Arabic For Dummies (For Dummies (Language & Literature))

By Amine Bouchentouf

Book Overview

The fast and easy way to learn to speak Modern Standard Arabic Regarded as one of the most difficult languages to learn for native English speakers, Arabic is gaining global prominence and importance. Recent world events have brought more and more English speakers into contact with Arabic-speaking populations, and governments and businesses are increasingly aware of the importance of basic Arabic language skills. Arabic For Dummies presents the language in the classic For Dummies style. Taking a straightforward and practical approach to this complex language, it's packed with practice dialogues and communication tips that will have you talking the talk in no time. The Arabic alphabet, pronunciation, basic grammar, and the rules of transliteration The history of the language and information on classical Arabic and its dialects--focusing on Modern Standard Arabic How to make small talk and make yourself understood when dining, shopping, or traveling around town How to communicate on the phone and in business conversations Handy words and phrases for dealing with money, directions, hotels, transportation, and emergencies Arabic culture and etiquette, including ten things you should never do in Arabic countries Recognizing Arabic symbols and characters The book also includes an Arabic-English dictionary, verb tables, and an audio CD with dialogues from the book to help you perfect your pronunciation Written by a native Arabic speaker who helped start a year-round Arabic department at Middlebury College, Arabic For Dummies is just what you need to start making yourself understood in Arabic. CD-ROM and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file, but are available for download after purchase.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 111845510X
• ISBN13: 9781118455104
• Release Date: February 2013
• Publisher: For Dummies
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Not bad for very beginners

I am little more than a beginner and I've seen a lot of Arabic textbooks. Some reviewers were too harsh in my opinion. First, it's a simple guide and no stress introduction. Dialogs are good, with 2 rates - natural and slow. I'd prefer ALL dialogues to be recorded, not just selected as it is very important. The simpler version of standard Arabic is chosen with no case endings, which is the feature of spoken dialects. I wouldn't use 2 versions of romanisation but only one - standard and I would provide the Arabic text as well, at least for reference. It's not classical or Koranic Arabic but it's a more or less standard Arabic of modern media, also used by many foreign learners and it's not colloquial either (not spoken dialects). It's probably very difficult to choose a version of Arabic to suit all learners.