A Programmed Course in Modern Literary Arabic Phonology Script

Programmed Course in Modern Literary Arabic Phonology Script

This course is designed to teach the non-Arabic speaker to read printed Arabic, to write Arabic with “a pleasing hand,” to distinguish accurately the phonological contrasts of modern literary Arabic, and to pronounce it in a manner easily comprehensible to Arabs. Dialogs and proverbs are included for reading practice; grammatical structures are not dealt with. The course may serve as an introduction to, or be used concurrently with, a basic course. Typical lessons present a set of letters related in form, plus certain auxiliary signs. For each letter or sign there are three sections: (1) its pronunciation value, with explanations and drills if it differs from or is lacking in English; (2) the various shapes of this letter in its printed form and drills in reading it; and (3) the written forms of the letter, also with practice drills. At the end of each unit there are review drills for the unit as a whole. The material is presented usually one small feature at a time, and the student proceeds at his own rate. Pronunciation features are recorded on tape as well as described phonetically. Answers to oral drills are on tape; written answers are given in the left margin of the following page.