since today is apparently #ArabicLanguageDay, here's a thread of recommended resources for learning #EgyptianArabic .
i'm far from an expert in this dialect — language learning never ends! — but i have plenty of successes & failures to speak on with the following tools. 1/
i'm far from an expert in this dialect — language learning never ends! — but i have plenty of successes & failures to speak on with the following tools. 1/
two disclaimers:
1. i'm only talking abt 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 i've used, not language-learning 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴, for wh there are many podcasts, YT videos, books, etc.
2. some of these are applicable for learning other varieties of Arabic & even other langs, but some are obviously not!
2/
1. i'm only talking abt 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 i've used, not language-learning 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴, for wh there are many podcasts, YT videos, books, etc.
2. some of these are applicable for learning other varieties of Arabic & even other langs, but some are obviously not!
2/
here's how i see this thread going:
1️⃣graded workbooks/coursebooks
2️⃣dictionaries
3️⃣getting speaking practice
4️⃣miscellaneous web resources
5️⃣finding in-language media
we'll see how that holds up.
3/
1️⃣graded workbooks/coursebooks
2️⃣dictionaries
3️⃣getting speaking practice
4️⃣miscellaneous web resources
5️⃣finding in-language media
we'll see how that holds up.
3/
1️⃣the book "Kullu Tamām" (AUC Press) throws you right into the language at a beginner (but still conversational) level.
the dialogues are very helpful, & each chapter has useful exercises at the end, as well as useful idioms. 4/
aucpress.com/product/kullu-…
...
the dialogues are very helpful, & each chapter has useful exercises at the end, as well as useful idioms. 4/
aucpress.com/product/kullu-…
...
1️⃣ it doesn't use the Arabic script at all, which is (as the kids say) a choice.
but i think it's intended for new arrivals in Egypt who haven't had time to master the writing system & really want to be able to speak useful things, & it totally succeeds in this. 5/
but i think it's intended for new arrivals in Egypt who haven't had time to master the writing system & really want to be able to speak useful things, & it totally succeeds in this. 5/
1️⃣ "Kallimni 3arabi" (AUC Press) is not one book but a whole graded series of (5?) books.
these coursebooks are chock full of useful dialogues that you can (& should) listen to over & over.
...
6/
aucpress.com/product/kallim…
these coursebooks are chock full of useful dialogues that you can (& should) listen to over & over.
...
6/
aucpress.com/product/kallim…
1️⃣ they also include some graphically intuitive pedagogy to gently teach things like broken plurals, the passive, inflecting numbers, etc.
the publisher has swung the pendulum to the other side & ONLY uses the Arabic script, with no English notes or explanations whatsoever!
7/
the publisher has swung the pendulum to the other side & ONLY uses the Arabic script, with no English notes or explanations whatsoever!
7/
2️⃣ the most useful (for me) two-way dictionary has been LisaanMasry (lisaanmasry.org) b/c you can get it as a pretty convenient phone app.
it doesn't have every word but it can help you more often than not (wh cannot be said for most online dialect lexica).
8/ ...
it doesn't have every word but it can help you more often than not (wh cannot be said for most online dialect lexica).
8/ ...
2️⃣ best thing abt it is the audio clips for the example sentences with a lot of common words.
so you can hear a native speaker pronounce not only forms of the word but some context as well.
(they missed "yeet" as an alternate translation in the رمى entry .. 4/5 stars)
9/
so you can hear a native speaker pronounce not only forms of the word but some context as well.
(they missed "yeet" as an alternate translation in the رمى entry .. 4/5 stars)
9/
2️⃣ if it's comprehensiveness you want, the best dialect dictionary is Hinds & Badawi 1986.
in it you'll find absolutely everything, except for relatively recent "slang" vocab & usage.
archive.org/details/ADicti…
10/
in it you'll find absolutely everything, except for relatively recent "slang" vocab & usage.
archive.org/details/ADicti…
10/
2️⃣ for learners i would also recommend @lingualism1 's "Big Fat Book of Egyptian Arabic Verbs" wh goes into detail w paradigms & many example sentences for 264 common verbs.
like most of Lingualism's stuff (more on them below) there is accompanying audio for all exx.
11/
like most of Lingualism's stuff (more on them below) there is accompanying audio for all exx.
11/
3️⃣ when it comes to finding 1-on-1 language practice, i only have two recommendations (besides, obviously, meeting speakers in your community / work / friend group)
they are both websites/apps:
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they are both websites/apps:
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3️⃣ i am a longtime user of iTalki.com (apparently pronounced "eye-talk-E") bc it's a ridiculously easy way to find online teachers / tutors for a LOT of languages (you would really be surprised) & even different Arabic varieties ...
