Rapid Arabic Vol. 2 (with Audio)

earworms

mbt ®

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Modern Standard

Rapid

Arabic

200+ essential words and phrases anchored into your long-term memory with great music

Your personal audio language trainer

Your personal audio language trainer

earworms mbt® Rapid Arabic puts the words and phrases you need not just on the tip of your tongue, but also transports them deep into your long-term memory. Simply by listening to these specially composed melodies with their rhythmic repetitions of Arabic and English a few times, the sound patterns are indelibly burned into your auditory cortex. You will have successfully learned the Arabic phrase and have the correct accent ringing in your ears. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing: while jogging, in the car, in the bath, doing the ironing … you can be learning Arabic at the same time!

earworms mbt® Rapid Languages is the first language course to get your toe tapping. You know the phenomena of those catchy tunes or earworms that you just can’t get out of your head? Voulezvous coucher avec moi, ce soir? Well, earworms mbt® has put this phenomena to positive use. Gone are the days of learning pressure and frustration at not being able to remember – the experience of many on conventional language courses. In combination with music, the phrases you need are automatically anchored deep into your memory, ready for instant recall. Music is the key The idea is as simple as it is old. Before the age of writing, ancient historical events were recorded in verse and song form for easy memorisation. In his book ‘Songlines’ Bruce Chatwin describes how the Australian Aborigines were able to navigate their way across hundreds of miles of desert to their ancestral hunting grounds without maps. And how? The extensive lyrics of their traditional songs were exact descriptions of the routes!

Rhythm and words (i.e. song and verse) have always been a very powerful memory aid, and this is supported by recent scientific research. The advertising industry knows only too well how powerful music can be in getting the message across with brainwashing-like jingles and soundbites. It really works! Developed and used over years in the classroom, earworms mbt® Rapid Languages has shown phenomenal success. In tests pupils using this technique regularly get average marks of over 90% compared to less than 50% with conventional book-based learning. Why hasn’t music been used more in education up to now? Imagine kids at school getting a CD of hip hop songs with all the historical dates they have to learn, or all the irregular verbs they have to learn! Wouldn’t that make their (and teachers’) school lives much easier, much more fun, much more successful? What you get Volume 1 dealt with the essentials for your visit abroad and was very much ‘I-centric’, e.g. I’d like …, Can I have …?, Can you tell me …?, I need …, I’ve reserved …, I’ve lost …, and so on. Volume 2 has more to do with conversation: Are you travelling to … on business?, Are you from …?, I’ll take you to … , What do you do?, etc. Among other themes you are also introduced to future and past tenses. The themes follow closely the Common European Framework for language learning, a recognised benchmark of language proficiency, and the emphasis is constantly on usefulness to the learner.

Modern Standard Arabic Modern Standard Arabic is the official written language of the Arabic speaking world. It also doubles up as a universal spoken language to enable peoples of different Arab nations and regional dialects to easily communicate. As the official written form, it usually follows strict rules of grammar with special case endings (as in Latin), but as a spoken language these endings can be, and often are, left out, which is good news for the initial learner. The earworms approach has been to record the language as it might be spoken in the simplest possible, most useful way. The phonetic text we have included, follows, (as far as is possible), the original Arabic intonation heard in the recordings. The original Arabic text together with an interesting method for learning to read Arabic has been treated separately and is available on the earworms website. Check it out at: www.earwormslearning.com > extras > Arabic.

Lastly – a word of thanks The earworms team would like to thank you for putting your trust in our ‘slightly different’ learning concept and are sure that you will have the success that many others have already had. It’s motivating to know that learners are really benefiting from our research and development. Also, as accelerated learning is a rapidly growing field, we look forward to hearing about your experiences and successes – so feel free to visit us on the website:

www.earwormslearning.com

1. On business or on vacation? (Inflight conversation) Are you travelling ~ to Cairo ...

Tusefir ~ illa al Ka-hera ...

Are you travelling ...

Tusefir ... (to a man) / Tusefiri ... (to a woman)

... on business ... (lit.: ... for the work ...) ... or ~ on vacation? (lit.: ... or ~ for the vacation?) I’m ~ here ~ on business ...

