From Qasid Institute. Today, class was in session and I was ready to master some basic words and phrases in Arabic. While learning a new language is certainly not an easy task, getting down just a few words can make a world of difference when you are visiting a foreign country.

Before watching the videos, there are a couple of things that you should know about the Arabic language. First, when writing and reading Arabic, the words flow from right to left. This is, of course, the opposite of English and other Western Languages. Since we aren’t placing Arabic script on the screen you won’t see this, but it’s good to know. While in Jordan, I’ve seen people reading, and it looks like they’d start at the end of the book!

The second thing that’s been difficult for me to get accustomed to is called transcription. This has to do with Arabic and English having different alphabets. Since I can’t read Arabic in actual Arabic script, I do my best to jot down what it sounds like. This happens on street signs, menus, and all sorts of written text throughout Jordan. For example, when we were driving in Jordan, we would pass street signs for nearby ‘Wadi Mujib.’ One sign may say ‘Mujeeb,’ another may say ‘Mujib,’ while another may say ‘Moojb.’ Basically, all of them are correct. Each spelling is derived from sounding out the Arabic word and substituting English letters for specific Arabic sounds. Arabic - making master spellers of us all!

Adam is, by far, the team member with the best grasp of the Arabic language. He came to Jordan with a basic understanding of common words and phrases and has been trying to speak the language whenever possible! This morning, on the way here, he gave our taxi driver our destination in Arabic. So it came as no surprise that he definitely shined in his Arabic lessons today! Maybe he can be my tutor!

Next: An intro to Islam.

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