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Interpreting:Getting to B2 in MSA arabic | ||
 Language Learning Forum : Languages & Work |  | |
| Jappy58 Bilingual Super Polyglot Senior Member United States Joined 4640 days ago 200 posts - 413 votes  Speaks: Spanish*, Guarani*, Arabic (Levantine), Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Maghribi), Arabic (Written), French, English, Persian, Quechua, Portuguese Studies: Modern Hebrew | Message 9 of 19 08 November 2012 at 12:38am | IP Logged | ||
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I would certainly recommend learning MSA to a B2 level before branching off to any dialect.
As for the "nobody speaks MSA" statement: I have noticed this in several topics across the web as well, but from experience, the actual situation with Arabic is not as simples as "They speak X, but not Y". It is true that Modern Standard Arabic is not the form of the language that Arabs use as their native communication, and that it is not common in informal contexts. MSA is generally the language used in literature, newspapers, most religious matters, and is spoken in only formal contexts and through informative media (news, documentaries), as well as for the dubbing of most foreign movies and occasionally for Arab shows or movies. The dialects, on the other hand, are not frequently written (although they are reasonably common in comics, plays, and may show up as dialog in novels); jokes will typically be in dialect, as well as several colloquial expressions, etc. However, it is not necessarily true that "nobody speaks MSA" or is incapable of speaking MSA. First off, MSA is very widely understood from Morocco to Iraq and Oman. Yes, where literacy rates are extremely low - especially in the some Maghreb countries, where the dialects are quite divergent in phonology - the understanding of MSA may decrease, but even in some rural areas with limited schooling, MSA could prove useful if one's intention was to be understood. Contrary to popular belief, some Arabs can and will speak MSA (sometimes in a less formal form called "Formal Spoken Arabic) if needed. Most of the time, however, it may feel unnatural in such contexts. More importantly, it depends on the country. During my visits to Egypt, most Arabs are not as comfortable with responding in MSA, and even though many I've met were capable of it, it was simply not their preferred usage and they stook to dialect almost exclusively. The situation is similar in Lebanon. In other countries, however, such as Syria, the locals are very apt at using MSA if needed. I would not become too concerned regarding the diglossia and dialectical variation of Arabic. While it is true that diglossia makes Arabic more difficult, MSA and most dialects are far more closely intertwined than they may seem at the very basic stages. Indeed, the similarities far overwhelm the differences. IMO, diglossia is either understated or extremely exaggerated. Some Arabs, for example, will view them closer than non-native speakers. Novice students, however, may freak out after a few lessons in the transition and make the gap seem wider than it actually is. That being said, I recommend MSA first, as you were planning. MSA truly is the core of every major dialect family out there - not just the "roots" but the "trunk" of the tree of Arabic as well. After you acquire MSA and one dialect, learning others - especially if it's from a Mashriqi dialect to another Mashriqi dialect - will be highly accessible. Furthermore, there are not as many resources for learning dialects to a B2+. Yes, Egyptian and Levantine have a decent amount of resources, but many of these require the student to have knowledge of at least intermediate MSA. Are you starting from scratch? If so, Al-Kitaab is a decent resource, though after previewing them, I also recommend looking up "Arabic for Life" and "Focus on Contemporary Arabic" (the latter for once you reach an intermediate stage). GLOSS and FSI have some solid online resources as well. Is reaching a B2 in MSA doable in a little less than a year? If you dedicate yourself, it's certainly not far-fetched, but it depends on which area. Reading and writing is definitely doable (B2) in that time span, but listening and speaking may be more difficult. B1 is without a doubt possible, however. If you have any more questions regarding Arabic, please ask! :) 7 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Taps Diglot Newbie United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4842 days ago 15 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 10 of 19 08 November 2012 at 6:43am | IP Logged | ||
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I don't know much about this specific job, but I'm currently applying to be a court interpreter for Spanish and they
