Arabic-L:PEDA:Soldiers want Arabic materials

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Fri 30 Jul  2004
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Soldiers want Arabic materials

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1)
Date: 30 Jul 2004
From:joseph.m.taylor at us.army.mil
Subject:Soldiers want Arabic materials

[please respond directly to Mr. Taylor]

Hi Dr. Parkinson,

My name is Joe Taylor, I am a soldier serving with the Army Reserves
over in the Baghdad area.  I have been dialoguing with Khalil Barhoum
at Stanford in an effort to come up with some Arabic resources as we
work to learn Arabic.  He pointed me to the Arab Academy website, which
looks to be an excellent tool, though it would not be a plausible
option for us as we have little Internet access.  I am hoping to track
down some introductory textbooks that are no longer needed by those
back in the states.  I would like to find a text that offers a more
systematic approach to learning the Arabic language.  I have come
across several study guides, some are local productions, but each fails
to teach the structure of the language (e.g., constructing sentences
with correct verb tense, gender, subject, object, etc.).  For example,
these guides show you how to say "I work at the market" but then do not
show you how to modify the sentence for "he, she, they, you" or "I will
work, I had wo
rked, I would work", and so on.  I also have a couple of Travel Guides,
published by Barron's, which are also helpful, but do not go into any
depth with grammar.  Our main emphasis is on conversational Arabic,
though if things were to go well several of us would be interested in
reading, and possibly writing Arabic.

Dr. Barhoum informed me that you manage the AATA list and may be
willing to send out a call to see if anyone would be interested in
helping us out.  If that is the case I would appreciate your
assistance, and offer my email address as a way to contact me.

Thank you, I appreciate your time regardless of whether or not you are
able to help in this way.  Enjoy your summer, and if you need any of
the hot weather we are experiencing here you are more than welcome to
have some of it.  :)

Joe Taylor
Staff Sergeant, Army Reserves
308th Quartermaster Company
Log Base Seitz, IRAQ
joseph.m.taylor at us.army.mil

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End of Arabic-L:  30 Jul  2004