... li al ammal = li’l ammal ...

... and ~ also ~ for visiting ~ friends.

... wa ~ aydan ~ li zee-arat ~ al asdeq’a.

and ~ also

wa ~ aydan

for visiting

li zee-arat

friends (lit.: the friends) Could you switch off your mobile? (lit.: Possible to switch off the mobile?) to switch off ~ the mobile

al asdeq’a

Yes, sure.

Na-am, akid.

Excuse me, ~ I’d like ~ an apple juice.

Aafwan ~ urid(u)* ~ asir tufeh’.

Yes, at once.

Na-am, fawran.

Here you are, your juice.

Taffaddal, asir-ukum.

juice

asir

your juice

asir-uka (to a man) asir-uki (to a woman) asir-ukum (formal or to a group)

Thank you ~ very much.

Shukran ~ jazeeran.

... aw ~ li’l si-eha? Ana ~ huna ~ li’l ammal ...

Mumkin an takfel al mobile? an takfel ~ al mobile

* ‘Uridu’ is the more formal version of ‘urid’.

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Read the Arabic phonetics to give yourself extra visual input. To perfect your pronunciation, let your ears guide you!

2. Are you from Egypt? Are you from Egypt?

(Hal*) anti ~ min Misr?

Are you ...

Hal anta ... (to a man) / Hal anti ... (to a woman)

... from Syria?

... min Sooria?

... from Palestine?

... min Filastin?

Are you Palestinian? English

Hal anta Filistini (to a man)? Hal anti Filistinaya (to a woman)? Ingilizi (male) / Ingilizaya (female)

Are you from England?

Hal anta / anti min Ingilterra?

No, ~ I’m not ~ from England.

La-a, ~ ana lastu ~ min Ingilterra.

And from where are you?

Wê min ayna anti?

I am from Egypt ~ but I live ~ in England.

Ana min Misr ~ wêlekin, a-isha ~ fi Ingilterra.

... in London.

... fi Lon-don.

Are you ~ from Cairo?

Hal anti ~ min al Ka-hera?

No, I am ~ not ~ from Cairo.

La-a, ana ~ lastu ~ min al Ka-hera.

I am not ~ from Port Sa-id.

Ana lastu ~ min Bor Sa-id.

And from where ~ are you?

Wê min ayna ~ anta / anti?

I am from Alexandria.

Ana min al Askindaraya.

Are you ~ the first ~ time ~ in Cairo?

Hal anta ~ aw el mar-ra ~ fi al Ka-hera?

Yes, first time.

Na-am, aw’l mar-ra.

I wish you a nice stay in Cairo. (lit.: Wish on you ~ stay nice ~ in Cairo.) Wish on you ...

A-themenna leykum ~ erkama sayidah ~ fi el Ka-hera. A-themenna leykum ...

... a nice stay.

... erkama sayidah.

* ‘Hal’ just signifies that it is a question and can be left out.

3. I’m glad to see you! Hi Layla. I’m glad ~ to see you.

Marhaba Layla. Ferah’tu ~ li royetik.

I’m pleased ... / I’m glad ...

Ferah’tu ...

We are glad ...

Ferah’nu ...

... to see you. ... li ~ royetak / royetik / royetikum*. (lit.: ... for ~ seeing yours.) Hello Mohammed. I’m glad to see you. Marhaba Mahammad. Ferah’tu li royetak*. I’m ~ (the) Mrs. ~ Layla Shuckri.

Ana ~ as-Sayyida** ~ Layla Shuckri.

I’m ~ (the) Mr. ~ Peter Jones.

Ana ~ as-Sayyid** ~ Peter Jones.

Hello and welcome, I am honoured.

Ahlan wa sahlan, tasharaf-tu.

... we are honoured.

... tasharaf-na.

I’m honoured ~ to meet you.

