Lebanese Expressed
Arabic is not an easy language to learn, and at last here is a well-researched, well-thought-out learning aid designed to make the task as painless as possible. Lebanese Dialect and Literal Arabic is a language-learning book accompanied by a CD. The author, Henriette Haddad-Fadel, has drawn upon her forty years of teaching experience to create a carefully structured guide to learning the language.
In addition to teaching the reader the Lebanese dialect and its transcription into Latin characters, the book is also suitable for those who want to learn written Arabic. Lebanese Dialect and Literal Arabic is based upon a well-proven teaching method, highly rated by large numbers of users and considered one of the best developed so far.
Beginning with the basics, the book takes the reader through the elements of the Arabic language, building vocabulary through association with everyday situations and concepts. The book’s structure and convenient size also make it suitable as an aide-memoire for travelers. As well as in Lebanon, the Lebanese dialect is widely spoken in Syria and Jordan.
Published in English, the book is also available in French in two parts, accompanied by two CDs. The publisher is currently producing a Spanish version. The structure of the book is such that the left-to-right reader of English can begin reading the phrase, for example, “a chair” and follow the dotted lines to the center of the page where the pronunciation is spelled out, “kerse.” The dotted lines than continue to connect the pronunciation to the right-to-left-reading Arabic characters. The liberal use of leading helps the reader stay oriented, yet there is a sizable amount of content to this volume that spans a wide variety of relevant subject matter.
Born in Ghazir, Lebanon, Henriette Haddad-Fadel graduated with a degree in history from the Lebanese University and taught Arabic at Champville, Lebanon from 1972 to 1974. She moved to France in 1976 where she obtained a DEA from the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1988, she trained as an Arabic teacher (Capes-Ext) at the Ministry of Education in France. She then worked in France as a teacher in such places as the Louvre and the ESA 3 (Business School) and as a private tutor. She is the author of two Arabic learning manuals, Le dialecte Libanais and l’Arabe litteral “1ère et 2ème parties.”
This excellent learning aid by an accomplished Arabic teacher is highly recommended. See arlette@boutrosfonts.com to purchase.
Dr. Peter McCree BA, MSc, DPhil (Oxon), DHMSA, FRSA, MMRS. Dr. McCree has held various senior marketing positions with multinational corporations and has travelled widely throughout the Arabic-speaking world. He has written articles for and edited a variety of Arabic magazines dealing with marketing, leisure,graphic design, and typography.
