Speaking Arabic: A Course in Conversational Eastern Arabic (Book 1)

The Speaking Arabic series of books and recordings (4 books, 5 CDs) is designed to help English speakers acquire a working knowledge of colloquial Palestinian Arabic. The course is intended for students who, rather than contenting themselves with a superficial acquaintance with the language, strive to attain fluency and a high level of comprehension. The fifty lessons that comprise the course combine an extensive review of the grammatical structure, morphology and syntax of colloquial Arabic - all explained in clear and accessible language - with a wide-ranging vocabulary of some 2,500 words. Although the course is intended for independent study, it is equally suitable for classroom use. Because of its central geographic location, the Palestinian dialect is understood throughout the Arabic-speaking Middle East (you can use it in Jordan, where there is a large Palestinian population, and it is understood in Egypt, too), and those who acquire it can easily make the transition to the dialects of Syria and Lebanon. Book 4 concludes with a special lesson that demonstrates the close relationship between these dialects, together with examples of the slight differences that characterize each.