ARABIC-L: PED: Learning Arabic on my own

[Dilworth B. Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Fri 09 Apr 1999
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject: Learning Arabic on my own

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1)
Date: 09 Apr 1999
From: Rick L Sheridan <rlsquad at juno.com>
Subject: Learning Arabic on my own

I have just begun to study Arabic on my own.  I am using "Introduction to
Koranic and Classical Arabic" by W.M.  Thackston of Harvard's Near
Eastern Languages Center.  I chose this book for three specific reasons:

1.   All of the Arabic text is given unvocalized.  A transcription is
used where necessary,       e.g., new vocabulary, verb paradigms.
2.   All of  the readings - except for the first few lessons -- are from
the Qur'an, the Hadith       or classical literature.
3.   There is an answer key!

In the introduction to his book, Thackston states: "Ö yet by and large
not only the grammar but even the vocabulary of a modern newspaper
article display only slight variation from the established norm of
classicized Koranic Arabic."

My reading goals are: the Arabic Bible, Arabic web pages and eventually
"A Reader in Modern Literary Arabic" by Ziadeh.  I have Ziadeh and
Winder's textbook somewhere in my house but can't put my finger on it.

I am also using volume 1 of the Foreign Service Institute's "Modern
Written Arabic".  It too uses unvocalized text with transcriptions.  Each
chapter is short on vocabulary and grammar, but has abundant practice
exercises.  The vocabulary and style of Arabic is that which is found in
newspapers and official speeches.  The book's stated purpose is to each
students to r-e-a-d Arabic not just decipher it.  There are three volumes
in the course and approximately 1400 pages of written Arabic will be
read.  About 3/4 of the way through the course the student is ready to
read front page Arabic newspaper articles.  Cassettes are available on
which the lessons texts are read in standard broadcast style, but they
are very expensive.

Any comments or suggestions would be most appreciated.

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End of Arabic-L: 09 Apr 1999