Iraqi Phrasebook : The Complete Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Iraqi Phrasebook : The Complete Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Iraqi Phrasebook : The Complete Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Iraqi Phrasebook : The Complete Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq ReviewThis is a useful phrasebook for the novice heading to Iraq for the first time. No Arabic script; a shame, but that seems to be the case with almost all such handbooks tailored to one dialect of Arabic. The almost pocket-sized booklet starts off with a description of the phonetic system and moves quickly to a few very basic elements of grammar, basic words, numbers, telling time, and common situations from greetings to arrival at the airport, checking in at a hotel, getting around town, food and drink, personal care, sight-seeing, visiting mosques, medical care, security situation, and timely police station and checkpoint dialogue. Nothing special in terms of military lingo, but handy sections on "searching a house" and handling "demonstrations". Prepared in 2004, but not with the occupation and post-occupation too much in mind, no mention of roadside bombs or beheadings, prisoners, or prisoner handling; almost as if Iraq were a normal country. Ends with a 1,000 word basic dictionary. At this price you can't go wrong by keeping a copy handy.Iraqi Phrasebook : The Complete Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq Overview
The only language guide of its kind, the Iraqi Phrasebook provides you with the Iraqi-Arabic phrases you'll need to communicate effectively in general travel, medical, and security situations, as well as with ordinary Iraqis on the street. The book:

Separates content by topic
Focuses on conversational language
Presents Arabic phrases in easy-to-read transliteration
Features phrases addressing needs of military, aid, business, and construction personnel



Want to learn more information about Iraqi Phrasebook : The Complete Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) ReviewAs a university graduate in Arabic and as a teacher of Arabic I can say that this dictionary is a great help for learners of Iraqi dialect. As other customers have stated before, it must be stressed that this is a DIALECT dictionary and not a MSA (Modern Standard Arabic) dictionary. Arabic idalects are hardly, if ever written, except maybe in folk stories collections aimed at investigators or in the odd proverbs compilation, and are much more written by foreigners than by Arabs. In fact most of the Arabs simply don't know how to write their own dialect (if they ever have thought it should be written). In view of this, the use of Arabic script in a dialect dictionary is totally a waste of time and effort, because it means you must adapt a system which is well suited for Standard Arabic to the dialect which functions in quite a different way phonologically and morphophonologicaly. The Iraqi dialect has at least 3 phonemes that do not exist in Standard Arabic (ch, g and p) and a lot of emphatic spreading (as other dialects) which cannot properly be represented using Arabic script except if we add leters taken from Persian. But then where's the difference from using the Persian alphabet or using a Roman transliteration except that transliteration is almost the norm when dealign with dialects (even among many Arab linguists)? Nearly all the material on Arabic dialects is in transliteration, so a learner does not need to go through Arabic script when he just wants to learn to speak a dialect so he can straight concentrate in speaking, while advanced students of MSA dealing with dialect can easily transfer transliterated words to Arabic scripts (when they exist in MSA) so I do not understand the problem with romanization.
Another reviewer deplored the lack of guidelines on prosodical information (the music and rythm of the language) so useful to learn to speak, but it must be stressed that nobody learns to speak using a dictionary, to learn to speak in any language you must (first of all of course hear it spoken and try to speak it) use a coursebook or other pedagogical material, which a dictionary IS NOT, a dictionary is reference material to help you expand your vocabulary, but it's useless if you havent' the basics of a language which you must acquire in a language course(book).
My only complain is that, in fact, this dictionary is the sum of two different independent dictionaries written by different hands. So entries in the E-A part do not match entries in the A-E section (which is much larger), and also as the E-A part is based on an earlier English-German dictionary there are some entries which aren't culturally and socially useful in Iraqi society (such as blondette) while other words for important items in Arabic society (clothes, food) do not appear in the E-A section.
Except for this inconsistencies (which appear in the other Arabic dictionaries of this serie) this dictionary is a great useful tool for learners of Iraqi dialect.A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) OverviewOriginally offered in two separate volumes, "A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic", a staple of Georgetown University Press' world-renowned Arabic language program, now handily provides both the English to Arabic and Arabic to English texts in one volume. Designed for an English speaker learning Arabic, this is a key reference for anyone learning the colloquial speech of Iraq as spoken by educated people in Baghdad. Using romanized transliteration and transcription rather than the Arabic alphabet, it is further enhanced in most cases by having sentences to illustrate how individual word entries are used in context, reinforcing the user's acquisition of colloquial Iraqi.

