Resources to learn Lebanese Arabic

Resources to learn Lebanese Arabic
مصادر لتعلم اللهجة اللبنانية

Lebanese Arabic Learning Books

Speak Lebanese: The Basics of the Lebanese Language
The aim of this book is to provide an understanding of Lebanese Arabic from a grammatical perspective. You will learn through this book how to pronounce the letters, the rules for conjugating most Lebanese verbs (with a supplemental library of 426 verbs each conjugated in 6 tenses,) you will find a brief English-Lebanese dictionary of commonly used words and tips for using Lebanese words properly in a sentence. It is important to know that countless dialect variations exist in Lebanon. However, the differences are not significant and all Lebanese people understand each other easily. This book offers one of the forms of these dialects and tries to choose the simplest form of communication when many options exist.

Arabic Express: Speak Lebanese (A Complete Course)
This book does the pioneering work of presenting, contextually, a comprehensive grammar of spoken Arabic, the Arabic used in everyday oral communication among the Lebanese. This book is the first to present spoken Arabic and its grammar, with the great facilitation of the Roman script, in a comprehensive, systematic and coherent manner. All units contain listening-speaking activities for language practice, pronunciation and language modelling purposes. Lebanese is an advantageous Levantine dialect to learn in the English-speaking world, because it is one of those better understood in the Arabic speaking world, thanks to Lebanese films, songs and dubbed foreign series' diffusion. The book's learner-friendly style shapes its versatility, making it ideal for use by independent learners, in high school, and in a university classroom.

Conversational Arabic Quick and Easy: Lebanese Dialect (3 book series)
If your desire is to learn complicated grammatical rules of Lebanese Arabic, then this is NOT for you. But if you need to actually hold a conversation with your Lebanese friends or while on a trip to Lebanon, then this IS for you. The three books in the series work together. In Part 1, you learn the core set of words, three hundred and fifty of them, and then in Part 2, you learn the sentences that you need to supplement the core words. In Part 3, your set of sentences is expanded to increase the topics you can talk about. This set of language tools is all you need to master the language to even greater proficiency and quicker than with other courses.

Beginning Learner's Levantine Arabic Dictionary
Based on the Beiruti dialect of Lebanon, Beginning Learner’s Levantine Arabic Dictionary will help you gain a solid foundation in Levantine Arabic as it is spoken today. Beyond just being a reference in which to look up words to understand what you hear or express yourself, this dictionary is designed to be a self-study tool which you can explore to build your core vocabulary and understanding of the language through the headwords, translations, grammar and usage notes, example sentences, and free downloadable audio tracks.

Levantine Colloquial Arabic Vocabulary
Based on the Beiruti dialect of Lebanon, Levantine Colloquial Arabic Vocabulary presents over 4,500 words, phrases, and example sentences organized by topic. Unlike a dictionary, which is meant to be used as a reference, this book is a powerful and effective study tool for increasing your vocabulary for daily communication. All items appear in a three-column layout with Arabic script (with diacritics/tashkeel), phonemic transcription (to aid in accurate pronunciation), and English translation–and often include grammar and usage notes. An alphabetical English-Arabic index helps you locate needed words quickly. Free audio tracks to help you develop listening skills and accurate pronunciation are downloadable from the publisher's website.

Levantine Arabic Verbs: Conjugation Tables and Grammar
Based on the Beiruti dialect of Lebanon, Levantine Arabic Verbs provides not only 100+ conjugation tables of some of the most common verbs (and 'pseudo-verb' prepositional phrases) used in daily language, but also grammar reference for the verbs (forms and uses of tenses and moods, negative verbs, compound tenses, etc.). Phonemic transcription is provided alongside the Arabic script in the conjugation tables to aid in accurate pronunciation and help learners get used to Arabic script as written for the dialect. Example sentences are presented under each conjugation table with the verbs in various persons and tenses, demonstrating different meanings and idiomatic uses. All conjugated verb forms in all tables and example sentences appear on the downloadable audio tracks, spoken by a native speaker from Lebanon.

