Just Listen 'n' Learn Arabic, 2E Package (Book + 3CDs): The Fastest Way to Real Arabic (Just Listen and Learn Series) (Paperback)

~ Nadira Auty (Author), Clive Holes (Author), Rachael Harris (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Start speaking Arabic with confidence—right away!

It used to be that if you wanted to learn to converse in Arabic like a native you had to spend time living in Egypt. Not any more. The next best thing to a year in Cairo, Just Listen ’n’ Learn Arabic picks up where formal language studies leave off by giving you a feel for how Arabic is really spoken by the “man (or woman) on the street.”

Whether you’re planning a trip abroad or just want to take your Arabic to an exciting new level, Just Listen ’n’ Learn Arabic helps you quickly build the basic skills and confidence you need to start speaking Arabic right away—and develop a convincing accent, too!

Ideal for complete beginners as well as those who have had some formal training, Just Listen ’n’ Learn Arabic is based on recordings of Arabic speakers made on location--in the street, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, taxi stands, camera stores, and dozens of other everyday settings.

This revised and updated edition features:

• An illustrated course book, packed with photographs, illustrations, and cultural information to give a real taste of being abroad
• Three 60-minute CDs recorded on location featuring more than eighty authentic conversations
• Audio exercises that help develop conversation skills and confidence
• Fascinating cultural information to help familiarize you with daily life in the Arabic-speaking world

Easily customized to the way you learn best, Just Listen ’n’ Learn Arabic offers you a quick, easy, thoroughly enjoyable way to start speaking Arabic like a native.

About the Author

Nadira Auty and Rachael Harris are senior language teachers at the University of Cambridge. Clive Holes is a professor of Arabic culture at the University of Oxford. General editor Brian Hill is the head of the School of Languages at the University of Brighton.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 2 edition (June 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071452702
• ISBN-13: 978-0071452700
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 7.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,493,595 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as great as it sounds., December 30, 2005

By	J. Campbell (Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this program mainly for the 4 CDs. However, most of the "on-site" recordings are unclear, being too fast for the untrained ear. Plus, the narrator verbally repeats the written instructions for each exercise, and makes comments in english, meaning far more english than arabic is spoken on the disks. If you're a beginner looking to improve your oral comprehension, this is probably not it.

On the plus side, there is a short lesson on arabic script at the end of each chapter.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Conversational Jordanian Arabic, March 4, 2006

By	Clopper Almon Jr (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This course teaches primarily the spoken Arabic of Amman; little attention is given to the written language, though the alphabet and the reading of some signs and menu items is taught. The series title, "Just Listen and Learn," is not appropriate; you must study the book carefully and have it open in front of you as you work with the recordings. Nor can you use the book well independently of the recordings; they are necessary for many of the exercises. The ability to back up your CD player over short passages of ten or twenty seconds is also necessary. Catching correct pronunciation from full-speed, natural conversations with background noise is not easy. There is far too much unhelpful English chitchat on the recordings. Strong points are the conversational approach, a good selection of vocabulary, and clear explanations of the literal meaning of Arabic phrases as well as their colloquial English equivalent. Grammar is clearly explained without becoming tedious. Numerous exercises prod you to start speaking. The best reason to select this course is why I bought it: I was going to Amman.