... For lessons in reading and writing you will have to purchase another course.

How cool is this book...
I was pleasantly surprised to find that when the book arrived today it was a new edition of a book I purchased years ago and gave away.It was on my list to purchase as a replacement and now I have it.

This book, I think, is well written and very well organized.The chapters are categorized under headings such as:
'Hello!' asking/giving your name/greetings.
'Where to?' and 'Where is...?'asking where things are, asking/giving directions.
'Numbers' and 'The telephone number is...' asking/giving telephone numbers.
'What time is it?' telling time, when places open/close and days of week etc.
'How much is this?'bargaining, buying and describing things.
'Are you hungry?'ordering food/drinks and what you like and dislike.
'In the House'where you live, renting a apt/house.
'In the Hotel' booking a room, services, complaints.
'Health' talking to a doctor/secretary, taking medicine.

And you can learn how to buy a bus ticket to another city, talk to the taxi driver and GIVE HIM directions where you want to go, order food/drinks from the menu at some restaurants and chat with the waiter while giving him your order ... How to rent an apartment and hire a car ........ How cool is this book???

The book is filled with vocabulary for every chapter, a dictionary given in both languages and plenty of dialog with the very helpful 'Key Phrases' in each unit.Helpful grammar points and 'Notes' given on the usage of some words/phrases in conversation. The verb is given in regular and irregular form.You really learn how to speak the Arabic language in conversation with Arab speakers from this book.

There are plenty of fun and interesting quizzes/exercises with an answer key at the end of the book.Every section has some Arabic script so you will be able to identify road signs and highway board notices and order from a simple menu.Then there are 'Cultural Tips' in many of the sections that explain the Arab heritage .... And much more.

In the years since I first studied 'Teach Yourself Arabic', it is this book that I recall to mind when in conversation with an Arab speaker even now.

I highly recommend this book.It will teach you the language and build confidence as you learn to use it.

An interesting and useful beginning book
Considering the growing interest in Arabic and also the signifigance of the Gulf area in general, it is surprising that more resources for learning Gulf Arabic aren't available. Perhaps some of this has to do with the differences in dialects around the Gulf that some of the other reviewers have remarked upon. Nevertheless, Gulf Arabic has been a neglected area of study and this book is a welcome addition to filling that vacancy.

The CD's are, of course, indispensible; Gulf Arabic pronunciation has some quirks that will be surprising to learners who come to it from Standard Arabic. ('q' becomes 'g', and 'k' often turns into 'ch'). The dialogues in the lessons progress at a leisurely but reliable pace and by the end of the work the conscientious student should have command of a somewhat simplified and 'averaged out' form of Gulf Arabic that speakers from any region of the Gulf will understand, and be in a good position to add to their knowledge by conversations with Gulf speakers.
All in all this is a good value for the money for anyone with an interest in this area of Arabic and certainly for anyone planning to travel and/or work in the region.

Introductory Gulf Arabic from Teach Yourself
This product is a mixed bag having both positive and negative attributes with the positives more than counterbalancing the negatives. The strong point of the book is that it is very readable and interesting so if you buy it, you are very likely to read it and study from it. The two CDs are useful also; however, the authors sanction the use of just a little too much English on the Gulf Arabic CDs. Using English, especially on the second CD, doesn't commend itself in terms of pedagogy; it cuts against immersion, which is the best way to learn a foreign language. Reliance on an Gulf Arabic transcript and translation thereof contained in the appendix could have reduced usage of English on the CDs. The buyers presumably already know English and they ought to pay to hear Gulf Arabic as much as possible.

The book is also modestly at fault for the same.After a listening or reading exercise, the questions should be expressed in Gulf Arabic rather than in English, if not from the very beginning, then early on into the text. (Translations of these questions with answers could have appeared in the appendix.) To move beyond survival language skills, more grammatical exercises, especially verb conjugations, would have been useful. (The section on the Arabic verb is too short.) It is not clear how the reader can "explore the language in depth" without such drills (although, in fairness, other language skills are adequately drilled).