Tasharaf-tu ~ bi’l ka-ik*.

to meet you (lit.: with the meeting yours) How ~ was ~ your journey? (lit.: How ~ was ~ journey of yours?) journey

bi’l ka-ak / ... ka-ik / ... ka-ukum*.

your journey

rehletak / rehletik / rehletikum*

was

kêrnet

(It) was good. (It) was fine.

Kêrnet jayida. Kêrnet mumteza.

When ~ did you leave ~ London?

Meta ~ tarakta / tarekti ~ London?

I left London ~ at 4.

Taraktu London ~ as-sâ-a ar-rabia.

We left London ~ at 3.

Tarakna London ~ as-sâ-a ath-thelitha.

Kaifa ~ kernet ~ rehletak? rehle

* ... ak/ik/kum: These endings are used respectively when addressing a man, a woman or a group of people; ‘kum’ is also used when addressing a person formally. ** al Sayyida and al Sayyid mutate to as-Sayyida and as-Sayyid. This makes pronunciation easier.

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4. Future plans What ~ will ~ we do ~ later?

Med-tha ~ sa ~ na-fa’alu ~ la hekan?

will ~ we do

sa ~ na-fa’alu

later

la hekan

we do / we will do

na-fa’alu / sa na-fa’alu

Firstly ~ we will go ~ to the hotel.

Awulan ~ sa n’adth-habu ~ illa al funduq.

Firstly ...

Awulan ...

... we will go ... (lit.: … will ~ we go) ... I will go ... (lit.: ... will ~ I go) And later ...

... sa ~ n’adth-habu ...

... we will go ~ to the restaurant.

... sa ~ n’adth-habu ~ illa al mat’am.

And what ~ will we ~ eat?

Wa med-tha ~ se ne ~ erkul?

And what ~ will you eat?

Wa med-tha ~ se te erkul?

We will eat ~ an Arabian meal.

Se n’erkul ~ wajbah Arrabia.

I will eat ~ couscous.

Se erkul ~ couscous.

Will you eat couscous?

Se te erkul couscous?

I love couscous.

Uhibb(u) couscous.

I will try ~ the fish. / ... the soup.

Sa aduwq ~ as-samak. / ... a’shurba.

We’ll try ~ the soup.

Sa n’aduwq ~ a’shurba.

(It) will ~ be ~ good.

Sa ~ akoon ~ jayid.

I I I I

se sa sa sa

will will will will

eat / we will eat go / we will go travel / we will travel try / we will try

* ‘Will’ can sound like ‘sa’ or ‘se’.

... sa ~ adth-hab ... Wa la hekan ...

erkul / se n’erkul adth-hab / sa n’adth-habu usefir / sa n’usefir aduwq / sa n’aduwq

5. I have reserved ... (Checking in) Hello! (lit.: Welcome!) Can I be ~ of help?

Marhaba! Hal ~ min musa’adah?

L’qad’ hajastu ~ ghorfa ~ aindukum. I have reserved ~ a room ~ with you. (lit.: Already reserved I ~ room ~ with you.) L’qad’ ... Already ... ... I reserved ...

... hajastu ...

... in the name of Jones.

... bi ismi Jones.

Welcome to Cairo, Mr. Jones.

Marhaba bi’l Ka-hera, Sayyid Jones.

Ah yes, Mr. Jones, a room with two beds.

Ah na-am, Sayyid Jones, ghorfa bi sarirayn*.

Your passport, please. (lit.: The passport, please.) Here you are.

Al jawas suffer, min fadlik / fadlak.

How would you like to pay? (lit.: How ~ would you like ~ the bill?) Cash ~ or ~ by card?

Taffa-dal (to a man). / Taffa-dali (to a woman). Kaifa ~ turidu ~ al hiseb? Def’an ~ aw ~ bil carrt?

By card, please.

Bil carrt, min fadlik / fadlak.

Here you are, the key to the room.

Tafad-dal, mufte’h al ghorfa.

key (also means ‘spanner’)

mufte’h

keys

mfatia’h

The number of the room ~ is 25. (five and twenty) Excuse me, where is the dining room?

Rakumet al ghorfa ~ hamsa wa ashroon.

The dining room ~ is there.

Ghorfat al akyl ~ hoonegg.

