Colloquial Arabic of Egypt


Book Description

Colloquial Arabic of Egypt provides a step-by-step course in spoken Egyptian Arabic – the most widely understood dialect in the Arab world. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Egyptian Arabic in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Key features include: Arabic in romanization form throughout, with optional Arabic script supplements emphasis on modern conversational language with clear pronunciation guidance progressive introduction to the Arabic alphabet to aid familiarity with simple labels and signs grammar section and bilingual glossaries for easy reference stimulating exercises with lively illustrations new e-resources at www.routledge.com/cw/colloquialsoffering supplementary materials for teachers and learners, including extra activities (and answers), vocabulary lists and cultural information, ideas for group activities linked to each unit in the course, listing of the complete Arabic alphabet, notes comparing Egyptian and Standard Arabic and downloadable additional audio tracks. Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, this new and revised edition of Colloquial Arabic of Egypt offers an indispensable resource both for independent learners and for students taking courses in Egyptian Arabic. By the end of this course, you will be at Level B1 of the Common European Framework for Languages and at the Intermediate-Mid on the ACTFL proficiency scales. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.







Harem Years


Book Description

A firsthand account of the private world of a harem in colonial Cairo—by a groundbreaking Egyptian feminist who helped liberate countless women. In this compelling memoir, Shaarawi recalls her childhood and early adult life in the seclusion of an upper-class Egyptian household, including her marriage at age thirteen. Her subsequent separation from her husband gave her time for an extended formal education, as well as an unexpected taste of independence. Shaarawi’s feminist activism grew, along with her involvement in Egypt’s nationalist struggle, culminating in 1923 when she publicly removed her veil in a Cairo railroad station, a daring act of defiance. In this fascinating account of a true original feminist, readers are offered a glimpse into a world rarely seen by westerners, and insight into a woman who would not be kept as property or a second-class citizen.




Revolution Is My Name


Book Description

What it was like and how it felt to be an Egyptian woman revolutionary during the eighteen days that changed Egypt forever Mona Prince’s humorous and insightful memoir tells of one woman’s journey as a hesitant revolutionary through the eighteen days of the Egyptian uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Alongside the brutal violence of the security forces, the daily battles of resistance, and the author’s own abduction and beating at the hands of the police, this is a story of exceptional solidarity, perseverance, and humanity. Juggling humor and horror, hope and fear, certitude and anxiety, Prince immerses us in the details of each unpredictable and fateful day. She mixes the political and the personal, the public and the private to expose and confront divisions within her family, as well as her own social prejudices, which she discovers through encounters with diverse sectors of society, from police conscripts to street children. Revolution Is My Name is a testimony not only of women’s participation in the Egyptian uprising and their courage in confronting constrictive gender divides at home and on the street, but equally of their important contribution as chroniclers of the momentous events of January and February 2011.




Egyptian Diary


Book Description

"A fresh, lively voice. . . . Replete with details of daily life." — Kirkus Reviews The year is 1464 BC, and Nakht’s family is moving to the city of Memphis. Nakht, who is studying to be a scribe, keeps a journal of the many sights and sounds of the bustling city — temples and pyramids, cargo ships, a hippopotamus hunt, even a tomb robbery. Presented as a lively diary, here is an invitation for readers to witness firsthand what life was like for one boy in Egypt 3,500 years ago.




Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Verbs


Book Description

Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Verbs is an invaluable reference for learners. Over 80 verb tables offer model conjugations for practically any verb, including the more than 1,000 verbs presented in the indexes. Four indexes (verbs by conjugation table, phonetic transcription, Arabic script, and English translations) make locating any verb's corresponding conjugation table quick and effortless. A pronunciation guide details the sounds of the language, the rules for stress and other sound changes that occur during conjugation. An extensive grammar reference explains how and when to use each verb tense through numerous examples, and contains tables for adding object pronoun suffixes to verbs. Free downloadable MP3s offer over 90 minutes of audio modeling by a native speaker. Free downloadable PDF templates, cards, etc. Egyptian Colloquial Arabic Verbs: Exercise Book is available separately.




