LEARNING LEBANESE
There are approximately 18 million Lebanese people living around the world. About 75% reside outside of Lebanon, constituting part of the Lebanese diaspora. While Lebanon is small geographically, the chances you know a Lebanese person are quite high!
If you are looking to impress your Lebanese friends or family, Spoken Lebanese is your guide. This phonetic textbook teaches the Lebanese dialect through topics such as food, clothing, transportation, and leisure activities. It focuses on vocabulary and phrases; touches on grammar, conjugation, and culture; provides short dialogues accompanied by audio; and includes reinforcement exercises.
Dr. Maksoud N. Feghali drafted Spoken Lebanese based on a phonetic system he developed to learn the dialect with ease and speed. With a comprehensive lexicon, it is a great tool to practice together with a fluent speaker.
About the Author: Originally from Bsous, Lebanon, Dr. Maksoud N. Feghali (1949–1999) was born and raised in the town of Hazmieh, a suburb of Beirut. In 1974, he emigrated to the United States, eventually earning his PhD from Michigan's Wayne State University. Starting in 1982, Dr. Feghali taught Arabic at the Defense Language Institute in California and co-authored the Arabic Basic Course, as well as co-developed the Defense Language Proficiency Test. In 1989, he joined Appalachian State University, a member institution of the University of North Carolina, as Professor of French and Director of the French Exchange Program. Dr. Feghali lectured extensively on Lebanon, France, the Middle East, Francophone culture and literature, English as a second language, and foreign language acquisition.