Lau samaht, ayna ghorfat al akyl?

Do you need ~ help with your baggage? Tah’tej ~ musa’adah bi hakibetak? Tah’tej ...? (to a m.) / Tah’teji ...? (to a w.)

Do you need ...? (lit.: You need ...?) No, thank you.

Laa, shukrran.

* sarir = bed / sarirayn = two beds

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6. More numbers 11 (remember 10 = a’ashara))

eh’da a’asha

12

ithna a’asha

13

thalêthata a’asha

14

arba’ata a’asha

15

hhamsata a’asha

16

sittata a’asha

17

sabbata a’asha

18

thamêniata a’asha

19

tissata a’asha

20

aishroon*

21 (one and twenty)

wêhid wa aishroon

22 (two and twenty)

ithnayn wa aishroon

23 (three and twenty)

thalêtha wa aishroon

24

arba-ah wa aishroon

25

hhamsah wa aishroon

26

sittah wa aishroon

27

saba-ah wa aishroon

28

thamêneya wa aishroon

29

tisaah wa aishroon

30

thalêtoon

35 (five and thirty)

hhamsah wa thalêtoon

40

arba’a-oon

50

hams-oon

60

sitt-oon

70

sabbah-oon

80

thamên-oon

90

tissa-oon

* Sometimes pronounced ‘aishreen’.

100

me’-a

101

me’-a wehid

1000

alf

2000

alfayn

2011

alfayn wa eh’da a’ashar

2012

alfayn wa ithna a’ashar

2013

alfayn wa thalêthata a’ashar

2014

alfayn wa arba’ata a’ashar

Interestingly the ‘Arabian Nights’ stories are called ‘1001 Nights’ in Arabic. 1001 nights = alf leyla wa leyla

lit.: a thousand nights and a night

night

leyla

Unleashing the brain’s potential

Learning to music is not only relaxing and enjoyable, it is also highly effective. Recent research accounts for this in two main ways. Firstly, music primes the neural networks and puts the learner into the optimum state of consciousness for learning, the so-called Alpha state; relaxed but at the same time receptive. Also, music engages and stimulates both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, allowing ‘whole brain learning’ processes. Traditional teaching practice has tended to favour the left hemisphere of the brain which is more concerned with logic, mathematical thinking, reading and the rules of grammar – discounting the value of the senses and emotions in the learning process. By tapping into the auditory cortex, the area responsible for processing and storing sound waves, and to some extent evoking an emotional response through music and dialogue, earworms engages the right hemisphere, unleashing more learning potential.

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How often do I have to listen to the earworms CD before I can really remember all the language on it? With the appeal of the earworms songs we hope that it is not a question of ‘having to’, it is rather a question of ‘wanting to’. But seriously: the memory is like a muscle, it needs to be trained and exercised. Based on scientific studies, the ideal is listening relatively intensively at the beginning – the ‘learning phase’ – thereafter listening periodically to review what you have learnt and refresh your memory. In practical terms this means listening to the whole album the first day in order to ‘tune your ear in’ to the sounds of the language. Then listen regularly, several times, over a period of one or two weeks, making sure that you listen to every track equally as many times. While listening, actually speak the words out loud, when you can, to get a feeling for their pronunciation. After this, go through the booklet and test your knowledge, picking out any gaps that you may wish to concentrate on. Lastly, the review phase. As we all know, memories fade, so it is important to refresh your memory by listening to the CD at your leisure, say, once a week for the following few weeks. Thereafter, monthly. This review phase is crucial as it consolidates your knowledge and transfers it into your long-term memory. Although this demands self-discipline, it is of course without effort, as you are only listening to songs. The result is that you will be able to recall the words and phrases with the same ease that you remember your telephone number!

7. Telephone booking Good evening. This is Hotel Cairo. (lit.: Good evening. With you ~ Hotel Cairo.) (Reply:) Good evening. Have you a room for tonight? tonight (lit.: this night) For how many people?

