One of the best ways to learn a language is by studying the media that native speakers themselves listen to and read, and popular songs can also reveal much about the culture and traditions of
a country where the language is spoken. Egypt, as one of the great cultural production centers of the Arab world, enjoys a particularly rich musical scene, with songs in many styles in both
Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic.
Here, Cairo-based Arabic teacher Bahaa Ed-Din Ossama presents twenty songs in Egyptian Arabic performed by popular singers from Umm Kulthoum to Mohamed Mounir and builds a variety of language
lessons around them, with notes on vocabulary, grammar, and usage, and communicative exercises in listening, writing, and speaking. The songs are graded from easiest to most difficult, and each
lesson includes a link to a performance of the song on YouTube, the lyrics of the song, and notes on the songwriter, the composer, and the singer.
Students using this unique book will not only improve their Colloquial Arabic skills but will also gain an insight into the cultural landscape of Egypt. The book can be used in the classroom or
for self-study.
Includes songs by: Ali al-Haggar, Amr Diab, Dalida, Farid al-Atrash, Laila Murad, Latifa, Medhat Saleh, Mohamed Abd al-Wahab, Mohamed Fawzi, Mohamed Mounir, Nagat, Riham Abd al-Hakim, Sabah,
Samira Said, Shadia, Suad Hosni, and Umm Kulthum.
