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C**N
Great way to learn. You feel part of a class.
Enjoying learning Arabic while travelling in my car
A**P
Amusing and effective but flawed realisation of the Michel Thomas method
This course works less well than the Beginning Arabic course in the same series. The Michel Thomas aural method is well-known and admired, and this course is certainly a pleasant way to begin learning Egyptian Arabic, which seems reasonably effective, and relatively painless. However, the method, as used in this course, has not been well-adapted as complexities increase. There is a wholly excessive use of long-winded explanatory metaphors, which confuse rather than illuminate. To explain verb and other prefixes and suffixes, we are told about a room which contains two doors, and a gate; and then there is another side of the room, where there are vases with stems and flowers. We rush from one side of the room to the other, sometimes to find that our flowers have died, or that a bee has landed on them, or that the gate is guarded. All this confusing and sometimes verbose and tedious elaboration seems entirely self-indulgent, and is intended as a substitute for the two very simple concepts ofprefixes and suffixes, which if not understood could be explained in a short sentence. Sometimes the material is just accidentally disorganised and confusing, as in the summary of verb prefixes and suffixes. Often there are are elementary errors in teaching technique which ignore everything known about the psychology of learning. For example the most important moment in learning is the first time you learn something (primacy), and you should never be introduced to something new by a deliberate error. It is the error, not the correction that sticks in the mind. This happens in the course frequently, as the participating students wrongly guess a new formation. The vocabulary introduced seems poorly selected for a tourist - too much about family relationships, and schools. Notwithstanding these criticisms, my wife and I have persevered with and enjoyed the course. Without too much additional work, the course could be adapted and improved.
D**N
Good course. Only weakness it's focussed on Egyptian Arabic
It's a good course indeed. The only weakness is that the course teaches Egyptian Arabic, which is understood by most Arabic speakers, but it causes some confusion if you have a basic knowledge of fus-ha or traditional or Modern Standard Arabic. If you start from zero and you want to learn spoken Arabic the course is appropriate.
A**W
Good but not the best
I used to rate Michel Thomas as the best way to learn a language, but I am a recent convert to Pimsleur.Michel Thomas is still a good way to get started, but I find Pimsleur is far more methodical and comprehensive, takes you to a higher level and is better at helping me retain the learning.However it is more expensive and takes much longer to get through.
I**N
This was not the "new" edition for 2016 that I ...
This was not the "new" edition for 2016 that I was led to expect. As far as I can work out, the latest date anywhere on it is 2012. However, I have kept it anyway as I needed to improve my Arabic quickly before travelling.
D**H
Great course
Amazing course. Highly recommended. One negative is that I think the main tutor, Jane, her Arabic pronunciation isn't perfect, as compared to the native speaker, Mahmud. However don't let that put you off. Great content, great pace, I would highly recommend, if you wish to learn Egyptian Arabic.
Trustpilot
5 days ago
4 days ago