Defense Language Institute. Saudi-Arabic Headstart. Cultural Notes

Defense Language Institute. Foreign language center. — 1980. — 261 p.You are about to start a self-paced course in Saudi Arabic. This program provides an orientation into the Saudi language and culture in hopes of making your assignment in Saudi Arabia more enjoyable. When you finish this program, you will be able to communicate with Saudis in several basic situations. You will be able to exchange common courtesies, so important in Arab countries; ask for directions; make an appointment; get your car fixed; get help in a medical emergency; talk about money and prices in terms of Saudi currency; and shop for some typical Saudi articles. In all these situations, the Saudis will understand you; and you, in turn, will understand what they say to you. You may have to ask them to repeat what they have said.
This course is only a basic introduction to the Saudi language and culture. Some commonly used words and expressions may vary from the text depending on the area of Saudi Arabia. The language you are going to learn is that used among male Saudis. You should be aware that when speaking to females, the endings of some words may change somewhat; for example, the word for "you" used in this course is inta, while it is inti when addressing a female. If you enjoy your ability to say and understand what you have learned in this course, you may want to continue studying the language and learning more about Saudi culture. You will not learn to read or write Arabic script during this short course. The Arabic script, written from right to left, is printed in your text in order to familiarize you with how it looks. You may wish to learn something about Arabic script on your own, or if you have access to an instructor you may ask him to explain to you or even teach you the Arabic script as a personal favor, but never as an objective of this course. There is quite a lot of work ahead of you, but we will try to give you some helpful information and suggestions for going through the course.