Elementary Modern Standard Arabic (Elementary Modern Standard Arabic, Lessons 31-45)

Arabic is a hard language. No one is here to debate that fact. However the grammar presented in this textbook is very good. Arabic is still hard, even using this textbook, but this textbook makes it easier. The textbook does require patience, and it probably is best used in a class setting. However, it's not impossible to learn MSA through this book. In fact that's exactly what I'm doing.One thing I find interesting upon reading a lot of the reviews is the confusion on the vocabulary and grammar used in this book. This book teaches you high, formal Arabic as used in media throughout the Arabic world. It's NOT meant to teach you how to talk about your day, or what the weather is like. No ordinary Arab really speaks MSA in their daily life. If you're looking for conversational skills look into a dialect of Arabic, don't look here.The course may not always be the most engaging and the drills can be droning, but I find that this course works for me.At any rate, this is a very comprehensive and through, albeit somewhat old school, introduction to MSA.[Yes, this is the same review for the 1st volume, but they're the same textbook really, so . . .]

A scholarly, comprehensive and detailed work. One of the very best. Student must be diligent (very committed) in order to gain any appreciable level of success. However, verbal skills require practice with native speakers.....keeping in mind that there is no substitute for an "emersion experience", living with native speakers; especially those who are "educated" in the Classical Arabic, which is the primary, not only, but the primary direction of this literary work. Studying along with other "committed" students would be very helpful.

Al-Kitaab has overtaken it in most Arabic programs, it appears, but I am so glad I started my Arabic studies with this orange book!I remember toiling through endless variations on a theme with Idafa exercises and the like beginning as early as the second week of study! That solid foundation has really paid off in later Arabic courses. I'm only sad I spent a mere quarter with this orange book (had to drop the series for other reasons). Later courses at other places using Al-Kitaab were just not as stellar.I learned more grammar in my short 3 months with this book than I did throughout the entirety of my study during later periods. (Later study, especially abroad, helped more with vocab acquisition and oral/listening skills than with grammar. And yet, grammar is really the yardstick by which I can really measure my growing language skills. Think: How often have you known the meaning of every word in a sentence yet still not understand what it's trying to say? The power of studying grammar...)After 3 months with this orange book, I had already learned Idafa, all the case endings (damma, fatha, kasra, tanween al-fatha, etc.), past/future tenses, negations, even the dual. In contrast, Al-Kitaab doesn't even teach the past tense until like chapter 6! Rather ridiculous.When I have the time, I am definitely going through the orange book again and at the very least reading all the grammar explanations. Despite this being a thick tome, it's actually surprisingly readable and clear.

The question is, do you want to learn Arabic, or do you want to sound like you speak a bit of Arabic? Having started Arabic with this book, I will admit that at times it seems rather harsh and dry. However, I truly believe that no native-English speaker can get to an intermediate, much less advanced, level of Arabic without having a solid grasp of the grammar and structure - which is pretty tough for just about every beginner. From watching my current classmates who started on al-Kitaab struggle through the upper levels and beg for more grammar reviews, I'm convinced the "Orange Book" is the best foundation out there. A good teacher can make anything fun.

For a long time, Abboud and McCarus was the only game in town if you wanted to learn Arabic. Virtually every college course in Arabic used it throughout the USA.Now the picture is different. Arabic studies are not the arcane field they once were, and there is a great variety of material out there. Still, this set has its virtues. It has a lot of drill material, and while this can be a bore, it is a godsend in the final analysis if you really want to learn literary Arabic.The abundance of material makes it difficult to use as a self-teacher, however, and its better not used for that. Also, the print (done with an Arabic typewriter) is hard to read. My advise to the student is to start off with another course, and then switch to this series of readers when you've reached the intermediate stage.

the second part of EMSA inherits the problems of the first part - it is unbelivably boring. the reading texts are a bit more diverse, probably because the level of students is higher. but still, some of them are just plain stupid - my vote would go to unit 35, where the highlight of the visit to jerusalem is the fact that the friend's wife made some dinner and they drank arabic coffee. what IS arabic coffee anyway? plus, the texts are all edited, which is a bit discouraging for the students, I think. the grammar part is a lot more useful - if you don't mind the choice of examples. I used the book a lot as a reference when I was an intermediate student and found it very helpful. so the stars given are for the grammar parts and not the rest - especially not the layout. I would only recommend this book if you have some serious gaps in your arabic that you need to close (and quickly), or use it as a reference. you can, then, use it on your own, even though it doesn't have the key to the exercises. but as a complete introductory course better find something that has authentic materials - you'll enjoy it so much more.