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Arabic Resources as a Gift | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| ericblair Senior Member United States Joined 4520 days ago 480 posts - 700 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 1 of 5 01 February 2014 at 8:02pm | IP Logged | |||||
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My younger step-brother has a great interest in the Middle East and Arabic world at
large. He knows I spend (waste? haha) a lot of time on this site and he has asked me a few times for suggestions on materials to start learning the language. I would like to surprise him with all the Arabic resources he needs to get started for his birthday. Arabic is one of the few major languages I have zero exposure to and know nothing about. I've read a bunch of threads on the topic, but wanted some input before committing. Keep in mind, these are all a gift, so I don't want to just refer him to random online resources to use. I am buying hard copies of things so that he can be relatively "free" from a computer, at least for using the courses initially. Plus, I am sure he can track down Arabic TV channels and such online quicker than me, anyway. My impressions are that MSA resources would be ideal since this would be the first form of Arabic for him to study. What I was considering was to buy one of the following three sets of resources: ------------------------- The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It by Awde and Samano ISBN-13: 978-0818404306 $7.19 new OR Easy Arabic Script by Wightwick and Gaafar ISBN-13: 978-0071462099 $9.36 new AND Arabic for Life: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic by Frangieh ISBN-13: 978-0300141313 $82.23 new ------------------------------------- Easy Arabic Script by Wightwick and Gaafar ISBN-13: 978-0071462099 $9.36 new AND Mastering Arabic Script: A Guide to Handwriting ISBN-13: 978-1403941107 ~$20 new AND Mastering Arabic 1 with 2 Audio CDs by Wightwick and Gaafar ISBN-13: 978-0781812382 $23.32 new ----------------------------------------- The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It by Awde and Samano ISBN-13: 978-0818404306 $7.19 new AND Easy Arabic Grammar by Wightwick and Gaafar ISBN-13: 978-0071462105 $9.22 new ---------------------------------- and then one of these grammar's to supplement: An Introduction to Modern Literary Arabic by Cowan ISBN-13: 978-0521092401 $41.33 new OR Modern Standard Arabic Grammar: A Learner's Guide by Alhawary ISBN-13: 978-1405155021 $37.80 new OR A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language by Haywood and Nahmad ISBN-13: 978-0853315858 $32.33 new What does everyone think about which set and grammar to go with? Alternatively, I saw this Arabic Linguaphone for sale on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Linguaphone-Complete-Arabic-Course-N ewest-English-Based- Edition-/251336704170?pt=US_Texbook_Education&hash=item3a84d 5c0aa Is this supposed to be a "good" Linguaphone version for a language? If so, I would also be open to just getting him that to have it all in one handy package. Or, if Linguaphone is too tough to start from nothing, I could maybe do something like ------------------ The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read & Write It by Awde and Samano + Easy Arabic Grammar by Wightwick and Gaafar + Linguaphone and skip a more comprehensive grammar for now since presumable the Awde book and easy grammar would be enough to get him ready for the Linguaphone which could take him far. Thanks for everyone's input! My step-brother is a really hard worker and would never spring for this kind of stuff on his own, so I definitely don't mind spending the money to get him top-notch materials as a present! I just put the prices and ISBN's to help any other people coming through the thread. Anyway, as of this very moment, I am leaning towards the last option of the Awde book, easy grammar, and Linguaphone. But any suggestion on other mixes of the listed material, or outside material, would be quite appreciated! 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Doitsujin Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5129 days ago 1256 posts - 2363 votes Speaks: German*, English | Message 2 of 5 02 February 2014 at 12:57am | IP Logged | |||||
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I'd recommend:
1. Easy Arabic Script by Wightwick and Gaafar ISBN-13: 978-0071462099 $9.36 new (Nice book, but in a pinch any "learn to write Arabic" book will do.) 2. Easy Arabic Grammar by Wightwick and Gaafar ISBN-13: 978-0071462105 $9.22 new I haven't seen any entry level grammar with better and clearer explanations. (They're all at "explain it like I'm five" level.) + 1 audio resource: However, since even smaller US libraries usually have at least the basic Pimsleur CDs and/or a Linguaphone set, it might be wasted money. I'd definitely not get him any more advanced grammars at this stage. If he actually makes it to the end of "Easy Arabic Grammar" he can always get a more detailed grammar. :-) 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| ericblair Senior Member United States Joined 4520 days ago 480 posts - 700 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 3 of 5 02 February 2014 at 2:33am | IP Logged | |||||
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Sadly, the library in our hometown is sorely lacking. The only foreign language
materials it has at all are a few beat up old Spanish books. I like your point that more materials can always be purchased later. His birthday isn't until the very end of March. I may buy him the two books you mention, just to see how it goes. If it turns out his interest is not that deep, I have time to think of another gift. However, if he really enjoys them and is still working on them towards the end of the two months, then I think I'd have a better idea to know it is worth investing in either Linguaphone or Ryding's Grammar + Arabic for Life as the actual gift. You make a good point about audio, though. What if I got him one of the Script books (either the Wightwick/Gaafar one or The Arabic Alphabet) and then just Mastering Arabic 1 with 2 cds by Wightwick and Gaafar as the two beginning things for now? That way he'd still get the exposure to script and would immediately have some audio as well. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Doitsujin Diglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5129 days ago 1256 posts - 2363 votes Speaks: German*, English | Message 4 of 5 02 February 2014 at 8:40am | IP Logged | |||||
Too bad. Apparently the small town in California that I lived in had more money.
I've just had a look at the Mastering Arabic preview and it seems to have the same great explanations as the Easy Arabic Grammar book by the same authors. Therefore I'd recommend this book instead of the Easy Arabic Grammar book, because it offers more content and comes with audio CDs. In addition to the two books you could also get him Arabic keyboard stickers. This'll help him write words on the computer and look up words on the Internet. (The stickers that I linked to are just an example, they're also available in other colors.) Edited by Doitsujin on 02 February 2014 at 8:46am 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| ericblair Senior Member United States Joined 4520 days ago 480 posts - 700 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 5 of 5 02 February 2014 at 4:46pm | IP Logged | |||||
Lucky you! I've noticed the quality of public libraries seems to change drastically from place to place. So many people here have referenced getting Michel Thomas, for example, at their library. I've never seen a Michel Thomas course for any language at any public library in a number of states I have traveled to. Maybe someday I will get lucky!
Cool, thanks for the suggestion of the keyboard stickers! I think I will go ahead and get one of the alphabet books and the Mastering Arabic for now to see if his interest is enough to justify a bigger present of resources. Thanks! Edited by ericblair on 02 February 2014 at 4:59pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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