Thread: Your favorite resources for learning Egyptian dialect?

Tonight I finished lesson 28 (out of 30) in my Pimsleur's audio CD's that teach Egyptian dialect of Arabic. I've found that I really like learning from audio CD. I work with them in the car as I roam around town, which is very convenient for me. For many reasons, my primary focus is on learning to speak and comprehend the spoken language first, so audio CD's make more sense for my particular needs than written resources like books. And, because I want to be able to converse with Egyptians when I go there, it makes more sense for me to focus on Egyptian dialect rather than MSA or other dialects at this point in time.

Anyway, I feel I've learned some good material from the Pimsleur CD's, but since I have almost completed them all, I'm now asking, "Where to go from here?"

So, what other audio CD materials or downloadable MP3 files can you recommend to help me continue my studies in Egyptian Arabic? And what are the pros and cons of the ones you've tried?

One thing I'm planning to do is this: Take an Egyptian song that I really like, and work my way phrase-by-phrase through it with a translation and transliteration. I want to learn every word in that song, see what the translated meaning is for each phrase, and learn it well enough to sing along. And once I complete one song to my satisfaction, then I can tackle another.

But the above isn't something I can do in my car, because I don't want to be staring at a printout of song lyrics while driving! So I still need audio CD's for continuing my in-the-car studies.

I have those CD's too and did the same thing you did Shira. I applied the phrases and words to some songs.

Once you've finished Pimsleur, which is a fantastic resource, the best learning tool is *people*. Nothing beats practising with Arabic speakers and using what you've learnt in real day to day situations. The benefits are enormous, particularly in gaining confidence to use the skills you have. The best piece of advice I've had is from a Kuwaiti friend who said to me "Everyone can see you're not an Arab so they don't care what accent you use - just pick one accent and stick to it."
I've found that the Arabic speakers I practice on (they joke that they are "my victims",r:;) are very co-operative and happy to talk to me at my junior level in an Egyptian accent even though its not their own accent. They don't care how many mistakes I make, without fail they're happy that I'm learning and trying hard.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Tonight I finished lesson 28 (out of 30) in my Pimsleur's audio CD's that teach Egyptian dialect of Arabic. I've found that I really like learning from audio CD. I work with them in the car as I roam around town, which is very convenient for me. For many reasons, my primary focus is on learning to speak and comprehend the spoken language first, so audio CD's make more sense for my particular needs than written resources like books. And, because I want to be able to converse with Egyptians when I go there, it makes more sense for me to focus on Egyptian dialect rather than MSA or other dialects at this point in time.

Anyway, I feel I've learned some good material from the Pimsleur CD's, but since I have almost completed them all, I'm now asking, "Where to go from here?"

So, what other audio CD materials or downloadable MP3 files can you recommend to help me continue my studies in Egyptian Arabic? And what are the pros and cons of the ones you've tried?

Try this! It's great!
Egyptian Arabic Dialect Course: Lesson One: خلاص

Originally Posted by ouroboros

Try this! It's great!
Egyptian Arabic Dialect Course: Lesson One: خلاص

When I saw this thread posted, I came here to add this link. So, I second Ouroboros!

Funny I was just thinking of buying the rest of Pimsleur today! I had the introductory 5 CD version and it helped me so much.

Originally Posted by Aziza_UAE

Once you've finished Pimsleur, which is a fantastic resource, the best learning tool is *people*. Nothing beats practising with Arabic speakers and using what you've learnt in real day to day situations. The benefits are enormous, particularly in gaining confidence to use the skills you have.

I completely agree with this. I have been to Egypt twice since starting my Pimsleur studies, and both times I was proactive about listening to people talk, and picking up what information I could from listening. I also made some attempts to speak in Arabic, received gentle correction from my Egyptian guide (I told him I wanted that correction), and learned the Egyptian dialect word for "booger" from a pair of 8-year-old twins. Yes, that kind of immersion is valuable.

I think the primary resource I'd like to find is another audio CD set that I can work with in my car. I've really liked using my driving-around-town time to get this far, and I'd like to continue doing that.

If its song translations you're looking for, I've found this site, Arabic Song Lyrics and Translation: About the Site is a great resource.

Today I completed Lesson 29 out of 30 in the Pimsleur series.

I have decided that after I finish Lesson 30, I'll transfer parts of the audio from Leyla Lanty's "Habibi You Are My What?" to an audio CD, and listen to that in my car over and over until I feel confident I know all of that really well. Having reviewed Leyla's DVD over the weekend, I think the content in it is perfect for my next step. It'll keep me busy for a while!

And after that? We'll see!