• Krem [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    25·
    4 months ago

    I’d learn some arabic phonology and vocab so I could pronounce place names and foods better, and unnerve white people.

    and then maybe study the language semi-seriously because it seems like an actually cool language and it sounds really beautiful

    • Prof_mu3allim [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      12·
      4 months ago

      unnerve white people

      You have a noble goal! rat-salute Learning the Arabic script and phonology is quite easy and straightforward, you can start here and check my post history for the remaining lessons.

    • Flyberius [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      10·
      4 months ago

      I recommend a free app called language transfer. I’ve been using it for Spanish, but also I’ve just started Arabic. It takes the form of a recorded dialogue between a teacher and a student and basically teachers you to think in the language using helpful connections between English and the language you want to learn. The English to Spanish course is excellent, and whilst the Arabic one feels a little harder, I’ve been enjoying it.

      It’s 100% free

      • Prof_mu3allim [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
        9·
        4 months ago

        FYI, language transfer teaches the Egyptian dialect, not MSA. I haven’t looked into it enough to make a judgement on its quality or effectiveness so I can’t speak to that.

        • Flyberius [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
          5·
          4 months ago

          Yeah it spends quite a bit of time explaining all that, but also that Egyptian dialect is very well recognised. I’m guessing the tutor is just teaching what he knows

          • Prof_mu3allim [comrade/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
            10·
            4 months ago

            Egyptian dialect is very well recognised

            Yeah absolutely. I’m just of the opinion that it’s best to have a solid base in MSA before learning a dialect, unless the learner has a specific reason to start with colloquial Arabic. Anyway, hope your Arabic language learning is fruitful heart-sickle

  • trompete [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    24·
    4 months ago

    Heidi Reichinnek, currently chair of the so-called “Die Linke” (“The Left”) party in Germany, studied Arabic. Guess where she fits in.

    spoiler

    Of course she’s a fed. She studied in Egypt for a while, before/during the Arab Spring. While there, she worked for the Egyptian branch office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the CDU-affiliated policy think tank. She wrote a policy paper for them, arguing (as was certainly the assignment) that Germany should talk and explore cooperating with various “uncouth” actors in the region.

    She also personally helped train activists in social media use to organize protests. The Egyptian authorities made sure to put her on a flight out when things heated up. Nevertheless, during an interview where she talks about both of those things separately, she feigns ignorance why the Egyptians thought harmless little her might warrant escorting to the airport.