Hodder Education
Schools & CollegesHigher EducationHealth SciencesSelf Learning
*

Michel Thomas Method: Arabic Foundation Course
Jane Wightwick and Mahmoud Gaafar

CD
£59.57 (ex VAT)
£69.99 (inc VAT)
ISBN: 9780340957271

Published: 28/09/2007
Extent: 8 Hrs
Series: Michel Thomas Series

* *

*
Summary:

Learn another language the way you learnt your own

You learnt your own language naturally and enjoyably: now you can learn Arabic in the same way.

You’ll stick with it because you’ll love it

· Use the unique method perfected over fifty years by the celebrated psychologist and linguist Michel Thomas.

· This method works with your brain, helping you to build up your Arabic in manageable, enjoyable steps by thinking out the answers for yourself.

· You learn through listening and speaking – without the pressure of writing or memorising.

· You pick up the language naturally and unforgettably.


 

The NEW Arabic Foundation Course

An eight-hour, 100% audio method for learning Arabic. Join teacher Jane Wightwick and native speaker Mahmoud Gaafar and two students in a live lesson and within the first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases. You will learn the language with the students, hearing both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. By the end, you will have the confidence to understand and speak Arabic.


Join the millions of people worldwide who have learnt a new language with the Michel Thomas Method

Contents: 8 CDs plus booklet with Arabic phrases in English translation and transliterated into Roman script



  • Learn another language the way you learnt your own

  • Effective method - the Michel Thomas Method of language teaching works with the brain

  • Motivating - live classroom situation with two students encourages you to learn with the students on the recording
  • All-audio - the way you want to learn

  • Pronunciation is gently - but effectively - corrected

  • Reference booklet - accompanying booklet lists key phrases in English and Arabic (transliterated script)

  • Suite of progressive and complementary course components: Introductory, Foundation, Advanced, and Vocabulary

  • Sales record - the hugely successful Michel Thomas Method is applied to Arabic.

Table of Contents:
Introduction; how the course works
History and development of the Arabic language.
Standard Arabic and spoken dialects. Similarities.
Position of Egyptian as most understood dialect.
Instant vocabulary of English / European words adopted into Arabic
English / European words slightly adapted to Arabic speech patterns
Arabic words taken into English
Basic requests using “mumkin - possible”
No words for “a / an” in Arabic. “weh - and”
Pronoun “I - ena”. No word for “am / is / are” in Arabic. Arabic distinguishes masculine and feminine “you - enta / enti”
Use inflexion for questions. “-a” = feminine ending. Adjective (descriptive word) endings
Arabic uses “wanting - cawwiz “ for “I want / you want” etc. Behaves like adjective
Pronouns “he / she - huwwa / heyya”
“the” = “il”. “l” of “il” sometimes absorbed into following consonant
Arabic “going (to) - raayiH”, “coming (to) - gayy”. No word needed for “to”.
Sentences using “alashen - because”
Word order with question words (e.g. “where - fayn”)
Arabic possessive adjectives (“my” etc.) are tagged on to the end of the word they describe
Arabic names
Arabic demonstrative pronoun (“this / that”) changes for masculine “dah” / feminine “dee”
Making sentences negative with “mish” (= “not”)
Arabic objects and ideas all either masculine or feminine (no “it”)
Feminine words add “t” before possessive endings
“iHna - we” and “humma - they”
“-een” plural ending for people and adjectives
Arabic has plural “you” – “entu”
Questions with “leh - why” and “imta - when”
Time phrases
Expressing possession: English uses “I have”; Arabic “at me” with tag for “me” etc.
Indefinite words “someone / something”; “another”; “every”
Arabic consonantal “roots” system
“il” (=“the”) needed with any definite description (e.g. “the large house”, “his large house” = “the house the large”, “his house the large”)
“there is / are - feeh”; “there is / are not - mafeesh”
Ways of forming Arabic plurals (more than one): add “-een” for people; add “-aat” for some things; other plurals change internally (as English “mouse - mice”)
Arabic verbs: in addition to “wanting” for “want”, Arabic also has verbs that change at the beginning according to who is doing the action
Arabic construction “he wants to go” = “he wanting he goes”; “can he go?” = “possible he goes?”

About the Author(s):

Jane Wightwick is an experienced teacher of Arabic and author and publisher of Arabic-teaching materials. Mahmoud Gaafar worked for the United Nations and Radio Cairo and now authors print, radio and TV resources for the Arab world.

Readership:
Self-access course for adult beginners

Reviews:
"A great way to learn; it's fast and it lasts".
The Daily Telegraph
"Five minutes into the first CD, you already feel like you're winning."
Time Out
"Michel Thomas is a precious find indeed."
The Guardian
"Thomas makes it simple"
Sunday Times
"Michel's methods will teach you effectively and easily"
Daily Star
"Hugely inspiring"
Red
"Ideal for any business traveller who needs to be able to get around confidently."
Sunday Business

* *
*
Your order basket is currently empty.