Learning Egyptian Arabic
Arabic dialects differ from region to region and from country to country. Despite this, there is one colloquial Arabic dialect that is widely understood from Morocco to Saudi Arabia: Egyptian Arabic. It is important to understand the Egyptian Arabic dialect in order to understand much of the Middle East's culture and entertainment.
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History
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Egyptian Arabic is the language of most Arab films, radio broadcast personalities, and television programs and dramas. A flourishing center of arts and politics, Cairo has been the most prolific producer of all kinds of entertainment and information since the beginning of the 20th century. Learning Egyptian Arabic will allow the student to understand iconic singers such as Umm Kulthum, or even to be understood in any Arab country from North Africa to the Arabian peninsula. Egyptian Arabic is, in essence, the language of Arab media in the 20th and 21st century.
Significance
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Egyptian Arabic has been influenced by a far greater range of languages than any other Arab dialect spoken. The colloquial language, called "'Ameyah," borrows words and pronunciation from Coptic Egyptian, Greek, French, English, and Turkish languages. Because of this, the Egyptian 'Ameya is much easier to learn than other colloquials, having removed or replaced many of the consonants that trip English speakers up when learning Modern Standard Arabic.
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Types
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The best way to learn Egyptian Arabic is to enroll in a college-level course. Most colleges and universities that offer Arabic as a foreign language use a book written by Brustad, al Tonsi and al Batal called "Al Kitaab." In every lesson, in addition to learning Modern Standard Arabic, the student learns the same lessons in 'Ameya at the end of the chapter. The benefit here is knowing how the basics of the Arabic language work before engaging in learning the dialect.
Time Frame
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Another way to learn Egyptian Arabic is through self-study. By purchasing a self-study aid such as an audio CD-equipped book or an interactive DVD game. These methods will give you very fast access to the Egyptian dialect and you will be speaking at least rudimentary sentences in no time. This is advantageous for the student who needs to learn quickly, but lacks the benefit of someone to interact with and ask questions of.
Features
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A more adventurous way of learning Egyptian Arabic is to apply to a school in Egypt or to find a job that will send you to Egypt. The most prevalent Egyptian dialect is Cairo's dialect, and the vast majority of schools and foreign businesses operating in Egypt are centered in Cairo. The adventure of interacting with Egyptians on a daily basis helps solidify Egyptian Arabic much more firmly than typical schoolwork. Most Egyptians speak at least a little English and most are very conversant in it, so help is usually readily available.
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