Exploring Arabic FAQ

Q: Which dialect of Arabic is used? A: Exploring Arabic is in Modern Standard Arabic.

Q: Does the book use the Arabic alphabet or Romanized Arabic? A: Students are gradually taught the Arabic alphabet in the section called “How Do I Write the Arabic Alphabet?” Two or three letters are introduced in each unit so that, by the end of unit 15, students know how to write all the letters in the four different positions. It is up to the teacher at what point students should switch from Romanized to the Arabic alphabet; some teachers may not want their students to use the Romanized alphabet at all. All vocabulary is introduced with both the Arabic alphabet and Romanized system.

Q: What is the focus of the book? A: The focus of the book is vocabulary development around various topics, such as the classroom, home, family, animals, weather, occupations, and clothing. Students learn some structure intrinsically from the dialogues.

Q: What aspects of Arab culture are covered? A: In Unit 4 (Geography), the focus is on features of Lebanon and Iraq. Other culture topics include Food (Unit 9), Art (Unit 10), Music (Unit 14), and Literature (Unit 17).

Q: What other resources are available, besides the student book? A: There is a Teacher’s Guide for the teacher and a Workbook for the student. Six Audio CDs, Symtalk Symbol Cards, and Overhead Transparencies are also available.

Q: What accent is used on the Audio CDs? A: The speakers use a neutral accent.

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