Arabic for Non-native Speakers

[monnik 0]

So, I thought I would ask for help from anyone who is learning or has learned Arabic.

Some of the things I struggle with are:

Pronouncing the ح - the sound doesn't really exist in English, but does anyone have any pointers for learning this sound?

The imaginary ّ ٍ ِ ْ ً َ ٌ - I mean, I have no trouble using them when I see them, but most of the time, they are not written. Anyone have a trick for memorizing certain words or patterns?

All of the different verb tenses - Masc, fem, etc. There are so many different forms of one word, that if I haven't heard the word 100 times, I will more than likely screw it up. Does anyone have any good learning techniques?

I guess it's just the nerd in me that wants to be able to read, write, spell, and speak the language. I speak Spanish, and I know that native speakers are pleased if you at least attempt to speak their language. But, I would like to be a good student.

Besides, I know that one letter or sound can make ALL the difference between two words. I want to keep my embarassing mistakes to a minimum, and I would love to hear other people's language-learning processes.

Nicole ** just a side note about language/Arabic, my name is Niki, but my name was changed when I met my husband because of the naughty word that my name sounds like - I have never been called Nicole before, and I'm still getting used to it **

[sereia 0]

i have a really hard time with that sound too. abdou always laughs at me when i try to pronounce certain words. we have good fun with him teaching me! i hope to be fluent someday as well..but first we're mostly working on him being more fluent in english.

[monnik 0]

i have a really hard time with that sound too. abdou always laughs at me when i try to pronounce certain words. we have good fun with him teaching me! i hope to be fluent someday as well..but first we're mostly working on him being more fluent in english.

Good luck to both of you. It's always fun to learn new things. I think it's humbling, actually. I mean, for both my husband and I, we were both straight A students and never had problems learning anything. But, our egos are brought down a couple of notches when it comes to the other person's language. He knows more English than I Arabic, but we are both learning so much everyday.

I can't say 7abibi, 7elwa, efta7, and many, many other words that contain the 7 sound. I wish it was easier. hehe

[allousa 1]

Yeah, my husband laughs at me too trying to pronounce some of the harder words. But when I go and stay with his family, that is when I really learn so much.

I do have a funny story though...my husband has a speach impediment. He pronounces his "r"s funny. Well, all of the Arabic that he has taught me...I pronounce them the same way! So I have a speach impediment too...in ANOTHER LANGUAGE!!!! And as we teach our son, I guess he will have it too!!!!!

[a1angied 0]

I am just trying to learn more as he is here to teach me. He is very reluctant as he wasn't me to teach him cos he says he really needs the english language more then i need arabic. I have a CD set that I have been using to learn to speak Instant Immersion Arabic that I bought from Amazon. I will try and find a way to send it for anyone if they would like to check it out. I also bought books to try and learn to write from Amazon and the dictionary which my husband loves. We went to sign him up for ESL classes yesterday and he has orientation on the 11th. He is really excited about this as he feels he needs to perfect the language so that he can have a great job.

[monnik 0]

Yeah, my husband laughs at me too trying to pronounce some of the harder words. But when I go and stay with his family, that is when I really learn so much.

I do have a funny story though...my husband has a speach impediment. He pronounces his "r"s funny. Well, all of the Arabic that he has taught me...I pronounce them the same way! So I have a speach impediment too...in ANOTHER LANGUAGE!!!! And as we teach our son, I guess he will have it too!!!!!

That sounds so cute!

My husband's little brother has a pretty serious speech problem that he was born with (along with other problems, but I don't know the actual medical terms) and I have had to learn some of his *unique* language also.

Some examples: he says "daad" for "begad", he says "fe haga la" instead of "mafesh haga", he says " bu tez" that means " abu kersh" (nickname for friend w/big belly hehhe)

So, I am learning a language and a half right now. But, I enjoy every minute of it.

[allousa 1]

My inlaws think it is hilarous that I have the same "speech" problem.

Man...Arabic is hard enough to learn just itself. That's good though, that you are trying to learn his as well.

