Learn Levantine Arabic with Livi

Hi listeners, I hope you are all really well.

Sorry that I took a while to record the next episode.

Today I'll be speaking again with my friend Adam (also known as Ahmed) from Gaza about the reasons behind him choosing to study international social work.

Very important to this conversation is the fact that Adam is blind and, as a result, has had to face a lot of significant challenges.

However, he is using his lived experience as a disabled man to help others; through studying international social work.

If you want to know more about his story you can check out his GoFundMe page linked at the bottom. Adam is raising money to pay his tuition fees and living expenses as he completes his studies in the Netherlands. The world needs more dedicated and compassionate social workers like Adam so if you are interested please check out his fundraiser.

I suppose it's also important to say that in this episode there is a lot we don't discuss, including details of what Adam's family in Gaza are facing right now. We weren't consciously avoiding the topic, more that there sometimes aren't sufficient words to describe something.

Big thank you to Adam for making the time to speak to me even in these terrible moments and still finding ways to laugh in spite of it all.

You can follow my account on insta for updates @learnlevantinewithlivi

Here is the vocabulary:

ماشي الحال - It is so so

 لقب - Nickname

بالتحديد - Specifically

كفيف - Blind

لاللي ما بيعرفوا - For those who do not know

فقدت بصري - I lost my sight

زي ما انتِ شايفة - As you can see

دمار - Destruction

ذوي احتياجات خاصة - People with special needs

اتصاوبوا - They got injured

عناصر منتجة في المجتمع 

Productive members of society

تأهيل- Rehabilitation

أسأل مجرب ولا تسأل طبيب

Ask someone who has  firsthand experience with a disease rather than a doctor.

تخمين - Guessing

سؤال عشوائي - Random question

برج العقرب - Scorpio (Zodiac sign)

شو بعرفك! - You never know!

عقبات  - Obstacles

التنهد - A sigh

امكانية الوصول - Accessibility

مش أحسن شي من ناحية

It's not the best (usually when you are talking about something which is no better than the bare minimum)

القوة العضلية - Physical strength

رسوم الدراسة - Tuition fees

مصاريف - Expenses

أصرف على نفسي - To spend on myself

يساريين - Leftists

مهاجرين - Immigrants

ودودين - Friendly

البنية التحتية - Infrastructure

صدمة ثقافية - Culture shock

حرفيا - Literally

على أرض الواقع - In reality

حضنتها - I embraced her

مزدحم - Crowded

مقارنة ب - In comparison with

مع احترامي الشديد - With all due respect

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ahmed-studeren-en-zijn-droom-waar-te-maken?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=chat&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_term=undefined

*Vocab below

Hi everyone, I hope you're all really well.

Today I'm going to be talking to Adam about a really important topic; psychology and mental health.

We actually recorded this episode last year (apologies for the delay in publishing) just before Adam made a very long and difficult journey from Gaza to the Netherlands in order to start his studies at Han University.

I'm mentioning this a) because Adam is a remarkable person b) he is currently running a GoFundMe to support his studies in International Social Work.

Adam has been blind all of his adult life, but this has never stopped his determination, especially for helping others with disability. He is studying International Social Work in order to be able to develop a career in this field in order to have a positive impact.

As he is in some financial difficulties at the moment he is fundraising to support his tuition fees and living expenses for the next few years.

If you would like to read more about Adam (whose real name is Ahmed....Adam is a nickname) and check out a personal video from him, then you can check this link here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ahmed-studeren-en-zijn-droom-waar-te-maken?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=chat&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_term=undefined

Many thanks and enjoy the episode!

Vocabulary:

حواجز - Barriers

بشكل سلس  Fluently/ smoothly

فأر التجارب = Guinea pig / lab rat

Logic / Logical - منطق / منطقي

جرحتني  - it hurt me / it scarred me 

بضلني ساكت- I remain silent / I keep silent

طبيب نفسي - psychiatrist 

صدقًا- honestly

نابع عن = Stems from 

إحاطة = understanding grasping of something

أنماط =  patterns/stereotypes

كتمت مشاعري = I suppressed my feelings

التنمر = Bullying

فخورة = Proud

شكرا على المدح = Thanks for the compliment 

ما بيتناقض مع =Does not contradict with 

 بحنان= Compassionately-tenderly

Hello and welcome to all the listeners. I disappeared for a while because I was overloaded with work and travel and didn't have enough time to make new episodes for you. And, to be totally honest, I was being a bit lazy....but i've shaken off the laziness and here I am, back to share a new episode with you which is a conversation with my brilliant friend Melissa.