Mido: In Levantine Arabic
Ideal for young-at-heart adult intermediate and advanced learners of Levantine Arabic, this book contains 10 chapters of similar length (around 1,000 words each), along with illustrations, English translations, footnotes, and photographs. Mido and his family invite you to join them on their everyday adventures in Beirut as you listen and read along, learning about life for modern Lebanese while improving your Arabic. Free audio tracks to help you develop listening skills and accurate pronunciation are downloadable from the publisher's website, as well as a free printable PDF Arabic-English Glossary of all the vocabulary found in the book.

Shwayy 'An Haali: Listening, Reading, and Expressing Yourself in Lebanese and Syrian Arabic (Volume 1)
Shwayy 'An Haali ("A Little About Myself") aims to help independent language learners develop their conversational skills in Levantine Arabic and increase their vocabulary. The book presents ten speakers, five from Lebanon and five from Syria. Each of the 30 sections in the book begins with a question on a specific topic followed by the responses of each of the speakers and a breakdown of the vocabulary. The book has been designed in such a way that it can be an effective learning tool for learners at all levels, with glossaries of even the most basic words for beginners, and unvowelled texts and Modern Standard Arabic translations for more advanced learners.

Kameen Shwayy 'An Haali: Listening, Reading, and Expressing Yourself in Lebanese and Syrian Arabic (Volume 2)
This book is the second of the two-part series. If you are not yet at an intermediate level of Levantine Arabic, it is advised that you complete the first book, Shwayy ‘An Haali before moving on to Kameen Shwayy ‘An Haali. The responses are typically somewhat longer than those in the first book. For more advanced learners, the texts appear again in the back of the book without voweling or translations, to provide a more challenging reading experience without distractions. Modern Standard Arabic translations of the texts are also given on each page for learners who are more proficient in MSA and can benefit from comparing the similarities and differences between it and spoken Levantine Arabic.

Haki Kill Yoom 1: Situational Levantine Arabic
Based on the Beiruti dialect of Lebanon, this book is designed to help elementary and intermediate learners succeed at critical moments during everyday communicative tasks. Its 15 chapters focus on everyday situations such as transportation, eating out, socializing, health. Each chapter includes several mini-dialogues and an extended dialogue in authentic, everyday Levantine Arabic. Arabic script with phonemic transcription and English translations are provided, as well as hundreds of language and culture notes and lists of key vocabulary and expressions. Free audio tracks to help you develop listening skills and accurate pronunciation are downloadable from the publisher's website.

Haki Kill Yoom 2: Situational Levantine Arabic
The second of two books in the series, this book is designed to help elementary and intermediate learners succeed at critical moments during everyday communicative tasks. The purpose of the dialogues is to teach you different words and phrases that you can use and that you may hear. Synonyms, alternative expressions, and supplementary vocabulary are provided to help you form your own sentences to express yourself and to be prepared for the variety of possible things you may hear people say to you. By studying the dialogues, learning new vocabulary and key expressions, and listening to the accompanying audio, you will soon find yourself able to express yourself with confidence and understand people in Levantine Arabic better.

The Comprehensive Guide to Levantine Arabic
The Comprehensive Guide to Levantine Arabic facilitates both the acquisition and reinforcement of the Levantine Arabic language for students of all levels. This book: 1) covers all of the essential linguistic needs of Colloquial Arabic students and helps them build a strong base in the spoken dialect; 2) simplifies and solidifies the way language instruction is provided to non-native speakers; 3) uses Deewan’s very own “The Ladder of Words” technique; 4) encourages students to build on the vocabulary and structures from prior lessons in each subsequent lesson; 5) incorporates practice exercises for listening and speaking comprehension to maximize understanding and retention; 6) is user-friendly for all students, including those with and without a teacher; 7) is created for Arabic students of any level. With exclusive online access to audio files.

Guide to Deewan Arabic Podcast: Levantine Arabic (Season 1)
Among the first of its kind, Deewan podcast provides educational yet engaging content where in each episode, one of our teachers hosts a student learning Arabic and they discuss cultural topics including various aspects of life like veganism, racism, parenting, and several other topics we believe are of interest to our students. The podcast provides content that caters to Arabic learners of all levels, covering any student’s essential linguistic needs in an engaging and practical way. Accompanying each of our podcast seasons, is this book, which we believe is an integral part of our language teaching process. This podcast book contains a glossary of terms from each episode and written exercises relevant to each episode’s audio content. Through the book, we seek to make learning Arabic an engaging experience through providing immersive cultural content.

