Arabic-L:PEDA:Dialect Materials in Script Discussion

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Thu 01 Jun 2006
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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-------------------------Directory------------------------------------

1) Subject:Dialect Materials in Script Discussion
2) Subject:MSA First Discussion

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1)
Date: 01 Jun 2006
From:g_sonias at qualcomm.com
Subject:Dialect Materials in Script Discussion

ahlan,

I like to share with you, our experience at the University of  
California, San Diego.  Both instructors and students like our system  
and are happy with the results.

Contrary to most universities' program,  where the students of Arabic  
need to learn at least one year of Modern Standard Arabic,  before  
enrolling in Colloquial  Arabic classes, our students enroll  
concurrently, and  from the very first course, in  2 classes:    
Communication and Culture (Conversation, Egyptian dialect) and   
Analysis( Structure and Grammar, Modern Standard Arabic). Students  
have to pass both classes before enrolling in the next course.

There is no doubt that it's not an easy task, especially at the  
beginning; however, with time the students like that system since,  
according to them, they feel more comfortable speaking to natives, at  
an early stage;  and,  at the same time, they learn the  Modern  
Standard Arabic. Furthermore, they asked for  a "Conversation Hour",  
once a week outside class,  where they could have a conversation  
among themselves and the instructor in a relax and enjoyable atmosphere.

As for the script, the first weeks of the quarter, probably between  
3rd or 4th, the instructor of  the Conversation class introduces the  
vocabulary and the dialogues in both the transliteration and the  
Arabic script. But, few weeks later, the transliteration is dropped  
and the instructor and the students adopt the Arabic script. All  
instruction is  provided only in the Arabic script.

Why did we choose the Egyptian dialect? Because it  is the most  
common, the most understood and because we have a study program  
abroad at the American University in Cairo. In addition, more  
materials can be found, when it comes to CDs, videos and movies.  I  
also believe that once the students are exposed to the Egyptian  
dialect, they can easily learn others. Furthermore,  we receive many  
e-mails from our students thanking us for having equipped them with  
the right tools in their study abroad. Students are happy to  
understand the people and to communicate with them in their own  
language. According to them, the Egyptians they deal with,  are  
surprised of and impressed with their knowledge of the language, the  
Egyptian idioms,  the expressions and the culture.

Definitely, our system works for us and for our students.

Sonia Ghattas-Soliman

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2)
Date: 01 Jun 2006
From:yaacolangelo at hotmail.com
Subject:MSA First Discussion

Srpko Lestaric,
I have been studying Arabic for the past 13 years. I started studying  
MSA. I studied at university ( in Spain) where what we got was an  
introduction to the language. Because I fell in love with it from the  
beginning, I started an exchange class with a Palestinian medical  
student. My Arabic really improved and so I found myself speaking  
even better than some of my teachers. Then, while in Spain, I had  
classes with Arabic teachers who only spoke Arabic so I had to really  
make an effort to understand and speak. All of my classes were in  
classical Arabic. Then I got a scholarship to study in Saudi Arabia.  
All of my classes were in classical Arabic. It was in the street  
where I learned dialect and it came easily as I already had a strong  
command of the MSA. So you really shouldn´t worry. Work on your  
classical Arabic and go to an Arabic country where you will be able  
to pick up a dialect in a reasonably short time. Unfortunately,  
universities cannot provide the hours needed to be able to  
proficiently understand Arabic. The only exception that comes to mind  
is the Defense Language Institute. Otherwise, you will have to take a  
couple of years off and go study Arabic in a country like Syria or  
Egypt.
John Joseph Colangelo

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End of Arabic-L:  01 Jun 2006