[doodlebug 3]

I have that Rosetta Stone cd but I rarely use it. It was fun at first but now it's hard and so I gave up. I guess if I were that motivated it would be great 'cause you can record your voice and hear how similar/dissimilar it is to what it's supposed to be. Thing is even when I get some of the words down my husband can't understand me 'cause of my Boston accent.

On the flip side he's learned some lingo from me and it cracks me up when he says things like, "okie-dokie", or "wicked pissa".

[allousa 1]

I've tried books and CDs too...but I just don't learn like I do when I'm actually there visiting.

My husband had actually been here for a couple of years before I met him, so his English was pretty good. But when I started saying things like "quit pulling my leg" or "quit blowing smoke up my a$$"...he was like...what in the he ll are you talking about????

Another time he heard me say something about someone not being a spring chicken, and I had to explain that. Too funny!

And off the topic of language....

We had a possum that had taken up residence in the outbuilding in the back yard. Well, Hicham had never seen a possum before. He thought it was the largest rat he'd ever seen. He's very superstitious abour rats too. Anyway, I've never heard him yell like he did when he say that possum for the first time. He was freaking out! I was laughing so hard that I couldn't catch my breath to tell him that it wasn't a rat....

Had to explain what a racoon was too when he saw it for the first time.

[balmytigeress 0]

My problem with the vowel marks above the letters, it that it is not always the same sound. I can't think up any examples because I'm always confused when I see it. Maybe my problem is the way the books try to help you sound it out by writing it in roman letters - you know how there can be several ways to write an arabic word in roman letters.

My other issue with arabic books is there are not enough exercises. And too many words thrown at you in one chapter, and some of them are not used in the exercises. Independant memorization is like walking thru quicksand. It helps me when all the words are used in the exercises.

Real immersion is better, being there or talking with native speakers, just picking up words here and there and starting to piece them together. Then maybe using a book to aid understanding small points.

BT

[sara535 15]

my husband and his family CRACK UP when I attempt anything in Arabic. I think its one of their favorite pastimes....

[monnik 0]

My problem with the vowel marks above the letters, it that it is not always the same sound. I can't think up any examples because I'm always confused when I see it. Maybe my problem is the way the books try to help you sound it out by writing it in roman letters - you know how there can be several ways to write an arabic word in roman letters.

My other issue with arabic books is there are not enough exercises. And too many words thrown at you in one chapter, and some of them are not used in the exercises. Independant memorization is like walking thru quicksand. It helps me when all the words are used in the exercises.

Real immersion is better, being there or talking with native speakers, just picking up words here and there and starting to piece them together. Then maybe using a book to aid understanding small points.

BT

I have a book that I downloaded from the internet, but my problem is I need to print it out to work really well on the exercises. That will be my next task. Because we don't have a printer at the house, I am always putting it off. The book that I have has a lot of exercises. It really helped me for the first 4 or 5 chapters (until they started taking off the stupid vowel marks, and then I got confused again). If anyone would like a copy of the book to print out for themselves, I can send it to you or put it on a file sharing site. And it's about 10MB in size, which is about the memory size of 2 or 3 songs.

Thanks for the stories. My inlaws make a big deal out of me speaking arabic. Even if I have said the word before, every time they hear it they laugh and have to take me from room to room to repeat it.

I would have to say immersion is the greatest tool. And, I have picked up on so much here. It has been 8 months of listening, learning, and practicing. I, myself, would just like a boost from an academic approach.

Did someone say they could send the tapes or audio? I would like to listen to that if it's possible.

[dollface41601 0]

I know how u feel, for a long time i could never say the "7" in words, but one day, everything just like rolled of my tongue, i thnk after hearing it for sooo long, u just pick it up....i have alot of arab people ask me now if i am half arab because they say i have a good accent, so i think with time it will just come, just keep practicing, i mean here i am 3 years later, and can hold a lengthy convo, and understan just about everything...

[slbois 0]

I know more Egyptian Arabic phrases than Moroccan Arabic since I spend most of my day with an Egyptian(boss). It makes my husband hot under the collar!

[monnik 0]

I know more Egyptian Arabic phrases than Moroccan Arabic since I spend most of my day with an Egyptian(boss). It makes my husband hot under the collar!

Please share. If you don't mind. I would like to know new phrases. Do you know how to write them in arabic?