Salamaat! Learning Arabic with Ease: Learn the Basic Blocks of Modern Standard Arabic: Learn the Building Blocks of Modern

5 reviews for Salamaat! Learning Arabic with Ease: Learn the Basic Blocks of Modern Standard Arabic: Learn the Building Blocks of Modern

1. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   ACC1664 – 7 January 2023

   You need to have Arabic speaking friends for this to work.
   The material in this book is fine, it starts out with basic mechanics common to most languages. The material normally included with the CD can be easily downloaded online, so at least for US users, this is no problem. The audio files give examples of pronunciation, and it’s easy to repeat them using the files.The real problem with this book has to do with NO answers provided to the exercises. I’ve searched for an answer book, but I’ve had zero luck finding one. If you know of one (Or Dr. Brosh if you’re reading this) PLEASE let us know.As it stands, if you don’t have Arabic friends this is going to be a very frustrating experience. I’m going to suggest right from the start that you purchase a book focused on the Arabic alphabet, download/use some type of translator on your computer or other device and learn the alphabet first. Print off the alphabet and tape it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet, whatever works for you… but you’re going to need it.IF you do have Arabic-speaking friends, then this book is fantastic. You’ll need those friends to look at your homework as you progress through the book. Try to keep in mind that Arabic is considered the second hardest language to learn, in the world. You’ll need to be patient and you’ll definitely need to set aside time to study. There’s about 380 pages to the main text, so if you can manage 2-3 pages per day you’ll probably get through it in less than a year.I don’t mean to sound negative, but you’ll need to really apply yourself to complete this book. I’ve been working on it (mixed with other books) for 2 years and if I didn’t have Arabic friends I’d have been completely lost.

2. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   RA – 21 July 2019

   Perfect for Self-Study
   “Salamaat” is a very good self-study textbook, with a few provisions (see below). The text is built around a series of dialogues of very manageable length in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), has an excellent CD which is clear (no “real life” background sounds that distract you from the Arabic, just a clear reading of the text) and spoken at a moderate speed. The alphabet is taught, too. However, the dialogues from the very beginning are written in Arabic with only marginal English translation and phonetics for those still not proficient in written Arabic. This seems to suggest the need for a tutor, but since the accompanying CD has all the recordings, it’s not a big problem. You could move considerably faster through this book if you took the time to learn the Arabic alphabet before beginning “Salamaat” (something I highly recommend no matter what text you’re using; there are many good books for this available from Amazon). Depending on how into details you are, you might not be completely satisfied with the alphabetic sequence of instruction, but that’s mostly a matter of preference. The biggest issue I had with the book (and why I deducted a star) is that, while there is an index, there is no glossary. If you forget a word, you need to look for it in the text. You could buy a simple Arabic dictionary (like Awde & Smith’s “Arabic Practical Dictionary”), but if you’re new to Arabic, using a dictionary can be complicated. I took the time to make my own glossary on MS Word, inserting and re-alphabetizing as I acquired new words. This has helped in learning the Arabic alphabet as well as teaching me some basic Arabic word-processing skills. Obviously, you can hand-write a glossary once you learn the script.The Arabic is completely vocalized, as any good text should be, so once you’ve mastered the alphabet, you can read and pronounce words correctly. Another fine feature is the cultural content and the Islamic expressions which pepper this beautiful language (e.g., الحمد للة “alhamdu lillah”) in ordinary speech. Grammar is presented in modest doses in an intuitive manner, and the focus is on real, everyday communication (even though this is MSA and not colloquial dialect).A final word to those trying to decide whether to start with MSA or some dialect. Unless you want to be illiterate, you’ll need to learn MSA eventually. Since MSA is somewhat (not greatly) more difficult than colloquial Arabic, once you’ve learned MSA, the transition to dialect is much easier. Conversely, if you go from dialect to MSA, it seems to me to be significantly more complex. Better to get the harder stuff over with first, and it’s not that much of a chore. It is true that most interpersonal communication will be in dialect, but to say that MSA is largely useless in oral communication is too simplistic and reduces the importance of knowing MSA. You may be told that you sound like you’re quoting the Qur’an, but there are worse things in this world. The truth is that every serious Arabic student must learn both MSA and at least one dialect. Bite the bullet and start with MSA. When you become proficient and move on to colloquial Arabic, you won’t be sorry.

3. 

   Rated 1 out of 5

   MANEK SHERGILL – 2 September 2022

   Highly Avoidable Book
   I ordered the book because of the rave reviews. . Mine came with the CD but even if it did not, you can download the audio from the publisher website.My issue is that there are NO ANSWERS to the exercises. NONE It is NOT a book for self study. Terribly disappointed !!!I don’t know how people have rated it as a five star for self study ??? My guess is that those are highly biased reviews. How come nobody has written about the lack of answers to the exercises ?I have the Persian book (Farsi for Beginners ) by the same publisher, Tuttle and the answers are given in the book.For self study, avoid the book. If you have a teacher, then you could possibly use it. If you have an online teacher then your teacher will need to also buy the book.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Francisco Alves Pereira – 6 July 2022

   Excelente Produto
   CONTÉM UM BOM VOCABULÁRIO.CHEGOU GOM CD AUDIO E RÁPIDO PELA ENTREGA AMAZON.

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jordan – 6 June 2022

   Amazing and structured course.
   This textbook for learning Arabic is definitely a great one for learning from an absolutely beginning stage. The progression of words and vocabulary along with the included listening definitely provides you with a solid foundation of the language. I was able to learn many of the vocabulary in the conversational dialogues just through context without using any form of translations.This book also teaches you how to write the letters and has numerous practices for writing.It also includes cultural notes so you can better understand the Arab world while learning the language.Definitely 100% recommend for those starting out in the journey of learning Arabic.