NedKelly63

I'm toying with the idea of doing a spoken Arabic course.

Does anyone here have any recommendations for good companies offering such tuition?

Thanks

ScotsExpat

Suggest you give this a look...

http://archive.gulfnews.com/uae/uaes.../10081709.html

Sam FTQ

Ned, can I ask why you want to do a 'spoken' language course only? Surely if you going to the trouble of learning to speak a language you may as well learn to write it, too?

NedKelly63

Cheers

NedKelly63

Good question. I just thought it would be a bit too much for me (right to left, funky alphabet) and as Spoken Arabic is offered as a specifc course at SMCCU - I guessed that others thought the same way.

Sam FTQ

It really isn't that difficult. You get into the habit of reading/writing right to left really quickly. I have been learning Arabic for a few weeks now, and although I have the advantage of also speaking other languages (including one other with a different alphabet), I do not think Arabic is overly difficult.

If you were in AD I could recommend an excellent teacher!

Eeyore

Written Arabic is very easy to learn. I did it in about three weeks (seriously). It does look daunting at first, but you quickly realise just how straightforward it is.

It's certainly much easier than the spoken language, where exact pronunciation and use of the correct accent are essential if you are to be understood. Even tiny variations in inflection and modulation can make the difference between someone understanding you and just looking at you blankly.

Meow

Eeyore - three weeks? Was this a part-time or full time thing? How/where please? - thanks

I'd be interested if it really can be that quick.

ScotsExpat

As would I........

shakh your bootie

Ditto on that - it is easy to learn to read. It's understanding what you're reading that's trickier!!

Chris79

Eeyore, sounds like you have a new job. Count me in on it as well. I want to know what I am signing!! lol

Eeyore

It was learning in my own time. I think I'm just lucky in that I have a good memory for that sort of thing

A few years back I learned the two Japanese syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, in a week each, just using a sort of flashcard game on my mobile phone on the train to and from work. As with learning written Arabic, it's really nothing more than memorising shapes.

Bear in mind that while I can read Arabic, I can only actually understand about 1% of what I'm reading It still impresses the hell out of native speakers when you can read Arabic script out loud, though, even if you don't know what it means - they don't expect Westerners to have any knowledge of the language whatsoever.

Meow

Was there a specific book that you used?

Chris79

Thats what I want to be like. I'd love to be in a meeting and when they go off on a tangent speaking their language I'd be able to listen in and tell what they were saying. I don't think I'd let anyone know I knew! That way I'd know if they were bad mouthing me or my company!!

Sam FTQ

Hey, why don't you join me Sunday and Wednesday nights with Ahmed?