require you to speak with native/near-native fluency both English and your language of expertise. This job at the Arabic asylum could be different, but it might be worth it to look into whether or not being around a B2 will be good enough. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Asperger-glot Diglot Newbie Denmark Joined 4548 days ago 16 posts - 22 votes Speaks: Danish*, English Studies: Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, Persian, Arabic (classical), Pashto, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish Studies: Mandarin, Romanian, French | Message 11 of 19 08 November 2012 at 9:06am | IP Logged | ||
A thousand thanks! Just for clarification. I am right now at B1 in MSA I was wondering if you have tried the assimil arabe, and the perfectionnement arabe? The first one claims that it gets you to B2, but I think one will be on a solid B1 after completing it. The perfectionnement arabe claims that it can take you to C1!, I think that we again must take that with a grain of salt and say that B2 is more realistc. The two books combined consist of 147 lessons and 7 hours and 45 minutes of pure arabic audio. That is actually a lot of audio. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Asperger-glot Diglot Newbie Denmark Joined 4548 days ago 16 posts - 22 votes Speaks: Danish*, English Studies: Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, Persian, Arabic (classical), Pashto, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish Studies: Mandarin, Romanian, French | Message 12 of 19 08 November 2012 at 9:15am | IP Logged | ||
I can fully understand that the court interpreter job requires C2 or something like that. I don´t think that the job at the asylum center is so demanding, because it is only basic things that are being translated. But of course me and my caseworker will look closely into the requirements of the job. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| druckfehler Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 4870 days ago 1181 posts - 1912 votes Speaks: German*, EnglishC2, Korean Studies: Persian | Message 13 of 19 08 November 2012 at 6:18pm | IP Logged | ||
It's a different country and all, but over here (Germany) some of the people working with Asylum seekers don't know any of the relevant languages. At a B2/C1 level you should be able to communicate everything that needs to be communicated, but of course it would be a good idea to learn specific vocabulary about the formalities of asylum which you may need frequently. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| kanewai Triglot Senior Member United States justpaste.it/kanewai Joined 4891 days ago 1386 posts - 3054 votes Speaks: English*, French, Marshallese Studies: Italian, Spanish | Message 14 of 19 08 November 2012 at 7:54pm | IP Logged | ||
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Although I am an Assimil fan, I think they grossly exaggerate how far they will get you.
My guess is that L'Arabe would get you to a low A2 level. Jump on ahead to Perfectionnement. And let us know how it goes if you do - it's new, and I haven't found any decent reviews on it yet. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Asperger-glot Diglot Newbie Denmark Joined 4548 days ago 16 posts - 22 votes Speaks: Danish*, English Studies: Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, Persian, Arabic (classical), Pashto, Polish, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish Studies: Mandarin, Romanian, French | Message 15 of 19 08 November 2012 at 8:44pm | IP Logged | ||
Low A2 level? I think that is without doubt true for the Assimil arabic with ease which is only 42 lessons. The Assimil L´arabe is 77 lessons and it must get you higher than a low A2! At least a low B1? But ok. I will begin this Assimil L´arabe and Assimil perfectionnement arabe adventure in next summer. I will certainly notify you all about the progress with perfectionnement arabe when I begin on it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| kanewai Triglot Senior Member United States justpaste.it/kanewai Joined 4891 days ago 1386 posts - 3054 votes Speaks: English*, French, Marshallese Studies: Italian, Spanish | Message 16 of 19 08 November 2012 at 10:58pm | IP Logged | ||
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Actually, I was being generous! 77 lessons, at one hour per lesson, gives you 77 hours of study. That's not enough to get you much past A1 in Arabic, even if you doubled or tripled it.
Regardless ... you might want to listen to some L'Arabe Sound Clips before you spend the money. I couldn't get past the speakers' accents in order to finish the course. The perfectionnement clip sounds much more pleasant. Edited by kanewai on 08 November 2012 at 11:04pm 3 persons have voted this message useful |
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