Arabic

What’s fun to read if you’re learning Arabic? (And if you like shopping during the winter holiday season, you can think of these for a friend who is learning Arabic)… The following are my personal favorites and go-to reads for Arabic learners and those interested in the Arab region: Non-Fiction Dreams of Trepass by Fatema Mernissi* *(first published 1994) *Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood *by Fatema Mernissi (1940-2015)

There is a particular pleasure in finding an author who writes in a style/genre that you learned to like in another language first. Helping someone else with such as discovery is just as fulfilling! The following inquiry came from a friend who teaches Arabic in a U.S. university. Her first language is English, but she is near-native in Arabic and wants ideas of fun books to read in Arabic (I’ve included English translations if available as well).

I’ve been pondering what my “10 for Libraries” list would look like ever since M. Lynx Qualey and Ursula discussed “Where to Start” (reading Arabic literature) on the Bulaq podcast, and as I’ve been seeing the various “10 for Libraries” lists posted on Arablit.org (first in the series here). Novel: The Open Door by Latifa Zayaat – The classic feminist novel in Arabic. Set in 1940s-50s Egypt during anti-colonial struggles. A highly developed main character, showing her shifting relationships to family members, romantic partners, and her nation.

I’m happy to announce the new free Arabic teaching module co-created by myself and Laila Familiar on Khallina.org available here. In this module, we investigate transnational social issues in the Arab World through literature and graphic art. These issues include: refugees and refugee camps, fleeing violence, immigration, cultural challenges for immigrants, studying abroad, and making choices about where and how to live one’s life. IN THIS MODULE, LEARNERS WILL: Meet an artist who addresses social issues through comix

I’m just wrapping up a late summer group read of: The Green Bicycle By Haifaa Al Mansour This is a light, fun read if you enjoy YA literature and you have any interest in what it would be like to grow up in Saudi Arabia. The text flows easily, and the main character is a misfit, intelligent and critical of what goes on around her. In that sense, it reminds me of books like Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow (From the perspective of an Algerian-French girl, translated from French – By the way, this book is still on my to-read list – Anyone want to read it with me?

Arabic Language Resources by Dialect ~ مصادر بالعربي I. Egyptian ~ مصري MelodyTV I’m loving Netflix’s series, “Secret of the Nile” (the Egyptian adaptation of Spanish “Grand Hotel,” from Ramadan 2016) Old favorite films Egyptian units by William Fawzy – and “talk show archives“ 2020 addition: a new blog & podcast called Bilmasri II. North African ~ دارجة Painless Arabic Videos Hespress News III. Levantine ~ شامي One of my favorite ways to practice this dialect is مسلسل سنوات الضياع.

This article translated from Moroccan press by Melanie Magidow (Hespress April 28, 2018, Wail Bourchachene) Abdelfattah Kilito, Moroccan writer and literary critic, deplored that his Masters students in the last several years before his retirement “really read nothing.” In an interactive lecture at Ibn Tufail University in Kénitra, he stressed that the students were not familiar with important literary references and prominent writers. Regarding the titles of his books, Kilito said they were not determined by commercial motives.

I’m teaching a new introductory Arabic community class at The Collective. We had a great time last night at the first session! The remaining four sessions are on the following Thursdays (all 7-8 pm at The Collective): Th. 2/22, Th. 3/1, Th. 3/8, and Th. 3/15. Here is a recent article about a beginning Arabic class for fourth graders in Bozeman, Montana. The fee-based class was organized by parents who want their children to have a chance to learn foreign languages.

Some Favorite Quotations in Arabic Literature On art, literature, and writing Horses, night, and the desert know me And the sword, the spear, paper, and the pen – a famous line of poetry by the poet Al-Mutanabbi (known for his bragging!) from 10th century Baghdad On education What I want is knowledge of how things really are, so must I not [first] try to find out what knowledge really is?

Update 2020: For remote Arabic study options, see here. Update May 2019: For advanced Arabic study (such as CASA), apply for this scholarship! If you teach, tell your students. Bravo to Industry Arabic for this important support! For any other study abroad needs, feel free to contact me for case-by-case information. I intent to update the Arabic program information listed here in the future! Here is my ongoing list of reputable Arabic programs for study outside of college classrooms (summer study, independent study).