George Nicolas El-Hage Ph D

Marhaba III George Nicolas El-Hage Ph D

marHaba III: A Course in Levantine & Modern Standard Arabic (LMSA) - Advanced Level - is the third book in the marHaba series. This book introduces a new approach (LMSA) to learning "Contemporary Arabic," the language used today in the Middle East. In an unprecedented way, the book blends together the two branches of the Arabic language: "Informal (Dialect) and "Formal" (Modern Standard Arabic or MSA). The book proceeds gradually from the pure colloquial language at the lower levels to a mix of dialect and MSA at the higher and advanced levels and is saturated with vocabulary that is common to both everyday speech and the language of highly educated native speakers. This blended approach (LMSA) introduces each text twice: once in dialect and another time in MSA. Every text is written, recorded, and supported with vocabulary lists and exercises in both dialect and MSA (informal and formal Arabic). Downloadable audio files are available for each text. The goal is to help students transition smoothly and efficiently from dialect to Modern Standard Arabic or from formal to colloquial and be able to code switch easily and spontaneously just like an educated native speaker does, thus creating an environment of total immersion that mirrors real life. Students embarking on this course are expected to have had at least one, preferably two semesters of Arabic, whether in MSA or in dialect, and are already familiar with the Arabic alphabet and can read and write even at the basic level. Students who have completed the first two books of the marHaba Series (I and II) will do well in moving on to this book. Those students who have been exposed to my MSA book (Mabrouk: A Course in Modern Standard Arabic, Elementary & Intermediate Levels) will also find this book useful. In addition, exposure to similar textbooks in either dialect or MSA can also be a precursory step.