Help me keep my Arabic sharp over the summer!

June 22, 2009 11:12 AM

What should I study this summer in preparation for my third year of Arabic?

I have completed two years of Arabic (all of book 1 and 2/3 of book 2 of Al-Kitaab). I will be starting my third year in the fall. What should I study this summer to a) keep my language skills sharp, b) give me an edge starting next year, and c) teach me things that won't be in Al-Ktaab?

I already spend some time each day reading Arabic language newspapers (to the best of my ability) and watching some Arabic newscasts. This is the kind of material at which I want to become more proficient. Suggestions?

posted by proj to Education (1 answer total)

I found that al-Kitaab was good for building vocabulary, but in my third year of Arabic, I had a professor who chose to teach us through The Connectors. We spent most of our time translating newspaper articles and short stories, so that certainly helped me to continue building my vocabulary. However, it was all of the work that we did in The Connectors that really made me begin to feel confident in my mastery of the language and my ability to construct complex sentences.

Also, if you don't already have a copy of the Hans Wehr dictionary, you'll want to get that as well, so that you can get used to the process of looking up words by their trilateral root.

Good luck!
posted by sabira at 7:21 PM on June 22, 2009