Grammar Book for Levantine Dialect (Lebanese/Syrian/Palestinian/Jordanian)
Master the Levantine dialect's grammar with this comprehensive guide. Featuring 24 lessons all accompanied with their own engaging exercises and activities that will help you to fully grasp each lesson. The book doesn't shy away from offering the appropriate cultural insights, as our practice sections aim at helping you fully grasp the various linguistic skills within their communicative and socio-cultural contexts. The rules and instructions for the practice section are all written in English. Latin transliterations are only provided for the parts that include pronunciation or phonetic instructions.

Levantine Arabic: Easy Grammar
Levantine Arabic learners' guide is aimed to be a grammar reference for students and to support them during their learning journey. The book uses a very easy method to follow in terms of explaining the grammar and more the focus on the practice and examples and over 1000 essential vocabulary.

Arabic vs. Arabic: A Dialect Sampler
While this book does not focus on learning Lebanese Arabic, it lets you explore the vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar of 15 varieties of Arabic (that is, Modern Standard Arabic and 14 dialects including Lebanese Arabic) through tables with notes and free, downloadable accompanying audio. You can go through the tables in order or skip around the book to see what catches your attention. The book really is meant to be a sampler platter to give you a taste of each Arabic dialect and a better understanding of just how varied the various varieties of Arabic are. The layout encourages the self-discovery method of learning. While the notes under many tables identify points of interest, you are encouraged to find patterns, exceptions, innovative features of dialects, and universals by studying the tables and listening to the audio tracks.

Lebanese Arabic Language Courses

Learn Lebanese Arabic + Modern Standard Arabic + Other Dialects with Cudoo's Course Bundle
The first question people are faced with when they want to learn Arabic is whether to learn Modern Standard Arabic or one of the more popular dialects like Egyptian Arabic, Lebanese (Levantine) Arabic, or Morrocan Arabic. With Cudoo's online course, you no longer have to choose and can learn them all for a well-rounded learning experience. Gain a balanced understanding of Arabic and speak the language confidently like a local. Learn BOTH Modern Standard Arabic AND the three most popular Arabic dialects with Cudoo's Arabic course bundle.

1-on-1 Arabic tutoring at italki
One-on-one language tutoring at italki is hands down the most efficient way to reach language fluency. That's why it is the most popular platform today for learning a language online. You can practice conversational skills under different real-world scenarios with a native speaker tutor of your choice who provides you with undivided attention and customized lessons that cater to your learning needs and interests. Whether you’re at home, at the airport, or at your local park, you have complete access to learning Lebanese Arabic or any other language you want with a native speaker from any country of your choice. SPECIAL OFFER: Get $10 italki credits by joining via this link.

Preply
Preply is a global online language learning platform designed to promote faster learning with one-on-one online tutors. It connects language tutors with millions of learners from all over the world. You can choose from dozens of Arabic teachers from any country of your choice available in the platform. Book a lesson with a private Arabic teacher today and start learning. Not entirely happy with your tutor? No worries, Preply offers free tutor replacement till you're 100% satisfied.

Lebanese Arabic Learning Podcasts

Language Wave
Learn Lebanese Arabic with transcribed podcast episodes exploring Lebanon and its people. This podcast helps you improve your Lebanese Arabic skills related to active listening, reading, vocabulary, and cultural context knowledge. The Arabic used is similar to what you might hear around you while sitting in a cafe in Lebanon and chatting with a local friend. We design the episodes to cover a variety of topics and language concepts to help you learn the dialect and be more confident while using it. We publish episodes that include Lebanese Arabic audio content with transcripts, English translations, comprehension exercises, and vocabulary tables.

Real Arabic
Real Arabic is designed to help you improve your listening comprehension and vocabulary by listening to the stories of people collected from around the Middle East, as well as interesting topics that cover history, politics, culture, and society of the Middle East. All podcasts are narrated in Lebanese/Syrian Arabic dialect.

