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CoolBee · 08-08-2009, 09:49 PM

I downloaded this bit of freeware called Mnemosyne a while ago

Welcome to the Mnemosyne Project | The Mnemosyne Project

and only got round to setting it upin the last couple of days and I can already see it's going to be a complete star aid in learning Arabic!

I've typed in the vocabulary from the first chapter of the text book I'm using (Q & A form) (it's transliterated only at this point as it's colloquial Egyptian not standard Arabic - I've downloaded some bits and pieces to make the special transliteration symbols as well) - about 86 words or short phrases.

Basically, it turns them into Q&A cards - everything starts at level 0 - ie you don't know it at all, and it randomly presents you with cards from the decks you are working with and as you learn the word, you can improve its grading - up to level 5 - and depending what the grade is, you get shown the card more or less frequently.
(You can also downgrade the card if you thought you knew it and 5 minutes later discover you didn't!)

I've also ordered the Arabic Bible DVD which I will collect in the UK next week - this has classical Arabic bible, literal translation, then your choice of modern English versions - and every single word they use they tell you what part of the sentence it is (verb, noun whatever), the root (Arabic, like Hebrew, works on a 'root system'), and the prefixes and suffixes. It seems a very thorough tool. (Classical Arabic is not too far removed from Modern Standard).

(I want to learn both to speak colloquial Egyptian and to learn to read formal Arabic hence the mix).

08-08-2009, 09:49 PM	#4 (permalink)
CoolBee Family Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,044	I downloaded this bit of freeware called Mnemosyne a while ago Welcome to the Mnemosyne Project \| The Mnemosyne Project and only got round to setting it upin the last couple of days and I can already see it's going to be a complete star aid in learning Arabic! I've typed in the vocabulary from the first chapter of the text book I'm using (Q & A form) (it's transliterated only at this point as it's colloquial Egyptian not standard Arabic - I've downloaded some bits and pieces to make the special transliteration symbols as well) - about 86 words or short phrases. Basically, it turns them into Q&A cards - everything starts at level 0 - ie you don't know it at all, and it randomly presents you with cards from the decks you are working with and as you learn the word, you can improve its grading - up to level 5 - and depending what the grade is, you get shown the card more or less frequently. (You can also downgrade the card if you thought you knew it and 5 minutes later discover you didn't!) I've also ordered the Arabic Bible DVD which I will collect in the UK next week - this has classical Arabic bible, literal translation, then your choice of modern English versions - and every single word they use they tell you what part of the sentence it is (verb, noun whatever), the root (Arabic, like Hebrew, works on a 'root system'), and the prefixes and suffixes. It seems a very thorough tool. (Classical Arabic is not too far removed from Modern Standard). (I want to learn both to speak colloquial Egyptian and to learn to read formal Arabic hence the mix).