The first semester
A short text in Arabic at level A2. The translation sits next to it: reading with a dictionary is still too early at this level, and without support it will not happen at all. This year Maryam began studying history at the university. In the class schedule the lectures are four days a week. The…
Text
- بدأت مريم هذا العام دراسة التاريخ في الجامعة. جدول الحصص فيه محاضرات أربعة أيام في الأسبوع. درس التاريخ صعب لكن ممتع. عندها منحة صغيرة من الجامعة. تعمل عملا جزئيا في المطعم بعد الدروس.бадаат марйам хаза аль-ʿаам дираасат ат-таарих фи аль-джамииʿа. джадваль аль-хасас фихи мухаадараат арбаʿат айаам фи аль-исбууʿ. дарс ат-таарих саʿб лякинн мумтиʿ. ʿиндиха мунаха сагиира мин аль-джамииʿа. таʿмаль ʿамалан джазаийян фи аль-матʿам баʿд ад-дурус.This year Maryam began studying history at the university. In the class schedule the lectures are four days a week. The history lesson is hard but interesting. She has a small scholarship from the university. She moonlights at a restaurant after classes.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What did Maryam begin?
- How many days a week are the lectures?
- What is the history lesson like?
- Where does she moonlight?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Arabic?
A2. That means: you know the letters and have a stock of everyday words — about two or three hundred.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.