Abu Dhabi professors publish first Emirati Arabic textbook

The book, titled Ramsah, which means ‘talk’ in Emirati Arabic, is a 352-page workbook and audio guide that aims to serve as a resource for educators and students in the UAE and elsewhere in the region.

Nasser Isleem, senior Arabic language instructor at New York University, Abu Dhabi. Courtesy New York University, Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI // The first modern standard Arabic language textbook for the Emirati dialect has been published by two New York University Abu Dhabi professors.

Ramsah, which means "talk" in Emirati Arabic, is a 352-page workbook and audio guide that aims to serve as a resource for educators and students.

“Arabic is the sixth most commonly spoken language in the world and a strong knowledge of both written and spoken is in high demand,” said Nasser Isleem, a language immersion specialist in Arabic studies at NYUAD.

Prof Isleem worked on the book with Ayesha Al Hashemi.

"Ramsah is therefore designed to provide learners with the tools they need to learn the Emirati dialect used in the UAE and the surrounding region."

He hoped the book would provide a “rich cultural and linguistic approach through real-life situations” that would “make the acquisition of Emirati Arabic easier to learn as a living language for everyday use”.

The instruction and exercises in Ramsah are designed to build a solid foundation in the Emirati dialect.

It focuses on the structure, vocabulary, pronunciation, culture, grammar and real-life daily use of the language.

The book is printed by Kuttab Publishing House.

"With Ramsah, my hope is that language students as well as interested visitors and residents, not only at NYUAD, will now have a resource to use in their language and cultural learning experiences, be it in an academic setting, as part of their cultural or professional development, or individually," Prof Al Hashemi said.

“With this project becoming a reality, I also hope that it will shed light on the importance of this field.”