Want to learn more information about A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Modern Iraqi Arabic: A Textbook with CD (Audio) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Modern Iraqi Arabic: A Textbook with CD (Audio)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Modern Iraqi Arabic: A Textbook with CD (Audio). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Modern Iraqi Arabic: A Textbook with CD (Audio) ReviewWhy do so many authors of Arabic textbooks insist on confusing readers with their own idiosyncratic codes of Arabic transliteration when there's a standardized international code that most scholars and students of Arabic are well familiar with, and that is easy to learn for all others?
But my major disappointment with the book is simply that there's too little content to justify either 250 pages or 60 dollars. It is a common enough, if annoying, tactic of authors to inflate a textbook's volume by filling page after page with "exercises" in the form of widely spaced, monotonous lists of near-identical alternating phrases, but al-Khalesi has carried it way too far. The vocabulary and dialogues are fresh and practical, but there's too little of either... on 250 pages, one would expect an author to be able to go deeper into the language than this.Modern Iraqi Arabic: A Textbook with CD (Audio) Overview"Modern Iraqi Arabic" is an introductory textbook for those with no previous knowledge of Arabic or those who know Arabic but want to learn the Iraqi dialect. Accompanied by six audio CDs, the book is suitable for classroom or self-study. A detailed discussion of the consonants, vowels, and other characteristics of Iraqi phonetics - including pronunciation exercises on the CDs - serve the needs of travellers, businesspeople, diplomats, archaeologists, and scholars who want to learn to speak the language quickly and efficiently. Using the dialect of middle-class Baghdad, sixteen lessons are arranged in a story-like format and are based on everyday travel situations. The book contains basic dialogue, grammar, vocabulary, drills, and an extensive glossary. A section of idiomatic phrases, accompanied by their cultural, religious, or proverbial explanations, offers insight into current Iraqi culture.

Want to learn more information about Modern Iraqi Arabic: A Textbook with CD (Audio)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Modern Iraqi Arabic With Mp3 Files: A Textbook (Arabic Edition) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Modern Iraqi Arabic With Mp3 Files: A Textbook (Arabic Edition)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Modern Iraqi Arabic With Mp3 Files: A Textbook (Arabic Edition). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Modern Iraqi Arabic With Mp3 Files: A Textbook (Arabic Edition) ReviewI ordered this book with MP3 files sight unseen from Amazon because I wanted all the Iraqi Arabic materials I could find, and I have not been disappointed one bit! It has been well worth the price, and the learning materials in this book and audio files are superb!
The book reminds me of a very good high school or college foreign language textbook; it is very communicative, with a LOT of great information on grammar, vocabulary, culture and especially useful idioms! The dialogues are extremely useful as well, and the text is peppered with great drawings of Iraqi life and culture.
I am about half way through the book (and the course), and I would say the only drawback so far is that there could be more examples of verb forms in the perfect and imperfect tenses to illustrate how they are conjugated to suit me. However, it is better than many books and texts I have seen on Arabic, in general, on verbs, but perhaps not nearly as thorough as the Erwin book: "A Basic Course in Iraqi Arabic". Nonetheless, that is a small matter in comparison to all the positive aspects to this book. It is not only a great language text and audio program for beginners, but a cultural one, as well. When studying Iraqi Arabic, I would have both this text AND the Erwin one on my shelf. They approach the learning of Iraqi Arabic from slightly different perspectives, but they complement each other nicely.
The addition of the Arabic script along side the romanized texts is good, although as I have said in other reviews of Arabic materials, I believe it useful to learn this particular language (Arabic) in a familiar orthography (i.e. romanized form) first to get a good grasp of the grammar, and structure, etc. Since Arabic is essentially a "phonetic" script, it can be learned later, or separately. I believe that learning a language this way (in a romanized form) helps the student remember words and phrases in an aural-oral context.
I highly recommend it as an addition to your Iraqi Arabic learning materials. The Phrasebook by Alkalesi is also extremely useful.
Modern Iraqi Arabic With Mp3 Files: A Textbook (Arabic Edition) Overview"Modern Iraqi Arabic with MP3 Files" is an introductory textbook - suitable for classroom or self-study - for those with no previous knowledge of Arabic or those who know Arabic but want to learn the Iraqi dialect. A detailed discussion of the consonants, vowels, and other characteristics of Iraqi phonetics - including pronunciation exercises on the CD - serves the needs of travelers, businesspeople, diplomats, archaeologists, and scholars who want to learn to speak the language quickly and efficiently. Using the dialect of middle-class Baghdad, twenty lessons are arranged in a story-like format and are based on everyday travel situations. From arriving at the airport to getting to the hotel, students will learn proper greetings and introductions; how to ask for directions, take a taxi, and tell time; and, prepare for daily activities like visiting the bank, museum, post office, and restaurants. The book contains basic dialogue, grammar, vocabulary, drills, and an extensive glossary. A section of idiomatic phrases, accompanied by their cultural, religious, or proverbial explanations, offers insight into current Iraqi culture.In this edition, Arabic script has been added so that the reader has a choice of following the Arabic writing or the transcription in the Roman alphabet. Four entirely new lessons cover medical care, media (radio, television, and journalism), telephone conversations, and cultural and folkloric tales. All audio materials from the first edition - plus new audio materials for the new lessons - are included as MP3 files on a CD bound into the book.

