Introduction:

Arabic is a Semitic language that first emerged in the 1st to 4th centuries CE. It is now the lingua franca of the Arab world. It is named after the Arabs, a term initially used to describe peoples living in the Arabian Peninsula bounded by eastern Egypt in the west, Mesopotamia in the east, and the Anti-Lebanon mountains and Northern Syria in the north, as perceived by ancient Greek geographers. The ISO assigns language codes to thirty varieties of Arabic, including its standard form, Modern Standard Arabic, also referred to as Literary Arabic, which is modernized Classical Arabic. Arabic alphabets or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing Arabic. It is written from right to left in a cursive style and includes 28 letters. Most letters have contextual letterforms. The Arabic script is also a religious text, it is used mainly in Islamic countries, namely in Arabia, North Africa, Persia/Iran, Central Asia, and the North-western Indian Subcontinent.

• The Kalimni ‘Arabi Series.

It is the most outstanding and useful book that you will ever own. The series of books are often considered some of the best for learners of Egyptian Arabic. It comes with CDs and DVDs full of interesting interviews and high-quality audio in real colloquial speech. It has all the complete levels from beginners to advanced, and it consists of 5 books. For each chapter, you will encounter reading exercises, useful vocabulary in the audio clip (CD/DVD). The exercises are in-depth and designed to get you as the student actively involved in learning the language.

• Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Vocabulary by Matthew Aldrich.

The book is indispensable for learning Egyptian Arabic. It has 4500 essential vocabulary words and phrases.  Arabic, phonetic spelling, and English translation are being split and this makes it the perfect companion resource.

• Arabi Liblib.

It’s a three-part series and the books are glossaries of terms and expressions you’ll find in colloquial Egyptian Arabic (relevant to other dialects as well) aimed at advanced learners who want to do the final tweaking on all the small details. If you plan to master colloquial Arabic or really understand slang in the Middle East, you should get this series.

• Kullu Tawmam by Manfred Woidich.

This is a quite clear and solid book for anybody wanting to learn Egyptian Arabic. It has a ton of example sentences, vocabulary lists, and useful grammar explanations. However, there’s also a specific segment of learners for who this book is especially useful for people that already have a background in Standard Arabic. The most common problem for learners is not being sure which word is fus7a and which is Egyptian. A problem that this book can help with. It will be worth the investment.

• Culture Smart! Egypt By Jailan Zayan.

This is a book that will help you learn more about Egyptian culture. It consists of 9 chapters, explaining everything from how to make friends in Egypt to how safe the country is. Useful information for anybody that has never been there before. It is very important to have thorough knowledge about the place and its history. Remember that knowing the culture is very essential when studying languages because understanding cultural background–art, literature, lifestyle will help you reach language proficiency and really live the language while you learn.

• CONCLUSION

There are more books you can read to expand your knowledge about the Arabic language and its country but the list of the books mentioned here are worth reading. Learning a language that is not your native language is hard but if you read the above list of books and with proper guidance from an experienced teacher from Multibhashi will help you grasp the language quickly and be able to use it in your day-to-day situations in just a few days after you start taking the sessions.