Arabic Voices 2


Book Description

Arabic Voices is a two-part series designed to provide students of Arabic with an opportunity to hear and study authentic Arabic as it is spoken by native speakers today. Unlike the scripted materials read by voice actors used in many course books, Arabic Voices offers dozens of audio essays spoken naturally and off-the-cuff by individuals from across the Arab World. Each of the twelve native speakers has contributed audio essays in both Modern Standard Arabic and his or her native dialect, which have then been transcribed for study. In Arabic Voices 1 and 2, you will hear Egyptian Arabic, Levantine Arabic (Lebanese Arabic, Palestinian Arabic, Jordanian Arabic), Yemeni Arabic, Tunisian Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, as well as Modern Standard Arabic. MP3s are available for free download at www.lingualism.com. The segments in Modern Standard Arabic provide valuable insight into native speakers’ range of style and proficiency in the language. The segments in colloquial Arabic dialects offer a fascinating look into the many varieties of Arabic, and how similar and different they really are from one another. Fine-tuning your listening to the idiosyncrasies of each dialect will truly help you better understand spoken Arabic. Each “segment" (audio essay chapter) contains: 1) exercises to sharpen your listening skills and increase how much you can understand, whatever your level 2) in-chapter answers to the exercises (no having to flip back and forth to the back of the book) 3) a voweled transcript of the audio with side-by-side English translations 4) cultural and linguistic notes 5) web links to articles and videos related to the segment 6) select segments feature grammar focuses with additional exercises.




That Smell and Notes from Prison


Book Description

That Smell is Sonallah Ibrahim’s modernist masterpiece and one of the most influential Arabic novels. Composed in the wake of a five-year prison sentence, the semi-autobiographical story follows a recently released political prisoner as he wanders through Cairo, adrift in his native city. That Smell is Sonallah Ibrahim’s modernist masterpiece and one of the most influential novels written in Arabic since WWII. Composed after a five-year term in prison, the semi-autobiographical story follows a recently released political prisoner as he wanders through Cairo, adrift in his native city. Living under house arrest, he tries to write of his tortuous experience, but instead smokes, spies on the neighbors, visits old lovers, and marvels at Egypt’s new consumer culture. Published in 1966, That Smell was immediately banned and the print-run confiscated. The original, uncensored version did not appear in Egypt for another twenty years. For this edition, translator Robyn Creswell has also included an annotated selection of the author’s Notes from Prison, Ibrahim’s prison diaries—a personal archive comprising hundreds of handwritten notes copied onto Bafra-brand cigarette papers and smuggled out of jail. These stark, intense writings shed unexpected light on the sources and motives of Ibrahim’s groundbreaking novel. Also included in this edition is Ibrahim’s celebrated essay about the writing and reception of That Smell.




Warda


Book Description

Sonallah Ibrahim's 2000 masterpiece offers readers a view of twentieth-century world events through the diary pages of his titular character 1950s Cairo: the intersection of conflicting dreams and political destinies. In this classic novel translated for the first time into English, idealistic reporter Rushdy encounters the enchanting Warda at a clandestine leftist meeting. Their fates would be forever linked. After Warda goes missing, Rushdy immerses himself in her diaries in a quest to uncover her whereabouts. The quest takes him to the hills of Dhofar, Oman, where he discovers Warda's guerrilla role in a regional uprising and secret involvement in revolutions with echoes around the globe. Piece by revelatory piece, Rushdy uncovers the truth about Warda--and the fiery commitment that drove her to choose the life she lived. Widely acknowledged as a masterpiece by one of Egypt's most important novelists, this is an unforgettable story of intrigue, passion, and revolution.




Arabic Voices 1


Book Description

Arabic Voices is a two-part series designed to provide students of Arabic with an opportunity to hear and study authentic Arabic as it is spoken by native speakers today. Unlike the scripted materials read by voice actors used in many course books, Arabic Voices offers dozens of audio essays spoken naturally and off-the-cuff by individuals from across the Arab World. Each of the twelve native speakers has contributed audio essays in both Modern Standard Arabic and his or her native dialect, which have then been transcribed for study. In Arabic Voices 1 and 2, you will hear Egyptian Arabic, Levantine Arabic (Lebanese Arabic, Palestinian Arabic, Jordanian Arabic), Yemeni Arabic, Tunisian Arabic, Moroccan Arabic, as well as Modern Standard Arabic. MP3s are available for free download at www.lingualism.com. The segments in Modern Standard Arabic provide valuable insight into native speakers’ range of style and proficiency in the language. The segments in colloquial Arabic dialects offer a fascinating look into the many varieties of Arabic, and how similar and different they really are from one another. Fine-tuning your listening to the idiosyncrasies of each dialect will truly help you better understand spoken Arabic. Each “segment" (audio essay chapter) contains: 1) exercises to sharpen your listening skills and increase how much you can understand, whatever your level 2) in-chapter answers to the exercises (no having to flip back and forth to the back of the book) 3) a voweled transcript of the audio with side-by-side English translations 4) cultural and linguistic notes 5) web links to articles and videos related to the segment 6) select segments feature grammar focuses with additional exercises.