The book is marred by a few other misleading claims. Content is touted with providing the reader with the ability to "learn to speak, understand and write Gulf Arabic." As another reviewer mentioned, Gulf Arabic is not ordinarily written (the only place I have seen it written is on sms messages conveying informalities like jokes). Although the text contained in the top paragraph on page 8 is generally accurate, describing the geographical extent of Gulf Arabic, the map of the Arabian Gulf on page 9 gives a misleading impression that Gulf Arabic is spoken in Riyadh, Jidda and even Sana'a. Only the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia evinces a dialect that might be labelled Gulf Arabic (although the dialect there is evolving with the varied impact of the influx of various Arab workers to this petroleum-rich area); in Riyadh, Nejdi dialect prevails and the dialect in Jidda sounds more like Egyptian Arabic.

Strangely, in paragraph four, the authors warn readers not to fall victim to what they tar "pigeon" Gulf Arabic if the reader should hear colloquial
Arabic at variance with "what is given in the book." Rather, the reader ought to be prepared to hear colloquial Arabic at variance with what is given. Even in a small state like Bahrain, there are intra-national variations between the accents, for example, of inhabitants of Muharraq and Sitra, two smaller islands. International variations mean ways to say "I want" span "abbi" and "abghi;" "ureed," which the authors recommend because, it would seem, of its simpler verb pattern, is actual Modern Standard Arabic. (In colloquial speech, in fact, I haven't heard "ureed" anywhere in the Arab World from Morocco to Bahrain.) It worries me that, at times, the authors seem to be taking the readers down the road to a pan-Gulf-Arabic koine that doesn't exist.

Some other matters from content to form: the book boasts a glossary of Gulf Arabic-English and English-Gulf Arabic reflecting the vocabulary units found in the text but the Index is too short to be of much use and the "glossary of language terms" is a waste of space.

Although the quality of the paperback is fine, the plastic packaging is terrible insofar as it is difficult to extricate the two CDs from the plastic without risking damage to one or both. After a laborious effort, I retrieved the second CD scratched which made it impossible to hear the final lesson without the soundtrack skipping. A redesign of the packaging for the next edition is warranted. Of course, this quality issue is the fault of the publisher, not the authors, who have to be commended for putting together an entertaining text introducing Gulf Arabic to anglophones.

gulf arabic
Yes, the previous post is correct. There is barely any alphabet practice and most all words are transliterated into latin alphabet. However, the dialects of Arabic are rarely written. One would almost always use MSA in writting and reading something. The dialects have no standard way of writing them, and it is not therefore taught in schools. Most anything you read will be in MSA (newspapers, news, schoolbooks, and educated writings of various sorts). The dialects, if used in writing, will be in songs, comic books, cartoons, and some informal conversations (example: email between friends). Getting back on topic, the dialects are mostly spoken and therefore it would be of little use to waste your time trying to learn how to write them. You should rather focus on learning how to write MSA. This is probably why the authors of the "Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic" do not focus very much on the written form of the Gulf dialect. Hope this helps. ... Read more

Product Description
Features an excellent selection of modern words and expressions, clear and comprehensive, designed to enable students to read the average Arabic newspaper or book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

waste
please don't waste your time and money on this dictionary. it's not sufficient for any sort of serious use, and if someone is just using it to look up isolated words, a combination of hans wehr and google translate is just as effective.

Pretty bad...
If you're looking for concise explanations and helpful examples, please DON'T pick this dictionary!!! Extremely unorganized and un-helpful, there's even a "supplemental list" in the back of the book as if the authors suddenly wanted to throw in more words and didn't know where to put them in or something...

Out of date and poorly organized
This is one of the worst English-Arabic dictionaries I've worked with. It's terribly out of date and lacking many common words. Moreover, it's organized by root, not alphabetically, which isn't terrible if you're familiar with Arabic word patterns, but since it does not bold the root verb entries or otherwise call out where each root section starts, it is incredibly difficult to look up words, even if you know what you are looking for.

Woefully out of date and incomplete
This is an old-style dictionary, organized according to roots rather than alphabetically.That's fine though.What's not fine is that it is missing soooooo many common current words.This dictionary is ancient.It's word list is WWI vintage. ...

