Reviews
Hundreds of resources to help you teach yourself
Dahesh Heritage Bookstore
Arabic, Bookstores/Libraries
This is a bookstore and publishing company that I visited a couple of times back in 2009, when it was located at 57th Street and Broadway. At the time of this writing, Dahesh was in transit to a new location, so…
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Arabic, Neighborhoods
According to 2000 census data, there were 24,000 Arabic speakers in Brooklyn, with a third of them residing in Bay Ridge. Take the R train to Bay Ridge Avenue (and Fourth), walk over to Fifth Avenue, and you will be…
Google Translate (App)
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Apps, Dictionaries
I have a tendency not to get around to downloading iPhone apps onto my iPhone, but fortunately I have a husband who will take my phone and do it for me. I’m very glad he stuck this app on…
Arabic Language Meetup Groups
Arabic, Classes/Conversation, Social
Meetup.com, launched in 2001, brings together people in a community around all types of interests: politics, food, language, and more. Type in your zip code here to see whether there is an Arabic Language Meetup group near you. In early 2013,…
Brooklyn Maqam Cultural Walking Tours
Arabic, Neighborhoods
Through the Brooklyn Arts Council, you can enjoy occasional inexpensive tours of Arab neighborhoods in Brooklyn. They also post maps online, for Atlantic Avenue and Bay Ridge, should you prefer to tour on your own for…
Teach Yourself Arabic (with CDs)
Arabic, Books, Multimedia
I used Teach Yourself Arabic by Jack Smart and Frances Altorfer back in 2009, and it struck me as an example of language-learning marketing trumping actual usability. This book-CD combo was a total bust for me. I confess I…
Foreign Service Institute Language Courses
Arabic, Dutch, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Audio Lessons, Websites
These Foreign Service Institute language courses were recommended by a reader. I haven’t tried them, but the holdings are extensive and consist of older courses that are now in the public domain. They are also free, so the main…
The ING New York City Marathon
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Sports/Fitness
Yeah, I know, the marathon is supposedly about running 26.2 miles. I am a runner, so I can appreciate that. Still, for me, New York City’s annual marathon spectacular is more about culture and language. Because of the global obsession…
Modern Language Association Language Map
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, General, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Yiddish, Websites
The Modern Language Association has a spectacular online language map showing the languages of the U.S., as well as a data center with searchable language information. For free! These tools will be updated soon…