Arabic: Compliments and Corrections

Wow at this point of the course, we have learned so much. We are in this awkward state where we know almost 1,000 words, but there are so many more that we need to learn. It can be an exciting point of learning Levantine Arabic, but lets be honest, it can be discouraging as well. 

We have put in been so much time to put into learning, and we are only 15% of the way through the whole course. Some words can still be a challenge and we are still learning more. Recognize this feeling and don't try to push it aside. 

You're not the only one going through this, and try to join a community that is also learning. Know that there may be challenging words now, and as you continue to work these words will become easier and easier. You will look back and laugh at how you struggled with certain things.

Know this and keep persevering; you will get this and you will learn more and more. I'm certainly feeling this way at this time and will try to take the advice above. I'll focus on the vocabulary and grammar taught in this lesson, and do a review of the past lessons. 

Remembering to be gentle as I make mistakes and to celebrate my successes. Below is the vocabulary from this chapter. 

Vocabulary List

In addition to the this chapter, I have resources below. If you're feeling good go ahead and dive into the details below. If you are overwhelmed, take a break and focus on just the Mango Languages lessons. You don't have to do more, and sometimes more is not best!

• Mango has great review features at the end of each section including a reading and listening exercise. Also check out the flashcard and recap option!
• All the vocab words are on my Memrise page.
• Check out my chapter summary of this lesson.
• We expanded on the word to speak in this chapter. Check out this video that goes over all the conjugations of this word in Arabic.
• Remember that ‘fi’ means there is/there are. In this chapter we see it come back as how to ask someone if he/she can do something. Check out this video to review how we have learned this word in past chapters.
• Songs to help train your ear. Note: it is far too early in your learning to understand a song completely. The point is to familiarize yourself with the different sounds commonly used in Arabic and to keep an ear out for the words you have learned.
• Listen to my Levantine Arabic Spotify list as you work and see what you pick up.
• Remember that song, Albi eh Albi, we listened to in a previous lesson as additional work. Here is a more in-depth explanation of that song, which includes more of our vocab words from this chapter.

Arabic: Clarification and Requests

I'm not sure if we will have another chapter with only 35 new vocabulary lists or less, so definitely take advantage of this chapter. It has a small list, and great grammar lessons so is an amazing opportunity for us to catch up previous difficult vocabulary words and to really understand some of the grammar lessons.

Also with there being a limited amount of vocab words taught in this lesson, we are able to focus on our pronunciation and how we are forming sentences. We can ask native Arabic speakers who to say a particular word and how to expand upon the explanation. 

After you are done reviewing the grammar lessons in this chapter, do make sure that you take note of the vocabulary. The list may be small, but it is mighty! This lesson provides a lot of essential verbs and words that we will need to know well as we continue to learn Levantine Arabic. 

Make sure you review the list thoroughly, and since it is so short, maybe skip the 80% rule this time around. Make sure you can pronounce every word clearly and have it memorized before moving on. This will help as you continue on to future lessons. 

Vocabulary List

If the short vocabulary list left you wanting more, check out the sources below!

• Mango has great review features at the end of each section including a reading and listening exercise. Also check out the flashcard and recap option!
• Review my chapter summary and vocabulary list here! Add it to your collection from the previous chapters. 
• All the vocab words are on my Memrise page.
• If possible, sit down with a native Arabic speaker and ask them how your pronunciation is of the vocabulary you have learned. This is a great chance to use the grammar and vocab of this chapter to review the vocabulary of the past lessons.
• Songs to help train your ear. Note: it is far too early in your learning to understand a song completely. The point is to familiarize yourself with the different sounds commonly used in Arabic and to keep an ear out for the words you have learned.
• Listen to my Levantine Arabic Spotify list as you work and see what you pick up.

Arabic: Help and Requests

Lots of stuff is happening in this chapter! So excited to start learning different tenses and how to form sentences that are longer and more in depth. It really is exciting and will help us understand potential conversations easier in the future. 

In addition to the new grammar we learn more vocabulary around 'help' scenarios. If an emergency comes up, we will be able to communicate it and get the appropriate help. That is essential vocabulary, but isn't something we will learn every day.

Remember the 80% rule (moving on when you are comfortable with 80% of the vocabulary), and try to move through the chapter. Don't get hung up on certain words because there is a chance these won't be things we use in our everyday vocabulary. 