If you already know Arabic, this may be of value.
As a dictionary this may be useful to someone who already knows Arabic, but it will be difficult for a beginning or intermediate student of Arabic. Abreviations for parts of speech are given for English but not for Arabic. Going from English to Arabic, the exact sense of a word is not given so you can't really be certain what you might be saying. Pick an English word and you get two or three Arabic words. Look those up and (if you can find them) you get somewhat different English words. You won't find a single 'naughty bit' either.

Moreover, it is UK English (you can find a biscuit but you'll get no cookies here) which results in some curious word choices. For example, some English definitions for Arabic words are: "calumniator, feccundation, state of orphanage, eructation, reproach for benefit, jet d'eau, to drill child, aided conqueror, patch scrap, silk stuff, to spell award, etc." You may need another dictionary just to understand these definitions.

It is definitely not for a beginner and the intermediate student will need a fairly good grasp of Arabic. ... Read more

Product Description
This concise and well-organized grammar of classical Arabic, here translated from its original German into English for the first time, provides students of Arabic with a highly useful reference tool. While brief enough to be used with efficiency, the book is also rich in content and thorough in its coverage. Beginning- or advanced-level students working on classical texts and styles will find this grammar quick to use, reliable, and up-to-date.More than just a translation into English, this edition of Wolfdietrich Fischer's Grammar of Classical Arabic includes many revisions and additions provided by Rodgers. In particular, the chapter on syntax offers numerous new text examples and other improvements. The bibliography has been updated to include significant recent contributions to the field of classical Arabic grammar and linguistics. Translated by Jonathan Rodgers with attention to both accuracy and readability, this book is an accessible reference tool that every student of classical Arabic will want to have on hand. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not for beginners.
This book is a more condensed and advanced text than many available in the market. It is clearly not for the novice and not recommended for light reading. Its mainly a reference grammer that is more compact than wright's but one which incorporates the finer points of classical arabic. If you are a beginner this may not be the book for you. Wrights would be a better option for you, or if you are interested in something thinnner Nahmad and haywood would be perfect. Once you gain a grasp of the language and would like a grammer strictly for reference only then this book might suit you. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Arabic Through The Qur'an
Unable to review at this time due to other committments.
Please try at a later date.

Good, but...
Really good book; however it is only for people who understand strict Grammar terms (e.g. Accusative, Genitive, Nominative etc.) Best resource if combined with class teaching

Best introduction to quranic arabic
This is best introduction oout there for quranic arabic. Coveres the many important aspects of quranic arabic in a detailed way. As a non-native student of arabic this book has considerably increased my ability to not only understand the lietral meaning of many quranic words the context in which those words occur is also dealt with in this book. The author has many years of teaching arabic and this book certianly will help you benfit from his wealth of experience. Having said all that it is sinply an introduction and more advanced study should be done with texts from the arabic sources. ... Read more

Product Description
Presented in easy-to-learn English phonetics, Instant Arabic contains 100 key words and over 500 basic sentences that are necessary for getting around in the Arab-speaking world. The pronunciation for each Arab word in the book follows a precise and simple formula that will quickly become so familiar that conversing in Arab phrases and sentences soon feels just as "normal" as speaking English.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Book for a Variety of Readers
This book works great for a number of reasons:

It is small, it fits in your pocket or bag.
It is basic; it is practical.
The way the material is presented allows for improvisation and insertion of other vocabulary.
It has both English, Arabic, and transliterates the Arabic into English (in two different forms, one phonetic and one academic).
The cultural bits are informative and short.

This will help those who have gone the extra mile to learn to read Arabic script, and the bulk of readers who don't have the time for that.

As an Arabic tutor, I find this to be an extremely simple, yet useful text.As always, it is best used in conjunction with an Arabic speaker who can help you with pronunciation.

