Formal Spoken Arabic Basic Course (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) Review

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Formal Spoken Arabic Basic Course (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) ReviewThis is a great course. The dialogs in this course are interesting and sound similar to modern standard Arabic yet they have a more authentic feel. That seems to be the intent of the authors in their using an educated form of spoken Arabic. It is not as dialectal as pure amiyya, and it is not as formal as modern standard Arabic.
After learning a dialog one can go back and listen to it in its entirety without having to listen to one sentence spoken in Arabic and the next sentence in English and then back and forth in this manner. This a big plus for me. (There is only a little bit of recorded translation in the opening of the book.)
The lessons are very explanitive. The basic dialouges have detailed commentaries. Besides the audio, there is the text written in Arabic (no transliteration into English is found anywhere in the book), a detailed list of vocabulary, and sometimes the audio is given a second time at a slower pace so that one can repeat after the speaker.
The matrix dialouge is not explained at all, but it is made easier in that the subject matter is very similar to the basic dialouge's material. It is supposed to be hard, and it forces you to stretch out your ears a bit to try to catch all of the phrases. I found that the matrix dialouge is much easier after completing the unit that it is in, and it often contains the most natural sounding material.
There are also drills and grammar explanations. There are no answer keys for the drills, but they should be beneficial anyways.
Overall, this is arguably one of the best books for learning Arabic. One should have a fairly decent command of modern standard or classical Arabic before starting the course. (Don't attempt this book if you are a beginner.) It is good for building upon the knowledge of a literay form of Arabic in order to learn a spoken form. It doesn't teach any dialect of Arabic in particular. It is suppossed to be a somewhat neutral/educated form of speaking Arabic, but it does have somewhat of a Levantine feel to it at times.
Formal Spoken Arabic Basic Course (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) OverviewThis new edition, updated and with additional exercises, equips those who work, travel, and study in Arab countries with an educated form of spoken Arabic that functions flexibly in the face of various regional colloquial variants in the Arab world. Because the Arabic language has a number of very different spoken vernaculars, being able to speak and be understood in all Arab countries has become a challenge for English speakers. Ryding and Mehall have designed a course that teaches a standardized variant of spoken Arabic that is close to, but more natural than, the literary Modern Standard Arabic. With a non-grammar-based approach, this book fosters communicative competence in Arabic on all levels and develops speaking proficiency without abandoning Arabic script. It has proven to be clear, effective, and relevant to the needs of Americans living and working in the Arab East.Task-based lessons feature basic dialogues between Americans and Arabs, explanations of new structures, vocabulary expansion, and exercises; and provide gradual access to the sounds and script of Arabic by emphasizing listening and reading comprehension first, then slowly adding oral exercises and activities until the student has achieved basic proficiency. Not intended for self-instruction for beginners, "Formal Spoken Arabic Basic Course with MP3 Files" assumes some previous knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic, Arabic script and phonology, and previous or simultaneous instruction in orthography. This new edition includes a CD of MP3 audio exercises that are keyed to the text and drill students on listening and speaking. Lessons cover topics including: Heads of State; Cities and Countries; Official Titles; Geography; Systems of Government; Lost Luggage; Getting Acquainted; Establishing Common Ground; Seeking and Giving Information; Personal Needs and Family; Handling Problems; Eating Out; and, Bargaining and Buying.

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