Modern Standard or Arabic dialect? (Questions About Your Target Languages) Language Learning Forum

Modern Standard or Arabic dialect?
Tags: Dialect \| Learning Strategy \| Arabic
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Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages

10 messages over 2 pages: 1 2 Next >>

nebojats
Triglot
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United States
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Message 1 of 10

03 September 2010 at 5:34am | IP Logged

Certainly a common question, with very inconclusive answers.

I have taken one year of Modern Standard Arabic. I would like my proficient dialect to be Moroccan Arabic (yes, I know it's not very widely understood).

Shortly, I plan on going to Morocco to study the language in a local institute. Should I study Modern Standard, Moroccan, or both simultaneously?

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions? Opinions?

Thank you!
1 person has voted this message useful

ANK47
Triglot
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thearabicstudent.blo
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Message 2 of 10

04 September 2010 at 12:41am | IP Logged

Personally when I was in your situation, I mean when I had some knowledge of MSA from classes but no knowledge of dialects I was very eager to learn a dialect so I could understand what people were saying and have exposure to a live language. So when I got a chance to learn a dialect I did that instead of studying more MSA. For me MSA is just really boring and lacks emotion and I think the reason for that is the fact that with MSA you're basically limited to the news and official things. There are only a few TV series in MSA and they are mostly historic. If I were you I'd study the dialect when you get to Morocco.
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CaucusWolf
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Message 3 of 10

04 September 2010 at 2:59am | IP Logged

ANK47 wrote:

I know this has nothing to do with the topic. I was wondering which TV series are in MSA?

Edited by CaucusWolf on 04 September 2010 at 3:01am
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apparition
Octoglot
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Message 4 of 10

04 September 2010 at 4:13am | IP Logged

You can learn most of your MSA from the internet. I would study the dialect if I were in-
country.
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nebojats
Triglot
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Message 5 of 10

05 September 2010 at 12:19pm | IP Logged

Alright, thank you very much for the responses!

I was suspecting that I should focus on the dialect when in country, which is what you confirmed.

Leave MSA for the classroom back in the States.

Thanks again!
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nebojats
Triglot
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Message 6 of 10

05 September 2010 at 12:21pm | IP Logged

Also, you may know the answer to this question:

How mututally understandable are the North African dialects?
1 person has voted this message useful

liddytime
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mainlymagyar.wordpre
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Message 7 of 10

05 September 2010 at 1:48pm | IP Logged

ANK47 wrote:

Personally when I was in your situation, I mean when I had some knowledge of MSA from classes
but no knowledge of dialects I was very eager to learn a dialect so I could understand what people were saying and
have exposure to a live language. So when I got a chance to learn a dialect I did that instead of studying more MSA.
For me MSA is just really boring and lacks emotion and I think the reason for that is the fact that with MSA you're
basically limited to the news and official things. There are only a few TV series in MSA and they are mostly historic.
If I were you I'd study the dialect when you get to Morocco.

I second ANK47! If you want to understand the news and newspapers , go for MSA. If you actually want to talk to
people, go for darija.

You can track down the free moroccan arabic courses at the peace corps site and DLIFLC. Harell's Georgetown
course is pretty dry but very intensive with a ton of audio.
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theallstar
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United Kingdom
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Studies: Japanese, Esperanto

Message 8 of 10

08 September 2010 at 9:45am | IP Logged

apparition wrote:

You can learn most of your MSA from the internet. I would study the dialect if I were in-
country.

Would you be able to give any pointers to some good MSA resources online?

1 person has voted this message useful

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