Phonetics misleading substitute for CD!
I hesitate to buy this or any non-Romance language book that doesn't include a recording of authentic vocalization of the text.I really like the fundamental concept of this book and the presentation looks great. However, I've learned by experience that anglo-phoneticization of Arabic so badly distorts the actual sound system that it can retard skills in speaking or listening!I spent the first several weeks of instruction under a native speaker unlearning habits developed through prior self-study using Jane Wrightwick's phoneticized "see and say" (see my review of her "First 100 Words in Arabic").I believe she has since included a CD.I would admonish all authors of Arabic language instruction to include a CD accompanying the text - it's more than worth the extra cost to the student! ... Read more

Product Description
An illustrated text-book for first-year Arabic that integrates written, formal Arabic to the informal spoken dialects, aiming to reflect the use of the language by native speakers. A teacher's manual is available (ISBN 0-300-06086-6). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Elementary Arabic: An Integrated Approach
I received the book in a very good condition. This book does not include an audio tapes with it. I can not get good use of this book without audio tapes. I wish that I was told that the audio of this book is not included. Thank you

OBSOLETE BOOK
This is NOT the Munther Younes Arabic textbook to buy.
It is outdated, and does not include an audio component. Tapes may be ordered separately, and are not cheap.
ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS SERIES MUST INSTEAD BUY:
"Living Arabic: A comprehensive introductory course", also by Prof. Younes and illustrated by Micah Garen. Also available on Amazon. That purchase will include the audio component in CD and DVD.
Living Arabic: A Comprehensive Introductory Course [With CD (Audio) and DVD] (Arabic Edition)

Good book, not for the complete beginner
Most students of Arabic learn Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) which is a universal literary language understood throughout the Arab world. However, it is not the language of daily communication. Trying to communicate with an Arab in MSA is like trying to communicate with an English speaker in Shakespearean English--the other person will understand you, but it will sound pretty awkward. And that is why some people choose to learn one of the local dialects, which vary widely from region to region.

This book attempts to do both. It teaches you both MSA and the Levantine dialect, which is spoken in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Does it succeed? That depends. If you are a complete beginner in Arabic, you might be confused in those areas where MSA and Levantine diverge. Imagine trying to learn Latin and Italian at the same time. There are structures you can apply to both, but you have to learn the differences as well. I would not suggest this book to a complete beginner, and this is why. It is my opinion that you first have to develop a "feel" for Arabic--that is, to have some knowledge of MSA and understand, somewhat instinctively, how overly-official and "ancient" it sounds to Arabs. Then you can start learning how Arabs actually speak, and filter your MSA through that sociolinguistic lens accordingly.

My advice is, therefore, to pick up this book after getting some foundation in MSA--it will prove an invaluable tool in "naturalizing" your Arabic. ... Read more

Product Description
This translation guide is based on sound theoretical and pedagogical principles. Unlike other translation manuals available, it transcends crude dichotomies of "literal" vs. "free" translation, "specialized" vs. "general,""communicative" vs. "semantic," etc. and concentrates instead on developing in the student a sensitivity to text-types and a deeper understanding of the demand. which a given text-type makes on the translator. In addition, the student who closely follows this Guide will acquire the analytical tools necessary to make meaningful comments about translation and translations. A glossary of text-linguistic and translation terms Is provided together with a select bibliography.
... Read more

Product Description

More than 1 million Michel Thomas programs sold worldwide!
Learn Arabic--no passport required!

No books. No writing. No drills. And nothing to memorize--ever! You will go from the basics to proficiency in no time with this complete course. Includes eight 60-minute audio CDs.

Customer Reviews (8)

Learning Arabic
I have only been using these discs for 3 weeks now and they are already proving worth the money. A good buy and a must if wanting to learn Arabic.

Learning Arabic
I am very impressed with this product. If you want to converse in Arabic and have the self-discipline to work on your own, this may be exactly what you are looking for. You will be one of three students learning the language. The other two students, a man and a woman, learn as you learn, stumble as you stumble, and succeed with you. They are clearly not actors. The structure of the course is simple: there are two teachers, an English woman fluent in Arabic, and an Arabic man fluent in English. The teachers introduce concepts then ask the students questions in the form "How would you say?" The students answer and the teachers correct their syntax and pronunciation. The teachers build the language, piece by piece, much as one would build a complex structure out of Lego blocks. The students become comfortable with handling each piece and with how the pieces fit together to form bigger pieces. I very soon found myself talking to myself in Arabic as I was walking to work. The course is very good value. At ten times the price it would still be a bargain.

