Al-Murshid Reviews

There are basically two types of Arabic: the local vernaculars—which are used in everyday life—and Modern Standard Arabic, which is restricted to writing and to speaking in formal settings. Anyone wanting to have a good command of the Arabic language must learn both varieties.
kullu tamam! takes account of this diversity in two ways: it introduces the student to the language by means of Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, and provides a basis for those who want to go on to learn Modern Standard Arabic. This is done by using the grammatical terminology common to both varieties of Arabic, by offering many vocabulary items current in both the vernacular and the standard variety, and—in the later lessons—by introducing the Arabic script.
kullu tamam! uses a cognitively oriented approach, presents Arabic mainly in transcription, gives grammatical rules, and presents a wide range of pattern drills and translation exercises (with key), as well as vocabulary lists for both Arabic–English and English–Arabic. Illustrative texts are either short dialogues, as may be encountered in daily life in Egypt, or descriptive passages dealing with more abstract topics and using a vocabulary typical of Arabic newspapers. The accompanying online audio files carry recordings of the texts, made by Egyptian native speakers.
For over ten years now, the Dutch edition of kullu tamam! has been used successfully as a textbook in first-year Arabic courses at university level in the Netherlands. Now students in the English-speaking world can benefit from its clear, fresh approach. kullu tamam! is also suitable for self-study purposes. Click here for the accompanying online audio files on Soundcloud.

Kalaam Gamiil Volume 2 further develops learners’ skills in Egyptian Colloquial Arabic, along parallel tracks of vocabulary and grammar. It is designed to enable students to communicate effectively with native speakers in a wider range of social situations, with a higher degree of accuracy and fluency. It aims to do so by expanding learners’ vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, increasing their command of grammar (both syntax and morphology), as well as instilling a measure of cross-cultural understanding. Structured around more sophisticated topics that go beyond those of daily life conversations to cover social and cultural issues and concepts, each lesson includes two situations (often dialogues), a vocabulary list, preparatory sentences using the new vocabulary items and grammatical structures, explanations of the grammar in English, relevant cultural information, in addition to a variety of mechanical drills and communicative exercises. The book, volume two of a two-part series, focuses on the speaking and listening skills that will enable high intermediate to advanced students to handle a variety of more complicated communicative tasks successfully. Click here to listen to the associated tracks on Soundcloud.