Modern Iraqi Arabic with MP3 Files: A Textbook, Second Edition [With MP3 Files]

I have purchased six books to assist me in learning Iraqi Arabic. In my opinion, this book is hands down the best. It has an easily understood format, has exercises, a great CD, and best of all it has script!! The transliteration methodology is very easy...it is nothing like the very complicated type of transliteration that you get in the Erwin books and the Georgetown Press (fast approaches learning a 3rd language). Along with Modern Iraqi Arabic, I would also recommend the Iraqi Phrasebook - The Essential Language Guide for Contemporary Iraq by the same author. It is small and packed with very useful words and phrases...but there is no script. It uses the same tranliteration method so again, no learning curve.

I recently purchased this book to learn the Iraqi dialect, having studied Modern Standard Arabic and was very impressed by it's quality and relevance. This book differs from most other texts that teach Arabic dialects, in that it presents the material in English, transliteration and Arabic script. For learners who have studied Arabic and can read Arabic (even at a basic level), the use of transliteration can be a frustrating experience and a step backwards in reading proficiency. From the beginning, the book is well set out and details the Arabic alphabet with the additional Iraqi letters and vowels and the basics of Arabic script and pronunciation. The book then builds with dialogues which add valuable colloquial vocabulary, grammar and drills. The dialogues culminate in an excellent chapter that focuses on a selection of Iraqi folk tales with an explanation of the relevant vocabulary. Again an example of the excellent integration of cultural context. There are a significant amount of commonly used Iraqi idioms throughout the book, often difficult to obtain in standard Arabic teaching texts. The book also takes many opportunities to give the student information on Iraq, it's culture and it's traditions. The glossary at the rear is well organised and categorised by English and Arabic. The audio files are in a logical order and contain all elements within the book, again a rarity for many texts. The amount of audio material is very impressive and provides a valuable resource for pronunciation and drills. The audio is clear and well spaced to allow the listener to repeat phrases and or vocabulary if required. Overall, I would unreservedly recommend this book to those who have some knowledge of Arabic and wish to learn about the Iraqi dialect, or those who will primarily speak with native Iraqis.

As you can see by the other reviews, this is not a book for beginners. I wouldn't recommend it for folks new to Iraq or to the Middle East -- there's not enough grammar and no Arabic script. However, it's one of the few up-to-date resources on the Iraqi dialect available, and I found Prof. Alkalesi's work invaluable in my preparation for work in Iraq. Note that some of the materials are based around cheerful, tourist-style dialogues. That won't might help you order masguuf (an Iraqi fish) but it won't help you interview folks about their daily lives (i.e. no security, no jobs, no water, no electricity ...) And good luck trying to check in to the Rashid Hotel (one of the chapters). If you are interested in Iraq and know enough Arabic to transcribe the script, you'll find this a great resource.

I ordered this book before I read the reviews here, and awaited its' arrival with some trepidation. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised... To me, the six CD's (about 6.5 hrs)of audio alone are nearly worth the purchase price. The fact that there is no Arabic script accompanying the text isn't as big a deal as it sounds. You are learning a colloquial, SPOKEN dialect of Arabic, that would never be written anyway! Though there are more similarities than differences between spoken and written Arabic, learning to read & write Arabic is a completely different subject. The author definitely could have squeezed more content into the pages by a little more judicious use of space, but I don't feel cheated... Definitely worth the time & money!

I bought this book with CD's recently and had a chance to use it over in Iraq. I believe it would make a decent book for beginners, but some background in Arabic would be helpful. For those proficient in another Arabic dialect who want to learn Iraqi it does tend to be a little basic, but it still gives you a decent grasp of the basic structure of Iraqi Arabic. Overall I found it instructive, but I thought it was pricey ...(you do get the CD's though). Quite a few typographical errors in the book that could throw beginners off.