Arabic Review
Hi ALL

First for all, I bought the chinese and for me was very good.
Then I bought the Arabic and is really a waste of time, the problem is the women that teach the lesson, she talk to much and she miss the point every chapter.
I already finish the beginning and advance course and I learned just 40% of words compare with chinese michel thomas method.

Michel Thomas Speak Arabic
This is a wonderful way to learn a language.My CD set was in excellent condition and came at a great price.

Easy and Exciting
I spent a few hours before getting this cd set researching what is the best and easiest way to learn arabic and I really believe that this is it. I've been listening to the cd's now and it is coming really easily and it's so exciting to be getting a head in the language without even trying too hard. I would really recommend this set to any beginner wanting to gain conversational arabic. ... Read more

Product Description
An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic is an elementary-level grammar of standard classical Arabic, the literary norm of the Arabic language that has not changed appreciably in fourteen hundred years. An indispensable tool for all who are interested in Islamic religion, science, and literature, the language presented in this book will enable the learner to study firsthand the primary sources of Islamic civilization and the classics of the Islamic Near East.

The grammar is presented clearly and in a logical progression amply illustrated by examples, most of which, along with the readings, have been taken directly from the text of the Koran and the body of hadith (the reports of Muhammad's sayings) and supplemented with extracts from other classical sources.

In the forty lessons all essential features of grammar are covered,and the student will acquire an active base vocabulary of over 450common words and productive roots, from which many times that numberof individual lexical items can be regularly and predictablyformed. In the course of readings, passive exposure is given to morethan 400 additional items of vocabulary.

Wheeler M. Thackston is Professor of the Practice in Persian and OtherNear Eastern Languages at Harvard University, where he has taughtPersian and Arabic for over twenty years.

Author of numerous books and articles on the languages and literaturesof the Near East, his works include a new English translation of theBaburnama, A Century of Princes: Sources on Timurid History and Art,and Tales from Luristan: Tales, Fables and Folk Poetry from the Lur ofBala-Garva. Other grammars by the author include Persian. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A Wonderful Review for Somewhat Advanced Students
Once past some of the terminology that may sound very old-fashioned and require some effort to sort out, the exercises are really great for a strengthening of Arabic grammar - but only once you have already been through at least 2 years of MSA and/or have knowledge of another Semitic language, as other posters here have mentioned.

Easy
Straightforward if followed from the start, otherwise perhaps not the easiest to read if glanced through for the first time midway where you will be confronted by the authors own idiosyncratic ways of transliteration and shorthand for various different concepts.

The text is unvowelled, and so are the exercises, which is no problem given the transliterartion; it in fact becomes a very telling and useful gauge of the progress you have made.

Not for the faint-hearted
An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic: An Elementary Grammar of the Language is a technical (elementary) grammar for classical Arabic. I highly recommend that the reader already be familiar with several Semitic languages before undertaking this project. My knowledge of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac is essential for making this text navigable. This is not for the casual learner or the faint-hearted.

Precise but demanding
Wheeler Thackston is known for the precision of his grammatical explanations in his introductory textbooks (he has written ones for Persian and Syriac as well). This book is no exception to the rule. The grammatical explanations in here follow the highest standards of Classical Arabic. Therefore, if you plan to study Arabic by using this book, the information you will get is outstanding, but you must expect a great many details.

Classical Arabic preserves Proto-Semitic noun cases, and the conjugation patterns of its verbs are more numerous than those of other Semitic languages. It has the indicative mood, the subjunctive mood (lost in other Semitic languages) and the jussive mood (preserved only slightly in other Semitic languages). Because of the great complexity involved, Thackston does not include every detail of how these verbal moods are used. One really cannot expect an introductory grammar to do so. However, on occasion the book's exercises require some tidbit of knowledge that the student has not encountered. You can turn to the key, which is generally accurate, but for an explanation of the reason for a particular mood choice, you will have to turn to an advanced gammar, such as the excellent Arabic Grammar.

