Linguistic-Arabic and English
Base your response on the information provided below about Egyptian Arabic (downloadable here) and the information provided on the English phonemic inventory (in the 2.3 Module).
You do not have to discuss every aspect of the question. If you have enough to say about just one or more aspects of it, that’s fine.
Do not use any other resources. Only talk about the information in the image below. Any information not from the image will be ignored when grading.
Do not waste space. You are being asked to write very little (200-250 words). Zero of these words should be pointless boilerplate text. We know where Arabic is spoken, and we know its history. If your assignment contains filler such as “Arabic is a language spoken by Many people. Arabic has a rich history going back to….”, this will not count towards your grade. For example, a response that is 50% pointless filler may receive a grade of 50%.
The consonant chart below shows a simplified version of the Egyptian Arabic phonemic system. The consonant chart shows its consonant phonemes, and the vowel diagram shows you its vowel phonemes. Based on the sounds Egyptian Arabic does and does not have, please answer the questions below.
Do you think Arabic speakers will have a hard time learning English pronunciation? Talk specifically about which vowels and consonants they might have a hard time with. Be specific about your reasoning, and talk about natural classes whenever possible. Also, the same question but flipped: Do you think English speakers will have a hard time learning Arabic pronunciation? Talk about which vowels and consonants they might have a hard time with. Be specific about your reasoning, and talk about natural classes whenever possible.