It may seem counter intuitive, but how often do you use the words like: tooth or medicine in every day life. Yes we know them easily in English, but remember you are just starting out in learning Arabic. Be kind to yourself and be ok that you might not remember the word for tooth all the time. As you continue to learn these words will become cemented in your memory, but for now learn with grace. 

Vocabulary

With learning this new grammar, we also get an idea of how far we have to go still. There is still an extreme amount of vocabulary that needs to be learned and even more grammar! So hang in there and we will get through this together. 

• Mango has great review features at the end of each section including a reading and listening exercise. Also check out the flashcard and recap option!
• All the vocab words are on my Memrise page. 
• Check out my chapter summary and vocab list!
• If you are wanting more information about the past tense and the different suffixes for each person, check out this read by Team Maha.
• Songs to help train your ear. Note: it is far too early in your learning to understand a song completely. The point is to familiarize yourself with the different sounds commonly used in Arabic and to keep an ear out for the words you have learned.
• Listen to my Levantine Arabic Spotify list as you work and see what you pick up. 
• This Nancy Ajram song is extremely popular and fairly easy to follow. This is especially true with the new vocabulary we learn in this chapter like heart and left. See if you can pick it up!

Arabic: Transportation and Payment

Whew this is another vocabulary and grammar packed lesson! What is exciting is that we learn the verb conjugation for he and she. We use it in sentences like the train is leaving and the plane is leaving, but we can see we are close to forming sentences about other nouns (beside I and you). 

The grammar along with the vocabulary we learn will help us get around the Middle East. The more verbs we learn the more we will be able to converse more and more. 

Learning how to form the numbers is very challenging. For me, they are difficult to hear and then quickly translate into English in my mind. I find myself even having this problem in English, so I do not think it is uncommon!

And it is not just listening to the numbers and understanding what is said, but there are grammar lessons you have to remember when dealing with numbers. When to say mea for hundred or to change it to 'meet'. 

As always take it slow and with patience. This may be something you struggle with for awhile and then one day you're thinking "OMG! I understood that!" Remember the 80% rule (move on from the chapter once you can remember 80% of the lesson) and try to move on with ease and understanding that there will be more challenges. 

Below is the vocabulary that is covered in this lesson of Mango Languages. 

Vocabulary List

If this chapter left you wanting more you crazy Arabic learner you, below are some resources that will be helpful for you to study this lesson. 

• Mango has great review features at the end of each section including a reading and listening exercise. Also check out the flashcard and recap option!
• All the vocab words are on my Memrise page.
• Print out this chapter summary and review the vocab list.
• We have learned a lot of different words with several pronoun endings. Listen to this video to understand all the pronouns and how to compose these in Arabic.
• This chapter covers a lot of vocabulary and verb formations. Take a moment to review what you have learned in the past and really concrete the vocabulary and basic grammar understanding.
• Songs to help train your ear. Note: it is far too early in your learning to understand a song completely. The point is to familiarize yourself with the different sounds commonly used in Arabic and to keep an ear out for the words you have learned.
• Listen to my Levantine Arabic Spotify list as you work and see what you pick up.

Arabic: Food and Drink Culture

Finally we are to a section that I know I will be using A LOT of vocabulary! And this is what the chapter consists most of: vocabulary. We learn all sorts of food and verbs to helps us order and prepare food. 

There isn't much grammar covered in this chapter; however, we do see some new things. We learn the word "we make." In previous lessons we have only learned the verb formation for I or you. Now we are learning how to say sentences that include ourselves and other people. 

This is very exciting as we hope to be able to speak to many people, not just one on one conversations in the future. I like to imagine myself sitting around a table with many other Arabic speakers enjoying amazing food and conversation when I practice this chapter!

Since the grammar is light in the chapter, take advantage of the additional time to really concrete the vocabulary in this and previous lessons. We have covered a lot of new words and it is good to review to insure our future success in learning the language!

Vocabulary List

If you haven't had enough (and props to you because we have learned a lot already) you can check out these sources below. Remember to not get overwhelmed or try to learn too much at once as this will hinder your advancement in learning Levantine Arabic!

• Mango has great review features at the end of each section including a reading and listening exercise. Also check out the flashcard and recap option!
• Check out my chapter review!
• Goes over the verb I want and don’t want in more detail.
• This is a pretty advanced video going over verbs related to eating. Has other good vocab you can pick up on while going over some of the verbs we learn in this chapter.
• All the vocab words are on my Memrise page.
• Listen to Brett Weer talk about the phrase صَحْتَين.