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3️⃣ so you can shop around for tutors that look like they'd fit your needs well (they all have bios & intro videos).
you can also leverage iTalki to meet other learners, say speakers of your target lang who are learning a lang that YOU speak, & do a language exchange. /14
you can also leverage iTalki to meet other learners, say speakers of your target lang who are learning a lang that YOU speak, & do a language exchange. /14
3️⃣ a similar venue for finding a language exchange partner, wh is basically just a bilingual chat app, is HelloTalk.com.
the HT chat has an interesting interface that lets you correct people's text to point out errors. this can sometimes get a little annoying
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the HT chat has an interesting interface that lets you correct people's text to point out errors. this can sometimes get a little annoying
/15
3️⃣ something to be aware of:
⚠️ if you're a proficient English speaker on these sites, you are HUGELY privileged.
there are so many ppl seeking to learn English, you'll never have trouble finding an exchange partner. ...
/16
⚠️ if you're a proficient English speaker on these sites, you are HUGELY privileged.
there are so many ppl seeking to learn English, you'll never have trouble finding an exchange partner. ...
/16
3️⃣ but be aware that the experience can be different for others, & be mindful of the historical causes that have contributed to the obscenely high demand of learning YOUR language.
you might have to turn a lot of requests down! but do so respectfully & don't be a dick.
17/
you might have to turn a lot of requests down! but do so respectfully & don't be a dick.
17/
4️⃣now for some web resources!
my 1st real encounter w Egyptian music, many yrs ago, was thru this lovely little "course" that dissects the lyrics of 15 songs:
egyptianarabiccourse.blogspot.com
some of the YT links are broken, but you can find the songs yourself.
18/
my 1st real encounter w Egyptian music, many yrs ago, was thru this lovely little "course" that dissects the lyrics of 15 songs:
egyptianarabiccourse.blogspot.com
some of the YT links are broken, but you can find the songs yourself.
18/
4️⃣ if you're looking for more in-depth of specific grammatical features, arabic.desert-sky.net is a good destination for that.
they have many pages on different language features, & will tell you what applies for Standard & what for Colloquial Arabic.
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they have many pages on different language features, & will tell you what applies for Standard & what for Colloquial Arabic.
19/
4️⃣the "Bilmasry" Podcast (twitter's own @bilmasripodcast ) does an amazing job of explaining dialectal features, especially elaborating on cultural nuances & usages within context that are difficult to convey in a standard coursebook.
...
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...
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4️⃣ i especially love their videos on Egyptian idioms,
bilmasri.com/bilmasri-idiom…
which do an impressive job of assembling film footage in which different idioms are used, adding important cultural & linguistic context.
i have personally benefited from this hugely.
21/
bilmasri.com/bilmasri-idiom…
which do an impressive job of assembling film footage in which different idioms are used, adding important cultural & linguistic context.
i have personally benefited from this hugely.
21/
4️⃣the publisher @lingualism1, as i hinted above, has been creating lots of engaging written materials for dialects (looks like Egyptian, Moroccan, Tunisian, Levantine, & MSA) & honestly filling a pedagogical void.
everything or almost everything has accompanying audio. ...
22/
everything or almost everything has accompanying audio. ...
22/
4️⃣to give an example, Egyptian Arabic Diaries is probably one of the single most useful tools i've encountered for learning any language.
it contains 20 colloquial "diary entry" monologues from native speakers about everyday stuff ...
23/
lingualism.com/shop/arabic/eg…
it contains 20 colloquial "diary entry" monologues from native speakers about everyday stuff ...
23/
lingualism.com/shop/arabic/eg…
4️⃣ written in 1) printed Arabic, 2) ❗handwritten Arabic❗, 3) English, & 4) a morphemic transcription breaking down what is going on grammatically.
i used to meet with an Egyptian friend to read thru these together (w him practicing the English), & still do so on my own.
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i used to meet with an Egyptian friend to read thru these together (w him practicing the English), & still do so on my own.
24/
5️⃣ once you get to a point where you want to consume longer media in the language, Youtube has tons & tons & tons of Egyptian movies & series in their entirety. search & you will find.
most of this will not have English subtitles, but you can find some stuff that does.
...
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most of this will not have English subtitles, but you can find some stuff that does.
...
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5️⃣similarly Netflix is picking up more & more Arabic material, lots of it in Egyptian dialect ...
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5️⃣& people already know how i feel about Netflix's Egyptian original series "Paranormal" (ما وراء الطبيعة) & its potential for dialect learning.
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https://twitter.com/matt_boot_/status/1334555809724964866?s=20
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5️⃣ for music, there are many Egyptian playlists you can find on Spotify, Youtube, etc. ... just search & it's easy to find, say, today's top pop songs, old classics from the 60s, & more niche stuff that you may discover.
...
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...
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5️⃣& especially helpful are sites like lyricstranslate.com where you can often find a human translation of a popular song.
they're generally not perfect, but they can sometimes make all the difference when it comes to understanding a tricky line or expression.
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they're generally not perfect, but they can sometimes make all the difference when it comes to understanding a tricky line or expression.
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