Masa al-hayr. Ma-aikum ~ Funduq’ al Ka-hera. Masa an-nur. Hal aindakum ghorfa li hazihi al layla? hazihi al layla

For one person only. (lit.: For person one only.) For two. / For two persons.

Li farrd wêhid faq’at. / Li shachs wêhid faq’at. Li ithnayn*. / Li farrdayn*. Li shachsayn*.

With one bed for two people.

Bi sarir wêhid li farrdayn*.

For how many nights? (lit.: For how many evenings?) For one night. (lit.: For night one.) For two nights. (lit.: For nights two.) For three nights. / For four nights.

Li kem layla?

For a week.

Li isboa.

With breakfast?

Bil iftar?

Li kem farrdan (or: shachs)?

Li layla wêhida. Li laylatayn*. Li thalat layerli. / Li arba-a layerli.

Yes, the price of the room is with breakfast. Na-am, as saar al ghorfa bil iftar. I will come at 5 o’clock. (lit.: I will go 5 o’clock.) My name is Jones.

Sa adth-hab asa-a hamsa.

Have you a mobile number?

Hal aindukum rakum mobyle?

Yes, I have.

Na-am, aindy.

0 0 1~3 7 9

zifrr zifrr wêhid ~ thalêtha saba-ah tisaah

4 5 2~1 1 8

arba-a hhamsah ithnayn ~ wêhid wêhid thamêneya Shukran Sayyid Jones, ma’a as-salema.

Ismi Jones.

Thank you Mr. Jones, goodbye. * Things in ‘twos’ take the ending ‘ayn’.

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8. Personal details first name (lit.: name of person, i.e. personal name) family name (lit.: name of family) Your first name?

ism al shachsi

nationality

al jinsaya

your nationality

jensiyittik / jensayittak

What is your nationality?

Ma jensiyittik? / Ma jensayittak?

passport number (lit.: number ~ passport) profession

rakkum ~ jawaz al suffer

married

motazawig / motazawiga

Are you married?

Hal anta motazawish? / Hal anti motazawisha?

single

arsab

Are you single?

Hal anta arsab? / Hal anti arsaba?

What is your age? (lit.: How much your age?) place of birth

Kem omrok? / Kem omrik?

date of birth

terrirrh al miled

ism al aiyla Ismuku al shachsi? (to a man)

al mehina

makem al miled

The months of the year: yanayir, febrayir, meris, abreel, mahyoo, yunia, yulia, augoostoos, sibtemberr (role the ‘r’), octoberr, nofemberr, dicemberr

Now guess these dates: 1. saba-a febrayir 2. thalatoon meris 3. arba-a yulia 4. thamêneya wa ashroon sibtemberr

9. At the restaurant Good evening. I have reserved a table for two in the name of Jones. Hallo and welcome!

Masa el hayr. Hajustu tawila li ithnayn, bi ismi Jones. Ahlan wa sachlan!

This way. (lit.: Here you are, here.) Here you are, the menu.

Tafâd-dallu*, huna.

And what would you like to drink?

Wa medtha tuhibu an tashrub?

Just a moment, please.

Lahza, min fudluk.

I will drink ~ orange juice, please.

Sa ashrab ~ asir burtoqual, law samaht.

I prefer ~ a cup of ~ tea ~ with mint.

Ufaddil ~ finjen ~ shay ~ bil narneha.

Do you want sugar?

Tuhhib sukkar?

Yes, with a bit ~ of sugar.

Na-am, bi kahlil ~ min al sukkar.

And to eat? (lit.: And for the food?) Do you like ~ fish / lamb?

Wa li’l erkul?

Yes, I like fish / lamb.

Naam, uhib samak / lahma haruf.

I shall take the fish.

Sa erhudth samak.

Will you take the fish?

Se terhudth samak?

I take ... / you take ...

erhudth ... / terhudth ...

Would you like ~ to take ~ rice or salad?

Hal tuhibb ~ an terhudth ~ ruzz aw salata?

Yes, bring ~ also salad and rice.

Naam, ehhdir ~ aydan ~ salata wa ruzz.

Tafâd-dal, kartet et ta-am.

Tuhibb ~ samak / lahma haruf?

