TalkInArabic.com: March 2015 update

Asma Wahba

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Asma Wahba

TalkInArabic.com: March 2015 update

Here's an update on what's been happening at TalkInArabic.com recently and some of the improvements that have been made and are being made to the site.

We've almost been up for 5 months already!

TalkInArabic.com has come a long way since late last year when it was announced in development. The content has grown quite rapidly and membership is continuing to expand each day which is really encouraging.

We know how much people need a quality resource like this for Arabic and based on all the positive feedback we've been getting, we know we're making a huge difference for learners already.

We've still barely scratched the surface though in what we hope to achieve with it.

We recently spent time in Jordan working with local Jordanian, Palestinian and Iraqi people on tonnes of new and improved content to help Levantine and Iraqi dialect learners specifically.

Here are the changes and improvements we're currently working on:

  • All the original material on the site (the stuff we had up when the site was first launched) is being drastically improved and expanded on. We've already begun to expand the existing content (starting with Egyptian) to add lots more audio (the initial content only contained key vocab and a few sample sentences). For many of the lessons, we've begun to create and upload lesson material including vocab lists and grammar explanations to go along with the additional audio to maximize their value and usefulness to members.
  • We've produced an enormous amount of new HD video content in various dialects, paying careful attention to all proficiency levels. These videos will cover a range of very relevant topics and cultural issues, and we're also starting to include lesson notes to go along with each video.
  • The navigation of some parts of the site has improved significantly. The design and usability was previously very poor and difficult to use so we've been working on making it easier to find what you're looking for. (please let us know your feedback on the changes we've made so far)
  • As well as video, we've developed new module content in multiple dialects covering various scenarios and situations.
  • We're trialling a booking/reservation system for dialect practice with native speakers across North Africa and the Middle East. There are still a few issues we need to work on before we can officially set it up though. The service will be solely for conversation practice in local dialects – not formal, structured lessons (we recommend great services like italki for this). The aim is to help you use what you've learned in a very specific dialect and which will also assist people in those places.[/checklist]

If you'd be interested in a service like this, please drop us a line in the comment section below or by email and let us know which specific dialect you'd like to be able to practice.

We'll send out periodic invitations via the mailing list for trial conversation sessions to sign up if you'd like to be part of it.

Not a member yet? Join here.

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