We'll be hearing a conversation between Melissa and I where we will discuss her work in the world of theatre, Armenian culture, her experiences growing up as Armenian in Lebanon and how she combines multiple languages and cultures together in her life. 

I hope you will find the conversation as interesting and useful as I did. 

Below are the vocab that will help you when listening to the podcast (lots today as an apology for not making an episode for so long!)

بعتذر مسبقا  - I apologise in advance

مهندسة معمارية - architect

هندسة معمارية - Architecture

تصميم المسرح - Theatre design

شغف - Passion

كبير الشغف في - My passion grew

فراغ في /بداخلي - an emptiness inside me

نوبه - attack/panic

بالوقت الحالي  - now / in the present moment

إبادة جماعية - Genocide

انتماء - Belonging

لبنانية قبل بكفاية / انا لبنانية بشكل كافي - I am Lebanese enough

متمسكة - Attached/connected

مواطنة من العالم - Citizen of the world

ملحوظ - Impressive/distinctive

بفتكر/ بفكر - I think

الشتات - The diaspora

يستعيروا - They borrow

نزوح/ نازحة،نازح - Exodus / Displaced

اجدادنا - Grandparents / Our Grandparents منخبر بعض قصص - We tell each other stories

أكتسبت - I gained / I acquired

افسر حالي - I explain myself

مماثل - Similar / Comparable

برهن - Prove (to prove something)

بسلط الضو على شي - To shine a light on something / To highlight something

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode Eight!

Apologies for my absence, but now i'm back AND I have some news which is that i've set up an email address through which you can pass on your comments and feedback about the podcast as well as make suggestions for topics you would benefit from hearing about. 

Please feel free to get in touch at learnlevantine@gmail.com

In other good news, i'm happy to tell you that Ramzi has some spaces available for conversational Arabic classes for intermediate students. His classes are ideally suited to those who can understand around 70% of the conversations in the podcast. For more information please get in touch at the same email address learnlevantine@gmail.com

I can highly recommend him as a teacher.

Here are some of the new words we will be hearing in today's episode:

عبارات - Sayings

أمثال - Examples

تعبير - Expression

وفرة - Abundance

بتستحضر - You evoke

وقح - Rude

اللغة المحكية - The spoken language

مبالغين - Exaggerators / People who exaggerate 

مشابهة - Similar

فاصلة - Comma

بذكرو - They mention

الديك - The cockerel

معطيات - Data

برمي - I throw

تجنب - Avoiding / Avoid

بذيء - Indecent

سلفاً - In advance

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode Seven!

Apologies that we disappeared for a month. But now we are back with a new episode where Ramzi and I will ask each other questions about travel and transport.  

Getting to grips with how you structure questions in Arabic is something I certainly struggle with so there will be an element of translation in this episode (English-Arabic & Arabic-English) to help give some examples in the different question structures the two languages have.

Here are some of the new words we will be hearing in today's episode:

سياح - Tourists
موقع - Website
السائق - The driver
احسنلك - Better for you
موحدد - Specific / specified
بمر - I pass
الدولة - The state
بطلت - I quit / I stopped
الوقت المناسب - The appropriate / right time
اولوية - Priority
المشاة - The pedestrians
من خلال عيون السكان - Through the eyes of the inhabitants

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode Six.

Today we are going to try a slightly different format where Ramzi and I will ask each other 5 questions. 

Getting to grips with how you structure questions in Arabic is something I certainly struggle with so there will be an element of translation in this episode (English-Arabic & Arabic-English) to help give some examples in the different question structures the two languages have. 

It's also a chance for us to express our personal opinions about a range of subjects. Feeling like you can truly express yourself in another language is quite a journey and takes time and patience - so I hope this episode helps you. 

Here are some of the new words we will be hearing in today's episode:

I switch on - بشغل

Global crisis - أزمة عالمية

From my humble experience (lit) / in my humble opinion - تجربتي المتواضعة

Subject to change - قابلة للتغير

From different angles - من أكثر من زاوية

I comprehend it - أستوعبها

Thirties - الثلاثينات

Twenties - العشرينات

Clarification - توضيح

It lost a lot - خسر كثير

It has no relationship / irrelevant - ما اله / الها علاقة

I suffer - بأعاني

To pass - بيمروء

Catastrophe/Disaster/Calamity - مصيبة

Hi everyone and welcome to episode five - as always, thanks so much for listening. 

