do you speak arabic?

[RAKASA 0]

I don't know anything about Darija, but it seems there are not language tapes/CDs available for this dialect. But I see a lot of websites that say they can help you learn. Anyone ever try them ?

there are some, not many. You can start here: www.press.georgetown.edu and there is also a yahoo group called Learning Moroccan Arabic (I think) that focuses on this dialect. You can also download the Peace Corps manual for learning Moroccan Arabic.

I can speak a bit, understand a bit, but I am now learning to read/write Arabic online at a Jordanian University. It's mostly focused on reading Qu'ran. I'm getting a lot out of it. I can almost read at 1st or 2nd grade level now - really slowly & deciphering letters/sounding it out. But the cool thing is now I'm starting to think of words I already know and trying to spell them out. It's a good challenge.

[hollyw 0]

My husband, his family, and all of his friends speak french, except for his younger brother (21) who is too cool, but understands it. I am fluent in french so I haven't had a real incentive to learn arabic I do know the alphabet and how to count and quite a few phrases ("I'm in the metro" or "I'm tired"), answers to questions, and what to say aroudn ramadan. When we talk to each other we use a mess of english, french, algerian, and norwegian ( my mom's side of the family is from norway ) so it's pretty hard to follow our conversations....

[sweet_peach 0]

One word of advice

Never try to speaking Arabic while eating. I made that mistake and I choked. It was funny once everything settled down and I was ok, but I vowed to never try to speak it while were eating.

[sandinista! 1,816]

Where did Wahrania go ???? She left me hangin here

I will not rest until I learn what is this bakhta and ton ton....

in the meantime, here's a taun-taun.

[kerewin21 2]

I didn't see anyone post Cathy's wonderful group yet....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/learn-moroccan-arabic/

You can download (for free!) the Peace Corps manual, which is very good. Your partner can help you with pronunciation, or if s/he's not up for it, Cathy's husband has recorded some of the exercises. She's even come up with her own lessons!

Another *great* (and cheap) resource is the lonely planet Moroccan Arabic phrasebook. It is surprisingly complete and has a lot of grammar packed in, so you can really pick it up if you like learning languages by grammar.

Edited: Oops it was already posted up there. So I second the nomination.

I'm not a big fan of the Harrell textbook; I have it and really can't get anywhere with it, it's not conversationally focused enough for me.

Edited December 14, 2007 by kerewin21

[Nasturtium 500]

Hmmm, no, not really at all. I can understand a lot of what is going on around me when I hear my husband speak, and I can tell different dialects apart, and I can tell what is a word (word ending) in spoken language... but I can't form a sentence very well (things like "Ana katkoot asfar sagheer," is about it.). I can read the letters but that doesn't help when i don't know the meaning Sometimes when Ammar gets upset, or just wakes up, talks on the phone or just forgets, he speaks in Arabic and I can usually get what he's saying. When he rants I can rant back in English But that's more or less because it doesn't take a massive mental capacity to figure out what is wrong and what he's probably talking about. I just know it surprises him a lot Now he's all thinking I have some clue about Arabic. Helps, too, that he says things and I'm asking him "blah blah blah shoo" as in (what are you saying to me) and most of the time I magically guess the correct thing to say that makes sense. I'm tricksy like that.

[morocco4ever 63]

I am learning the most important things. Such as I miss the stomach of cows. Also I can beg my MIL for money. I found I am their evening entertainment as I repeat what I am told to say.

[yassmine2878 1]

I am learning the most important things. Such as I miss the stomach of cows. Also I can beg my MIL for money. I found I am their evening entertainment as I repeat what I am told to say.

LMFAO I had similar experience in learning French. My first complete phrase (of dubious usefulness) was "The fish eats the bus". Im sure Ill find an appropriate use for it at some point. Other than making my husband and his family laugh so hard they pee themselves.

[kerewin21 2]

I am learning the most important things. Such as I miss the stomach of cows. Also I can beg my MIL for money. I found I am their evening entertainment as I repeat what I am told to say.

I know, sometimes I felt like a trained puppy... Everyone found my attempts to speak amusing.

[morocco4ever 63]

I have tried, but the fact is that I am not good at learning new languages. My husband and I plan to move back to Morocco after a few years, and I was concerned that I won't be able to do anything. He assures me that we will hire someone to take care of my every needs. I don't think he understands, I want to do it MYSELF! lol

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Where did Wahrania go ???? She left me hangin here

I will not rest until I learn what is this bakhta and ton ton....

in the meantime, here's a taun-taun.

Ooooooooo I always wanted one of those !!!!!

I am learning the most important things. Such as I miss the stomach of cows. Also I can beg my MIL for money. I found I am their evening entertainment as I repeat what I am told to say.

Yes they will laugh and then they will say "so sweet from you"......

[kerewin21 2]

I have tried, but the fact is that I am not good at learning new languages. My husband and I plan to move back to Morocco after a few years, and I was concerned that I won't be able to do anything. He assures me that we will hire someone to take care of my every needs. I don't think he understands, I want to do it MYSELF! lol

Have you tried french? It's a lot easier.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I have tried, but the fact is that I am not good at learning new languages. My husband and I plan to move back to Morocco after a few years, and I was concerned that I won't be able to do anything. He assures me that we will hire someone to take care of my every needs. I don't think he understands, I want to do it MYSELF! lol

Have you tried french? It's a lot easier.

I've never been to Morocco -- do most people there speak French ? Or is Arabic or Darija the common denominator ? Or is there even a common denominator (see I know nothing....)

[yassmine2878 1]

I have tried, but the fact is that I am not good at learning new languages. My husband and I plan to move back to Morocco after a few years, and I was concerned that I won't be able to do anything. He assures me that we will hire someone to take care of my every needs. I don't think he understands, I want to do it MYSELF! lol

Have you tried french? It's a lot easier.

I've never been to Morocco -- do most people there speak French ? Or is Arabic or Darija the common denominator ? Or is there even a common denominator (see I know nothing....)

Depends on where you are. For the most part I was able to get by with some butchered French on my visits , but darija is the more widely used manner of communication. Some of the poorer areas have a smaller population of French-speaking persons, but I stayed mostly in the large city. And then some folks speak several languages. Half of my in-laws speak English, French, and Darija.

[morocco4ever 63]

I have tried, but the fact is that I am not good at learning new languages. My husband and I plan to move back to Morocco after a few years, and I was concerned that I won't be able to do anything. He assures me that we will hire someone to take care of my every needs. I don't think he understands, I want to do it MYSELF! lol

Have you tried french? It's a lot easier.

MIL speaks only arabic I have taken years of Spanish and I still can't carry on a ligible coversation. Give me a spreadsheet any day, but a new language? Oh well...I guess when we move there I will be forced to do it...lol