Prior to the Tower of Babel event known as the “confusion of tongues” (confusio linguarum), religious scholars and historians believe that the world only spoke one language. Whether this is true or not is not known for certain. However, what linguists are sure of is the fact that thousands of languages have come into existence. And it all started with the creation of that first...
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Quick! When you think of traveling to the Middle East, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? I’m quite sure it’s not lush forests or oceans blue; rather the first thing you thought of was the desert, right? You’re not alone in that because when people think about going on vacation, they don’t think about deserts, but they imagine a cabin in the woods...
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Have you ever awoke from a deep sleep and totally forgotten what month it was? It can happen to anybody, but not being exactly sure what month it is can happen in both your sleeping and waking life in the Arabic-speaking countries of the Middle East. You see, depending on where you are exactly in the Middle East, you may be met with a variety...
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Proverbs are a fabulous way to gain insight into the life of other cultures. Not only that, you can see how much philosophy is shared between cultures, and how common sayings in one culture manifest in others, and vice versa. Plus, this is one of the unique aspects of the ideas, customs and social behavior of a particular society. Arab culture in particular has a...
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The 2002 statistics on enrollment in foreign languages in U.S. institutions of higher education show that enrollments in Arabic were relatively stable during the 1980s. However, since 1995 they have shown rapid growth, particularly between 1998 and 2002, almost doubling. Arabic is among the fifteen most commonly taught languages in the U.S. Thus, there is the pressing need for dictionaries designed for English-speaking users as...
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When most people think about the word sports, they think of conventional games such as soccer, cricket, and baseball, but in the Arab countries, sports often have another definition. Indeed, conventional sports are practiced throughout the region, and physical activities were part of Arab culture centuries before colonialism. Though the development of sports into the twenty-first century has intersected with important cultural and historical processes,...
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Learning a new language is both exciting and frightening at the same time. However, that didn’t stop many new language learners from learning Arabic. After all, Arabic has been gaining more popularity lately. The Arab world is a fast growing market for trade in both goods and services, not to mention how vast and rich the Arab culture is. The Arabic language is, indeed, quite...
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The last year we’ve witnessed the appearance of a new four-letter word – MOOC – an acronym for Massive Open Online Courses. Many organizations are offering online courses to millions of students all over the world. Anybody who has an internet connection and the will to learn can access these courses from excellent and reliable sources. In today’s article, we will focus on a different...
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Have you ever felt stuck when speaking a foreign language with a native speaker – be it your tutor, teacher or language partner? You can be as successful and fluent in your target language as you want to be, so long as you practice and persevere through use of the right tools and learning methods. If you are reading this article, you more than likely...
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Ramadan is just around the corner! What is Ramadan you ask? During the holy month of Ramadan Muslims have to abstain from food and drinks from dawn until sunset. For the past few years, Ramadan has fallen in the summer, so it is crucial to stay hydrated and drink more between iftar and suhoor. Iftar is the meal to break the fast after sunset. Typically, people will enjoy dates, dried...
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