easy /free ways to learn arabic....?

Question

hi, i am planing to go to the middle east in spring. does any one know a simple way i can learn important words in arabic. thanks.(if u dont got nothing nice to say about arab countries then please, dont post your insite)

also, u got any tips on what i should where. by the way i am NOT skinny and have big breast. would that make a differnce in what i should wear. if u most know also i have tan skin and black hair. would this make a difference in the way i am treated?

Answer 1

There are phrase books for sale with tapes/CDs that would give you the important phrases and basics. You can buy a good one for $20. You can also learn on-line but these don't have as much sound so you can't hear how something sounds.

Regarding where: the whole region is nice with a lot to see and do. Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria all have great markets, night life, architectural wonders (Baalbek, Palmyra, pyramids, Luxor, Petra). The Red Sea is nice for diving and snorkelling (Sharm el Sheik, Aqaba, Dahaab, etc.). The food is best in Lebanon and Syria.

The Gulf is more expensive to travel in and a bit more conservative in dress. There's fewer architectual sites but if you like desert safaris and sand...Tunisia is a bit further than the 'mideast" but is also a nice place to visit.

I'm a blue-eyed, blond American female and I've lived and travelled (alone and in groups) in the mideast for past 4 years without a problem. I wear baggy western clothes if I will be in a more conservative area (i.e. visiting mosque) and seem to be okay.

Answer 2

Do you live in the US? Because depending where you live, you might find some places to hang out and practice your arabic...like at sheesha (also known as hookah) bars...here in TN we have a couple that are run by egyptians and they are always happy to practice arabic with me...

Also, how you dress in the middle east depends on where you are going. The more westernized the country, the more acceptable it is for you, as a foreigner to dress in a western style. That won't keep people from staring at you though! I used to live in Sudan and while I was there, I wore mostly T-shirts or long sleeved shirts, but definitely nothing that showed any cleavage...and longer pants or skirts. It's hot, but the clothes protect your skin from sun damage and you get treated a little better when you're modest...as for covering your head, that is a personal preference. In some countries most women do, so it's easier to just throw on a scarf when you go out than it is to get whistled at and annoyed all day...but in other countries where there are more foreigners, this is less of a problem.

Hope this is helpful to you...enjoy your travels!

Answer 3

Arabic is one of the hardest languages to speak. To read and write it you need someone to teach you, because its not that simple. As far as learning how to speak it, you can get her an online software to help with sounds and pronounciations. This will take time because there are about 26 different dialects in this language so even some fluent speakers wont understand others from different parts of the middle east.... Go buy some books, or online thats the best way, or just start hanging around arabic speakers :) Good Luck

Answer 4

it is good to see some one interested in learning arabic. na3am (yes) there is help. your best bet it to go to the library and pick up something called the pimsler langage program. if u have a tape deck u can record it or a cd burner you can copy it. it will not cost u n e thing but a trip to the library. have fun learning masallama
(goodbye)

Answer 5

try this:
http://muttaqun.com/arabic/basic.html
http://cecilmarie.web.prw.net/arabworld/arabic/
http://www.al-bab.com/arab/language/lang.htm

its really helpful.
have fun