Levantine Arabic Phone Conversations
This site contains hundreds of natural phone conversations on a broad range of topics, recorded by Levantine Arabic native speakers at normal conversation speed. Perfect for improving your listening skills. Courtesy of Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center.

Lebanese Arabic Learning Blogs and Articles

Wikitravel Lebanese Arabic Phrasebook
The Wikitravel Arabic Phrasebook is a guide chock-full of useful information for anyone learning spoken Arabic. It begins with a simple pronunciation guide and continues with phrases for a variety of handy categories. There are basic phrases, phrases for different situations you might encounter, numbers, seasons, days, colors, transportation, shopping, eating and more. You can learn a substantial amount of vocabulary from this resource alone.

Useful Lebanese Arabic phrases
A collection of useful phrases in Lebanese Arabic, the variety of colloquial Arabic spoken in Lebanon. Compiled by Omniglot, the online encyclopedia of writing systems and languages.

50+ Basic Levantine Arabic Phrases and Words to Sound Local
If you’re learning Levantine Arabic, then a good starting point is to learn these basic Levantine Arabic phrases to help you get started. Please note that this page doesn't list Levantine Arabic slang words. It’s colloquial Arabic, or spoken Arabic, but it’s not slang that’s inappropriate to say in any situation.

Lebanese Arabic Learning Portals

Lebanese Arabic Video and Audio Recordings at NFLC E-Learning Portal
Managed by the National Foreign Language Center at the University of Maryland, this e-learning portal contains a decent collection of video and audio recordings of Lebanese Arabic (and other Arabic dialects as well) for students at different levels. You need to register (it's FREE) to be able to access the learning materials.

Lughatuna
What started out as a simple word list on a student’s desktop has evolved into some of the largest online dictionaries ever written for the Egyptian, Levantine and Maghrebi Arabic dialects, alongside with a growing Classical Arabic (Fusha) dictionary, all run on a uniquely structured database designed for Arabic’s diglossia. These dictionaries are more than just a list of words, they are guides to the Arabic language. The uniquely structured database allows users to search by Arabic word, English word, and Arabic root. There are also thousands of examples to show users how to properly use words and listing common phrases and proverbs.

Lebanese Arabic Learning Videos

Learn Lebanese Arabic with Hiba Najem - Full Playlist

Learn Lebanese Arabic with Angela - Full Playlist

Lebanese Arabic Learning Apps

Lebanese Arabic Basic Phrases - On Google Play
This app was originally developed as an entry to the 2010 "Apps for the Army" competition, and it is based on the modules publicly available online from the US Defense Language Institute. While this app's subject matter relates mainly to military topics, the app is broadly useful with content relating to a range of topics including Greetings and Introductions, Numbers, Days of the Week/Time, Directions, Locations, Descriptions (Colors, Shapes, Sizes, Tastes, Qualities, Quantities), Emergency Terms, Food and Sanitation, Fuel and Maintenance, Lodging, Medical Terms, Military Ranks, Occupations, Parts of the Body, Relatives and Weather.

Learn Arabic Lebanese Dialect Easy
On App Store | On Google Play
Learn Arabic Lebanese Dialect app helps to teach the Lebanese dialect in an easy and fun way. It allows travelers, friends, colleagues, etc. to communicate no matter what the situation you are in. If you are in the shops, markets, train stations, restaurants, or in an unknown place, finding your way around and talking to locals is easy and efficient.

1-on-1 Lebanese Arabic Lessons at italki

italki is the most flexible and affordable language learning platform that connects students with the most dedicated teachers around the world for 1-on-1 online language tutoring through video chat. At italki, you can choose an experienced Lebanese Arabic teacher for your personal tutor based on your goals and interests.

Here is a step-by-step instruction to find a native Lebanese Arabic teacher at italki:

Click on the following banner, an italki page will open in a new window.
Click the "From" button on the top-left corner of the page.
Search for "Lebanon" (You may need to click "Show More" and type "Lebanon").
Tick on "Lebanon".
Click "Apply".
Choose your Lebanese Arabic teacher and schedule a lesson with him/her right away.

Good luck and enjoy your lesson!