My evaluation of Thackston's book is positive, but his omission of some details which could and should have been included is what leads me to give it a 4 rather than a 5 star rating. For example, in lesson 1, he tells you how to build clauses consisting of a verb, a noun and a direct object. However, in the lesson every example has the subject as either the only noun phrase in the clause or as a part of the inflected verb when the direct object is a noun phrase. He gives no example which has both a subject and a direct object as noun phrases. Yet, in the English-to-Arabic translation exercises, he wants the student to translate "God created the earth" into Arabic. Here, both the subject and the direct object are noun phrases. Which order do they go in? He has given the student no hint. One has to search through many of the following pages before finding an example that shows the usual order: verb-subject-object. The alternative is to look in Wright's reference grammar, but this too requires persistence. For the average student, the key (An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic, Key to Exercises) is the most practical and least time-consuming way to come across the answer. Still, why could Thackston not have simply said that the normal order is verb-subject-object? This is a detail that would not have overwhelmed the student by its complexity.

Since I have already worked entirely through Thackston's Introduction to Syriac, and have seen similar gaps, I have come to the conclusion that Thackston believes in a minimalist approach to grammatical explanations. The details he gives are accurate, but there are occasional gaps that could be filled in without fear of inundating the student with excessive details.

Another example of this minimalism that I found frustrating was the presentaion of the subjunctive and jussive forms of weak verbs. Thackston sometimes gives only partial paradigms, leaving the student to fill in the rest by applying the rules that have been explained. However, the details are sometimes complex, and the possibility for error is high, so the student would be much better served if the author had presented full paradigms, even at the risk of being slightly redundant. Sometimes you can find the needed paradigms in 501 Arabic Verbs: Fully Conjugated in All Forms or even 201 Arabic Verbs, but sometimes not.

In summary, I do recommend this book (and its key if you are studying on your own). But be prepared for a steep uphill climb. Your mind will soon be swimming with a huge number of noun and verb forms. It will take a while to assimilate them all, even if your aptitude for learning languages is high. But be patient--the view from the mountaintop is worth the toil of climbing up it.

I also recommend that you supplement your learning of the Arabic language with some study of the Qur'an and of Islamic culture. A bilingual Qur'an such as The Holy Qur'an with English Translation and Commentary can be helpful (I recommend this one because the text is reasonably large and legible, unlike some other bilingual editions). A good, flowing English-only version of the Qur'an is The Qur'an; this will get you into the meaning more quickly than some of the older translations. Whichever edition you pick, reading it will help accustom your mind to Qur'anic phrasing, which pervades Thackston's introductory grammar. Also read some hadiths, books on Islam, etc. The Arabic language and Islam are inextricably intertwined; you cannot learn much of one without learning the other. It is a challenging and interesting undertaking, whether your goal is simply to understand modern Muslims or to explore a religion about which you have little prior knowledge.

Serious and difficult
This Introduction to Koranic and classical arabic is serious work. Each chapter (40 in total) introduces 2 or 3 grammatical points. The vocabulary is very appropriate to reading the Qur'an and it is quite easy to learn it. This gives the student the nice impression of progressing fast. However, the grammar aspect is much more difficult and one should have some knowldge of it before starting the book.

Be careful: the "Key to exercises" which should really be bought as well despite its ridiculously high price (no need of course to buy it if you have a teacher to correct you), has some disappointing mistakes, mostly (as far as I can tell as a student) due to vocabulary changes. Example lesson nine, ex. 1. "the two women who came" is corrected as being "the two women you saw" (al-mar'ataani allataani ra'aytahumaa) (Probably a confusion with the next sentence to translate "a man you saw".)
Each chapter has a mistake like this in the "key to exercices". ... Read more

Product Description
In this volume leading teachers of Arabic, many of whom have written influential textbooks for advanced learners, explore the realities and challenges of teaching Arabic as a foreign language. Topics covered include the state of the Arabic teaching profession; the institutional challenges in U.S. and study-abroad programs; the teaching of various skills such as writing, reading, speaking, and listening; the varieties of Arabic and their relevance in the classroom; the uses of technology in the classroom; and, testing. Published in 1995, many of the issues raised in this volume remain relevant today. This title was distributed for the American Association of Teachers of Arabic. ... Read more