FSI Levantine Arabic Course

When taking up Arabic, new students immediately have an important decision to make – which version of Arabic should they learn?

Arabic forms what’s known as a language continuum, which means it’s made up of many dialects that are only mutually intelligible to varying degrees. This means if you learn the Arabic spoken in one part of the Arab world, you won’t necessarily understand or be understood in another.

There is such a thing as Standard Arabic, but the problem with this version is that nobody actually speaks it as their first language – it is a literary or formal version of the language that is used for publications and higher levels of education, but Arabic speakers all use their local dialects for communication in everyday life.

So which version to choose? This depends on why you want to learn it and where you will be speaking it, but Levantine Arabic is a popular choice. This is the version spoken in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and western Jordan, and is a version of the language that will get you a long way.

This free online Levantine Arabic course teaches the pronunciation of this dialect, so if you are looking for a way to practice the sounds of Arabic, this resource will be an invaluable addition to your study materials.

Course Details

What is the FSI Levantine Arabic Course?

The FSI Levantine Arabic course deals primarily with the pronunciation of the Levantine dialect of Arabic. More specifically, it features recordings of the Arabic of Palestine, although this version of Arabic is also readily understood in nearby areas.

Furthermore, much of what this course deals with – namely the problems English speakers have with the pronunciation of Arabic – are relevant to other forms of the language, such as the Arabic of Iraq or North Africa.

This means that for most students of Arabic, whichever dialect you have chosen to study, this course will help you improve your pronunciation.

How was FSI Levantine Arabic Course originally used?

FSI Levantine Arabic was originally designed for US diplomatic staff who were preparing for postings in the region where Levantine Arabic is spoken.

They would have spent a portion of their study time working through the material themselves, and the rest of the time, they would have spent in class with a teacher, who was there to check their progress.

In this way, on completing the course, they would have mastered the most challenging aspects of the pronunciation of Levantine Arabic, leaving them ready to assume their roles abroad.

How can you use this FSI Levantine Arabic Course?

Since this free Levantine Arabic course is mainly concerned with pronunciation, it is well-suited to autonomous study. You can simply work through the lessons, using the recordings to copy the pronunciation of the words and sentences.

The only difference is that you won’t have a teacher to monitor your progress or help with any difficulties, so you will either have to find a native speaker who can respond to your queries or simply manage by yourself.

If you can, I also recommend you record yourself speaking Arabic and listen back to what you say since this is an excellent way to improve your pronunciation when working alone.

Taking it further

Of course, you won’t be able to learn to speak Arabic simply by repeating the sounds and perfecting your pronunciation.

For this reason, if you are studying Arabic, I strongly encourage you to go out and find native speakers to practice with.

Try to use your Arabic skills to communicate as much as you can, and above all, try to make using Arabic a part of your daily life. Then, when you do, you may surprise yourself with how quickly you start making progress in this useful and fascinating but notoriously tricky language.

Student Text

B.1 to F.5

#	Audio
01	Tape 1A
02	Tape 6A
03	Tape 1B
04	Tape 6B
05	Tape 2A
06	Tape 7A
07	Tape2B
08	Tape 7B
09	Tape3A
10	Tape 8A
11	Tape 3B
12	Tape 8B
13	Tape4A
14	Tape 9A
15	Tape4B
16	Tape 9B
17	Tape5A
18	Tape 10
19	Tape 5B