Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic (Teach Yourself Book & CD) [Paperback]

Jack Smart (Author), Frances Altorfer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2005 | Series: Teach Yourself Book & CD

This book/CD pack will teach you how to speak and understand the spoken Arabic of the Gulf region (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, southern Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the Emirates and Oman). It is not a manual of standard, or literary, Arabic, which is not a spoken language - for that use Teach Yourself Arabic. However, so that you will be able to read road signs, shop names etc, there is a simple guide to the Arabic alphabet. In the first ten units of the book you will find all the important information that you will need for good communication in Gulf Arabic. The last four units refer to specific situations in which you might find yourself if you are visiting or living in the region, and build on the words and grammar you have already learned. Each unit contains several dialogues which introduce the new language in a realistic context. The new words and phrases are given in both Arabic script and English transliteration. The grammar points are fully explained and illustrated and gradually build up to provide you with all you need to understand and speak Gulf Arabic. There are plenty of exercises to check your progress and the answers for these are at the back of the book or on the recording. The final section of each unit contains the Arabic script which gradually takes you through the Arabic alphabet so that by the end you will be able to recognise simple road signs and so on. The double CD (ISBN 0340912472) is available separately, as is the book (ISBN 0340868015).

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jack Smart was Lecturer in Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Exeter before retirement. Frances Altorfer was a modern languages teacher in secondary education.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Teach Yourself (October 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340912480
• ISBN-13: 978-0340912485
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,415,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant value for money, May 24, 2007

By 

Azhar Shaharudin (Kuala Lumpur) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic (Audio CD)

I have basic knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic and bought this to familiarise myself with the Gulf dialect. I have found it simply brilliant, have even put it into practise conversing with Gulf Arabs, namely from Saudi Arabia and UAE.

All the lessons and conversations/dialogues in the CDs are produced in the book that accompanies it. However, the only complaint I have is that it is all Romanised and does not come with the Arabic script, which would've saved me the time and trouble of having to refer to my Arabic tutor to get certain pronounciations and spelling in Arabic spot on.

Other than that, I'd recommend it highly for beginners.

5.0 out of 5 stars The absolute best Teach Yourself language book, August 9, 2011

By 

M. King - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teach Yourself Gulf Arabic (Teach Yourself Book & CD) (Paperback)

This is a quick and simple introduction to the Arabic language. It is easy because all you do is listen to the disks and follow along in the book. The dialogues are basic and simple enough that a serious student could easily memorize them. there is a pronounciation guide in the book to assist you when you begin to repeat the phrases. I have purchased other language resources, but this is the only one I have given a 5 star rating. I only hope I can get the next level at such a reasonable price.