Arabic (Modern Standard) Level 1 Lessons 1-5

Learn to Speak and Understand Modern Standard Arabic with Pimsleur Language Programs

By: Pimsleur

Narrated by: Pimsleur

Length: 2 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, is the standard, formal, written form that is used and understood throughout the Arab world. While primarily written, MSA is also spoken in highly formal situations, in higher education, in sermons, and in the courts of law.

The Pimsleur® Method: the easiest, fastest way to learn a new language. Completely portable, easily downloadable, and lots of fun. You’ll be speaking and understanding in no time flat! Each lesson of Modern Standard Arabic Phase 1, Unit 01-05 provides 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation and new vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. Each lesson contains practice for vocabulary introduced in previous lessons.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2012 Simon & Schuster (P)2012 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Pimsleur programs provide plenty of positive reinforcement that will keep learners on track, and we found that Pimsleur gave us more proficiency and confidence in speaking the new language than any of the other language programs we reviewed." ( AudioFile magazine)

Effective way to learn Arabic

Any additional comments?

This approach for learning a language is very effective. There is lots of repetition, help with pronunciation, and practical, daily uses of the language. I take a weekly in-person Arabic class, which has me focused on grammar rules and which makes me unable to produce the language due to the complexity of the grammar rules, This audio book has enabled me to actually produce the spoken language. If you are a stickler for grammar details, using just this audio book might stress you out since you might not understand some of the finer details. But if you are willing to learn the grammar a bit organically (or if you pair the book with a class as I do), you'll do great. I highly recommend it.

Save your money.

My degree is in Arabic language and culture. I have used everything from books, online exercises, Spotify, apps, YouTube videos and Audible while learning Arabic. This is definitely the most useless things I've used. Save your $15 and watch a few a YouTube videos, you can not only learn the same few phrases but more and learn how to read and spell them. This was highly disappointing and a waste of $15. It teaches only a few phrases and words which are very basic and ones you can learn easily through free media like YouTube or phone apps like Memorize. Definitely would not recommend this, if it was free I'd say sure, maybe. But there is better quality and more in depth material that covers these same few phrases for free on YouTube.

Best way to learn a new language

Pimsleur has been such a great language tool that both me and my husband bought the full 30 lesson set in our chosen language. My husband finished the first 25 lessons in a month and can now speak Greek in complete sentences. I have been less consistent, but in a month I have still learned basic phrases needed for travel in Arabic. If you are not ready to commit fully to a language program this five lesson set is a great way to test out if pimsleur will work for you. The key is doing a lesson every day, sometimes I need to repeat lessons two or three times before moving forward.

annoying

uses a great deal of time adding and repeating relatively useless information such as gender and titles instead of focusing on the relevant information to be conveyed.
also, mixing in three or more drastically different voice actors in an educational setting serves only to confuse the listener and obscure the nuances of the target language for an untrained ear.

but then again, i expect this could be common practice for these kinds of books. adding roleplay in an attempt to make it entertaining instead of educational.

Potent.

Five lessons in, and I have already grown a beard. Who knows what will happen in five more? *Arabic intensifies*

Extremely Helpful

this book is very well organized. I feel that I have a good start on the language.

Useful and Easy to Learn

I don't have much time working an average of 10 hours a day and a bit on the weekend. This course is suitable to learn for at least 30min each day especially while stuck in traffic for more than an hour.

I find that repeating a unit once il really does wonders. Next day your memory is great.

Good job to the educators

Spoken Arabic

OK, but impossible to definitively make out consonants from the audio. It needs written backup.

Great introduction to MSA, but hope they had more

Narrarator was clear and subject matter covered was clear and basic, great for an introduction to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).
One down side is that they don't repeat the phrases more than 1.5 times in MSA. But the integration of concepts is natural and helps me recall words from earlier units!

best way I've ever tried

I have learned Spanish from usually ways of learning. it took me years to be motivated and actually learn it.. after finishing just the first week, I was saying hello to my arabic friends with confidence. I'm no expert but if you are looking to learn a new language, this could be it for you

brilliant.

I thoroughly enjoy it, and there is so much repetition interspersed throughout the audio that you can't forget it. Really good and is modern standard Arabic too, which is understood in all Arabic countries.

Good system

Good to hear native pronunciation. Tried and tested system so don't hesitate, try it out and put the time in.

Fix the PDF link

Good audiobook but the PDF link isn't working. Please fix the PDF link. Thank you.

A bit confused but got the spirit

Everyone in the review section is learning arabic for various reasons. I'm here learning the most important part of the lessons; how to talk with my colleague/friend's wives.

Good overall

Good but no pdf

Good but accompanying pdf won't download which would greatly help the learner to revise i feel.

Excellent aid if you have the basics

I have taken 28 lessons to learn arabic grammar and vocabulary before I discovered this book. You should be aware of the subtle differences between say Syrian arabic and GCC arabic to Egyptian arabic. The lack of visual representation of the vocabulary may hinder but this is still an excellent start to a general arabic language course. I strongly suggest some one-to-one lesson in tandem with this course.

Great build up

Very useful for me as a non native speaker with little background in Arabic. However I would say that it helps that I can read the Arabic text. Because the speakers speak fairly fast, like in a regular speaking speed, non readers of Arabic text may have a bit of trouble figuring out the sound of some syllables. Super helpful in carrying out basic conversations when meeting others.

excellent.

fun and easy to learn. I loved it very much. I highly recommend it for beginners

Excellent for beginners

I did know nothing of Arabic.. Within thgthge fursdfursdt two lessons I could have a very short conversation with my work colleague who speaks fluently. She was so impressed she asked me if I had private lessons foir s few months.
Results in a few days and you don't forget it .very good methods.

Great starting point

What did you like most about Arabic (Modern Standard) Level 1 Lessons 1-5?

Gradual good progress of learning Arabic language

What other book might you compare Arabic (Modern Standard) Level 1 Lessons 1-5 to, and why?

Arabic - lessons that follow

What does Pimsleur bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Not applicable

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not applicable

Any additional comments?

Great starting point - 30 min a day each lesson - great for listening on the way to work.