Want to learn more information about Modern Iraqi Arabic With Mp3 Files: A Textbook (Arabic Edition)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Beginner's Iraqi Arabic with 2 Audio CDs (Arabic Edition) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Beginner's Iraqi Arabic with 2 Audio CDs (Arabic Edition)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Beginner's Iraqi Arabic with 2 Audio CDs (Arabic Edition). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Beginner's Iraqi Arabic with 2 Audio CDs (Arabic Edition) ReviewThis is not only a timely book, but one so well done
it makes a significant addition to the field. Growing
interest in Arabic in the United States, especially
Iraqi Arabic, has spurred a number of competent
teachers and scholars to write books, dictionaries,
handbooks, guides, and the like. Nawal Nasrallah and
Nadia Hassani's Beginner's Iraqi Arabic is one of
these new welcome contributions. It is an extensive
coverage of the language by native speakers that
manages to be very practical, concise, varied, and
entertaining. The two CDs are especially well-done and
they should make the chore of learning Iraqi dialect
more efficient.

Among the book's many virtues is a remarkably
down-to-earth approach that makes no assumptions about
learners' backgrounds, ability to learn foreign
languages, familiarity with the culture, and so on. It
provides readers with opportunities to learn the
spoken language dominant in Iraq, and opens up for
them the language through lively dialogues and usage
and pronunciation exercises so that they pick up
important cultural details. The dictionary part in the
book is extensive and very helpful since it has both
Arabic/English, and English/Arabic entries.
As a teacher of Arabic, I find the book very useful
and I intend to use it for my university classes.
Beginner's Iraqi Arabic with 2 Audio CDs (Arabic Edition) OverviewThis set includes a book and 2 CDs. This introduction to the spoken language of Iraq is suitable for classroom use and self-study. It is designed both for people with no previous knowledge of the Arabic language and those who know some Arabic and wish to learn the Iraqi dialect. The foundation of the book is a series of realistic dialogues that increase in complexity with each lesson. The language is based on the Baghdadi dialect, which is understood by a majority of Iraqis. All Arabic words are transliterated into Roman script for easy understanding. New vocabulary is explained prior to each dialogue, while additional vocabulary related to the topic is also provided. The grammar, expressions, and cultural material found in the dialogues are fully explained in their proper context. The grammar is also presented in a logical, step-by-step manner for easy mastery. Each unit is supplemented with exercises that test and reinforce the student's knowledge, with an answer key provided at the end of the book. The two-way glossary contains more than 5,000 entries, enabling the book to double as a dictionary for travellers to Iraq. An audio CD feature accompanies the lessons.

Want to learn more information about Beginner's Iraqi Arabic with 2 Audio CDs (Arabic Edition)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC with MP3 Audio Files (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC with MP3 Audio Files (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics)? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC with MP3 Audio Files (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics). Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC with MP3 Audio Files (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) ReviewI am a US army Captain intent on teaching myself Arabic....What I quickly found out through discovery learning is there are many dialects. I started with several other MSA resources, but Iraqi is very different. If you are going to Iraq, you need this book or at least a book that solely focuses on the Iraqi dialect. I have a Syrian interpreter and sometimes he has difficulty with some words and phrases here. He can communicate very clearly with the Iraqi people, but even I can notice the dialectal differences. There are a lot of ways to say things in Arabic and although they can understand each they simply say things differently. It may not be that confusing for a native non-Iraqi speaker to communicate, but for the non-native speaker who is just learning, it can sound like a different language sometimes. I am currently in Iraq, 6 months into my tour and I am about half way through the book. Already I am able to have very basic conversations and I can pick out a lot of words in any conversation. The outstanding drills do eventually take hold. I'll hear a conjugation of a word and I'll know what it means. Its my lack of vocabulary that is holding me back, but that should come with some more time. The drills must be listened to, not read. You have to train you brain to hear and comprehend it. The MP3s that come with the book really make it a complete package. It takes a while to understand, but you'll start to understand it. It makes it worthwhile when you can pick up even a few words out of a conversation.
Don't expect to learn the script with this book. It isn't in it. The intent of this book is listening and understanding and responding, not reading and writing. The phonics section is outstanding, it tells you exactly how to hold you tongue to make all the sounds. BTW there are 31 consanants in Iraqi Arabic, a couple more than MSA. Not a big deal, the book will have you pronouncing the sounds almost like a native.
A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC with MP3 Audio Files (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics) OverviewA comprehensive introduction to Iraqi Arabic for beginners (with Iraqi-English and English-Iraqi glossaries), this is the language spoken by Muslim Baghdad residents, transcribed and not in Arabic script. It does not assume prior knowledge of Arabic. "A Basic Course in Iraqi Arabic with MP3 Audio Files" contains ten chapters of phonology to explain the sounds, and thirty more covering grammar and vocabulary. The phonology chapters all contain extensive drills. The grammar chapters start with a dialogue or brief narrative, then explain new vocabulary and points of grammar, and conclude with drills. The book is usefully enhanced with a bound-in CD with audio MP3 files to accompany the text and drills.

Want to learn more information about A BASIC COURSE IN IRAQI ARABIC with MP3 Audio Files (Georgetown Classics in Arabic Language and Linguistics)?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...