Mmmm! The food is delicious, ~ very delicious! Mmmm! Al akl’ tayyib, ~ tayyib jiddan! Would you like anything else? (lit.: Do you request ~ anything else?) No thank you, not ~ now.

Hal tu’mor ~ bi shay aahar? Shukran la’a, laysa ~ al enn.

Yes, please, fruit. Have you ~ melon and dates? Na-am, law samaht, fawekih. Hal aindukum ~ shamem wa tamr? * Ending ‘dallu’ when addressing more than one person.

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10. What do you do? What do you do? (lit.: What ~ you work?) I work ~ in a bank.

Med-tha ~ t’arm’al?

Since when ~ do you work there?

Mundu meta ~ t’arm’al hunegg?

About 10 years. (lit.: About ~ 10 ~ years-time.) Really? (lit.: Right?) How old are you? (lit.: How much age yours?) 30 years old. (lit.: 30 years.) I don’t believe that.

Hawely ~ ashr ~ sanna-wed.

Are you married? (asking a woman)

Hal anti mutazowisha?

No, I’m not married. (woman says)

La-a, lastu mutazawisha.

Is your family here in Cairo?

Hal aiylatik ~ huna fi al Ka-hera?

family / your family / my family

aiyla / aiylatik(ak) / ah’-li

my mother / father / brother / sister

omi / abbi / ahi / ochti

my husband / my wife (lit.: my man / my woman) What ~ are you doing ~ tomorrow? (lit.: What ~ will you do ~ tomorrow?) Can we meet? (lit.: Is it possible ~ that we meet?) Yes, no problem.

zowshi / zowshati

Where and when?

Ayna wa meta?

Here, at 9 o’clock?

Hunna, as-sâ-a at-têsia?

Shall we go to the pyramids?

Hal n’adth-habu illa al harum?

Yes, good idea. (lit.: Yes, idea good.) Bye, until then. (lit.: Bye, until the meeting.)

Na-am, fikra jayida.

Arm’al ~ fi bank.

Hakan? Kem omrik? (to woman) Thelêtoon sanna. La-a ussadak hedtha.

Med-tha ~ se t’afa-al ~ gaâ-dan? Hal mumkin ~ an noltoki? Na-am, lair mooshkilla.

Ma’a as-salema, iIla al laqah.

The science behind earworms mbt® 1. How we learn A large part of learning in general and language learning in particular is to do with the memorisation of words, facts and other significant information. It’s a well-known fact that we use only a fraction of our brain power and traditional book learning is now recognised as not suiting every learner. earworms uses simple techniques which open up and exploit more of the brain’s native power and come under the heading of ‘accelerated learning’. Researchers at Dartmouth College in the US reported that they had pinpointed the region of the brain where ‘earworms’ or catchy tunes reside, the ‘auditory cortex’. They found that the sounds and words that have actually been heard can be readily recalled from the auditory cortex, where the brain can listen to them ‘virtually’ again and again. 2. What we learn earworms mbt adopts the so-called lexical approach to language learning. In essence, this means we look at language in terms of whole meaningful chunks, then break these down into their component bite-size, easily absorbable parts and then reconstruct them. You not only learn complete, immediately useful phrases, you also intuitively learn something about the structure (the grammar) of the language. These ‘chunks’ which the learner can ‘mix and match’, gradually build up to cover whole areas of the language.

Other languages available:

Details at www.earwormslearning.com

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The Tracks: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

On business or on vacation? Are you from Egypt? I’m glad to see you! Future plans I have reserved ... More numbers Telephone booking Personal details At the restaurant What do you do?

Concept & Text: Marlon Lodge, Project Development: Andrew Lodge, Project Management: Maria Lodge, Editorial Supervision: Renate Elbers-Lodge, Music: earworms, Arabic Voice: Riem Elfar, Graphic Design: Jaroslaw Suchorski @ HKP, Special thanks to: Jan, Evie, Anna, Freddy & Angela.

www.earwormslearning.com © 2010 Earworms Ltd. ISBN 9781905443468 Catalogue no. EWB AR2-468