Lesson Introduction
Cairo, Egypt – Home to nearly 18 million Egyptian Arabic
speakers
© 2009 Jupiterimages Corporation
As you read in the introduction to the course, you will be learning two
different kinds of Arabic—Egyptian colloquial Arabic (EA) and
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). EA is the spoken variety, what people use to
communicate in their daily interactions, and MSA is used more in writing,
the news, and formal settings.
In this lesson, you will be introduced to some of the Egyptian Arabic
greetings you might hear on the streets of Cairo. Then you will learn some
important vocabulary for making introductions. These are words and phrases
that you would use every day in Egypt. As you go through this lesson focus
on making the language come alive for you. Think about how you would use it
in real situations with real people that you may meet. This lesson will also
introduce some basic classroom vocabulary.
Lesson Objectives
- Maintain composure upon entering a new setting where Arabic is the
only language spoken.
- Comprehend basic classroom vocabulary and sentences in Egyptian
Arabic.
- Appropriately respond to questions about basic information, using
Egyptian Arabic.
- Identify important locations and events in the basic history of
the Arab world.
