الاثنين

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Ugh. Came into work today. One of our paralegals is out having a baby and she left a note on my chair about some documents she supposidly gave me but that I dont' ever remember getting *bangs head on wall* And, my chair was stacked full of enough projects to keep me busy all week, not including the stacks of paper on my desk to file, and that the printer isn't work. *breathe in breathe out*

So, I've renewed my commitment to learn arabic. I bought Your First 100 words in Arabic and I've stuck arabic labels on furniture all around the house. I'm going to learn this language even if it takes me 40 years (and at this rate, it certainly seems like it will take that long).

[Bosco 1]

I have renewed my commitment to learn Arabic as well.

My old keyboard broke so I have been without overlays for a while. I finally ordered some again, and Abderrafie put them on for me. When we were both at our computers this weekend, we would send each other instant messages in Arabic - a little silly being we are sitting next to each other. It helped though - I am locating the keys faster.

I also ordered the book you said you were using -- I think it was "Mastering Arabic" although it has yet to get here. I am also going to subscribe to the Rosetta Stone program online.

Labeling furniture is what my mother did when I was really young to help me learn to read.

[~Jackie~ 30]

Good luck in learning Arabic. We will go to Jordan in March and I so want to be able to communicate better with Mohammed's family. My first 3 trips there, he had to translate everything for us.

So, if anyone here wants to help me learn the basics of conversational Arabic, I am a willing and anxious student.

Happy Monday.

Jackie

[iceyspots 0]

I'm home!

[AngelK96 0]

I have until apri to learn although i know a lot already, I still want to be able to have a lengthy conversation wwith my mother in law.

[Mrs. Forgetful 2]

The husband and I were talking yesterday about how I want to start working on my Arabic. It seems that I keep try to find books, but can't quite find the right ones. My mother-in-law taught me some of the body parts in Moroccan-Arabic. But I have forgotten most of them. I am constantly around Moroccans and they all speak English, they just prefer arabic, so I am always left out of the conversations. So I decided that no matter how long it takes or how much ti,e it will consume, I'm gonna learn how to hold a conversation with my husband and our friends in Arabic!

But I still have that one problem, I can't find anywhere to take lessons and I can't find any good books. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Happy Monday!

[Bosco 1]

The husband and I were talking yesterday about how I want to start working on my Arabic. It seems that I keep try to find books, but can't quite find the right ones. My mother-in-law taught me some of the body parts in Moroccan-Arabic. But I have forgotten most of them. I am constantly around Moroccans and they all speak English, they just prefer arabic, so I am always left out of the conversations. So I decided that no matter how long it takes or how much ti,e it will consume, I'm gonna learn how to hold a conversation with my husband and our friends in Arabic!

But I still have that one problem, I can't find anywhere to take lessons and I can't find any good books. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Happy Monday!

Are you looking for Moroccan Arabic or Standard?

[Mrs. Forgetful 2]

The husband and I were talking yesterday about how I want to start working on my Arabic. It seems that I keep try to find books, but can't quite find the right ones. My mother-in-law taught me some of the body parts in Moroccan-Arabic. But I have forgotten most of them. I am constantly around Moroccans and they all speak English, they just prefer arabic, so I am always left out of the conversations. So I decided that no matter how long it takes or how much ti,e it will consume, I'm gonna learn how to hold a conversation with my husband and our friends in Arabic!

But I still have that one problem, I can't find anywhere to take lessons and I can't find any good books. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Happy Monday!

Are you looking for Moroccan Arabic or Standard?

Both would be wonderful

[iceyspots 0]

The husband and I were talking yesterday about how I want to start working on my Arabic. It seems that I keep try to find books, but can't quite find the right ones. My mother-in-law taught me some of the body parts in Moroccan-Arabic. But I have forgotten most of them. I am constantly around Moroccans and they all speak English, they just prefer arabic, so I am always left out of the conversations. So I decided that no matter how long it takes or how much ti,e it will consume, I'm gonna learn how to hold a conversation with my husband and our friends in Arabic!

But I still have that one problem, I can't find anywhere to take lessons and I can't find any good books. Does anyone have a suggestion?

Happy Monday!

Are you looking for Moroccan Arabic or Standard?

Both would be wonderful

Be prepared for mass confusion... !

[Mrs. Forgetful 2]

I figure it will be pretty messy! But I think it will be fun and if we ever decide to move to Tanger, then I'll be able to speak both.

[iceyspots 0]

I'm not sure exactly how to go about it. Being multilingual myself, I've found it a lot easier to strongly reinforce one language before moving on to another one. If you start mixing Moroccan arabic with classical arabic, your family would probably understand, but if you spoke it with anyone else they would be confused by the mixing.

I've learned many words in arabic and kaybile. There are some words in kaybile where it's really obvious they are kaybile words because they have sound combinations that are very different from arabic... but then there are some kaybile words where it is difficult for me to tell the difference between the two, and I might be confused into thinking it's arabic.

[Mrs. Forgetful 2]

I think that I will learn the basics of classical arabic then move onto moroccan. who knows maybe my husband will help me a lot more than he has been lately.

[Bosco 1]

Both would be wonderful

There are many Standard Arabic resources online. I will try to make a list later of some free websites, or may some other people can offer suggestions. Are you looking for free lessons or actual courses?

Many people consider this to be the best at home program: The Rosetta Stone Arabic Program

Georgetown makes a program that many universities use, but part of the focus is Egyptian colloquial, which is why I decided against it:

Alif Baa

Al-Kitaab

There is a third book as well, but I don't have a link handy.

For Moroccan Arabic, the choices are much more limited:

Travel Talk Moroccan Arabic The same files can be found for free at Morocco Discussions as well as other lessons.

A Basic Course in Moroccan Arabic is available with MP3 files and without.

Dictionary of Moroccan Arabic

Reference Grammar of Moroccan Arabic

We started a Wiki but it sort of went by the wayside, but you will find some Moroccan Arabic there http://arabic.pbwiki.com/

There is also a Yahoo group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/learn-moroccan-arabic/

[iceyspots 0]

bosco where is your avatar!

Why does little stuff like that bother me... lol

[Henia 11]

LOL good luck Rahma and Rebecca with the arabic...

This Monday has been a bleg day... got back from Cali last night late... didn't sleep until 5am..got up at 9am.

Process of moving... but really only thinking about going to Algeria