Arabic

[cjsmith]

I've just started learning Egyptian Arabic from a set of Pimsleur tapes. This is so cool! I'm having a great time!

I like it when Rob's out of the house, so I can respond aloud to the tape without feeling self-conscious about it. This time, Kim walked in while I was in the middle of the lesson. The tape had just asked me something, so she wondered if I was greeting her when I said "Kwayyissa awi, shokran." (Very well, thank you.) :-)

I love trying to guess at elements of grammar and syntax from a small sample of dialogue. I am having fun trying to figure out negation, and so far I'm at a loss for when exactly things are gender-specific and when they're not.

So far, I can say these things:
excuse me
miss, mister, ma'am
yes
no
thank you
a little
I understand
I don't understand
you understand (said-to-female and said-to-male versions)
English, Arabic (the languages)
American (I am, you are)
very well
not very well
how are you? (to-female and to-male versions)
I am well (said-by-female and said-by-male versions)
good morning
light morning (another version of good morning)

I can't write any of it. I think I'm not supposed to start writing until lesson twenty-eight or so. Heh. Too bad; I have another book for that.

Wheee!

Comments

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Oh, how cool! I love languages also ... trying to figure them out from listening to them fascinates me too. I once ran across a Chinese language program that was broadcast on a local station and listened to it for half an hour, without a clue of what it was about, just to listen to the rhythm and intonation, both so amazingly different from English. Now I have a shortwave radio ... what fun!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I once ran across a Chinese language program that was broadcast on a local station and listened to it for half an hour, without a clue of what it was about, just to listen to the rhythm and intonation, both so amazingly different from English.

Isn't that NEAT? I've always wanted to do some sort of "total immersion" language learning, with absolutely no knowledge of that particular language beforehand, just to experience being swathed and basted in foreign sounds until they gradually begin to take on meaning.