Today you will hear a conversation between Ramzi and I about the virtual world and what we feel are the positives and negatives of being 'online'.

We've got a whole bunch of new vocabulary today, 19 words in total! 

We fall into the trap - منوقع في الفخ
Based on / built upon - مبنية
You (m) distinguish - بتميز بين
Radically / in a radical way - بشكل جذري
Screen / screens - شاشة / شاشات
Duplication - الازدواجية
All the possible ways - كل الطرق الممكنة
Doubt - شك
Influencers - المؤثرين
Loneliness/ alone - وحدة
In isolation - في العزلة
Fraud / scam - احتيال
Approach - مقاربة
Human validity - صلاحيات الإنسان
Addicted - مدمن/ مدمنة
A sign of this / Proof of this - دليل على هيك
Moderation - اعتدال
It was useful to us - فادتنا
Permanent - دائم

Welcome to Episode Four! Thanks so much for listening.

Today Ramzi and I will be talking about the memory and memories, in general. 

Here are 15 of the new words you will be hearing in the podcast.

The Memory - الذاكرة
Memory/Memories - ذكرة/ ذكريات
To swear - اسب
Naughty - مشاغب
Out loud (in a loud voice) - صوت عالي
Flexible - مرن
Emotions - عواطف
Linked / related - مرتبط / مرتبطة
Pandemic - وباء
Ambiences - أجواء
Selective / انتقائية
In return بمقابل
Evoke - استحضار
Your strength - قوتك
Attack - هجوم

Welcome to Episode Three! Thanks so much for listening. 

Today I will be talking to Ramzi about our experiences of and opinions on dreams and dreaming. 

Here are 15 of the new words you will be hearing in the podcast. 

I grew up - نميت

Recurring dreams - أحلام متكررة

The main role - الدور الرئيسي

I improvise - برتجل

Psychology - علم النفس

Obsession - هوس

Failure - فشل

Metaphorical - مجازي

Literal - حرفي

Behaviour - سلوك

Negative - سلبي

Positive - ايجابي

Just - مجرد

Mental training / mental exercises - تمرين ذهني

It’s not coming to my mind - مش خاطر في بالي

Welcome to Episode Two!

Today Ramzi and I will be talking about our interest in creating radio shows and the roots this has in our respective childhoods. 

Here are 13 of the new words you will be hearing in the podcast:

Curious / curiosity of - فضول

Interested - مهتم / مهتمين

Impression - انطباع

Development - تطوير

Imagination - خيال

Imaginary friends - أصدقا متخيلين

Information - معلومات

You get closer - تقري على

Nap / siesta - قيلولة

Peace agreement - اتفاقية السلام

Bombing - قصف

Abbreviated - مختصر

Radio / broadcast - إذاعة

Welcome to the first episode!

Today Ramzi and I will be talking about life under the coronavirus lockdown, the best way to learn a new language and the common mistakes that myself and other language learners tend to make when speaking Arabic.

Here are 10 of the new words you will be hearing in the podcast:

Quarantine/Lockdown - حجر
Forced - مطر
Days of the invasion (intifada) - أيام الاجتياح
Curfew - منع التجول
Basic materials/necessities - المواد الاساسية
Value - قيمة
Communication - تواصل
Devices / device - الأجهزة / الجهاز
Repeated - متكرر
They confuse - بيخربتوا

Welcome to an introduction to Learn Levantine with Livi.

*Below is an English translation of the text you will be hearing in Arabic)

This is a podcast for intermediate students of Levantine Arabic.

In each podcast you will hear a conversation between me and a native speaker. At the beginning of each podcast I will introduce some new vocabulary that you will hear in the conversation.

My Arabic is not perfect at all, so I really hope that I can help you by offering you the chance to learn from my mistakes.

In each episode, the native speaker will correct me and my pronunciation whenever I make a mistake and, whenever I get stuck I will ask them for help too.

I have been really lucky to have had amazing teachers but the biggest thing that helped me improve my speaking was when I stopped caring about making mistakes and just started talking. Fortunately, I have lots of patient friends who are native speakers, so I try to speak with them as much as possible in Arabic and I stopped caring about making mistakes. Instead, I just talk and talk and I see the mistakes as chances to learn.

I hope you enjoy the podcast and don’t forget - try and practice talking as much as you can and don’t be scared to slip up! I do it all the time, and it's always the case that we learn from our mistakes.