A research-based approach to learning beginner-level contemporary Egyptian Arabic that puts culture up front El Mumtaaz provides learners new to Egyptian Arabic (EA) with the keys to understanding and speaking the language while also developing their facility to understand EA as written online. With relevant themes, humorous dialogues about contemporary life, thematic vocabulary, and lots of Egyptian culture and pragmatics, Mahmoud Azaz and Ayman Mohamed have built each chapter around ACTFL's world readiness standards, ensuring mastery of one of the most widely spoken varieties of Arabic. Partner and group activities and easy-to-follow grammar explanations give learners every tool for mastery. Robust culture sections, using memes and jokes to teach pragmatics, round out each chapter. Covering topics that include introductions and greetings, family, the daily and weekly routine, friends and colleagues, education, food, weather, errands, vacations and going out, clothes and shopping, and living arrangements, learners should reach Intermediate-Low after completing their work. The book includes free streaming audio and video (available on the publisher's website) for many opportunities for listening and practicing Egyptian Arabic. The lessons not only encourage language and culture learning but also create authentic connections with Egyptian speakers in the learners' communities. El Mumtaaz can be used alongside textbooks either teaching Modern Standard Arabic alone or teaching the integrated method, as well as on its own in a course focused on Egyptian Arabic.
