Little Miss WRX

Can anyone direct me to an good online places where I can start to learn arabic. Preferably with audio?

A lot of the football (read soccer for Americans and Aussies and any other awkward buggers ) teams are Arabic and some of the players don't speak very good English.

As a referee, I would like to be able to know when they are using abusive language towards each other. Some of them are quite sneaky and revert to Arabic so that the majority of us officials have no idea what they are saying.
I would also like to learn it in order to communicate easier to the ones who struggle with English normally during matches, rather than expect them all to have a good grasp of the language.

mj

Elif air ab tizak,Mos zibbi.

Ikla hudumak & Elhasi teezi

Edited out due to the language on the link - thank you for the help, but sorry it had to go! I have bookmarked the site though, thanks again.



[Edited by Little Miss WRX - 5/28/2003 8:56:44 PM]

Little Miss WRX

Just a few!!!!

Now I just have to perfect pronunciation and such so that I don't mis-hear anything on the field!

PS. Cheers for the offer, but I will decline.

[Edited by Little Miss WRX - 5/28/2003 8:58:36 PM]

Black Cat

You do lead an interesting life .... go girl....!!!

Little Miss WRX

Interesting is definitely an appropriate word!! It gets me out and about though.

I sometimes wonder why I went into refereeing after matches like the ones this last weekend (see sport section - violence on the pitch), I think it is because I love football....it has to be!!! I don't normally like being verbally abused....

Black Cat

No that's definitely not on.. and you are right to think that there may be a 'lack of respect' ... we had a similar situation with some Japanese Nationals... and they do speak about you in their language..... some nations hold women in very little regard and it's best to get one step ahead... but I take my hat off to you you do lead a very interesting life.... but hey girl.... let them get on with their problems.... you don't need the hassle or the worry ... at the end of the day you're doing what you've been asked to do...
P

Little Miss WRX

That's what I thought.....stay one step ahead of them and also be seen to be making an effort towards learning the language rather than maintaining the "British arrogant attitude" of everyone else having to learn English.

I went up to one guy a couple of months back as he was wearing a Villa shirt and said "Superb choice of team, who is your favourite player" with a beaming smile on my face. He looked at me as if I was an alien (albeit I get that reaction a lot and am used to it now ). Then a team mate of his explained that he didn't talk English and I felt very embarrassed. I just pointed at the Villa badge and gave the thumbs up in order to try and redeem myself, but I think I failed.

The team I had the trouble with this weekend were banned a while back for an assault on a female referee, so I intend to do as much as I possibly can in order to assess situations when I am refereeing them. Although they have a history, I do believe in giving teams a chance and in turn I want to be seen to be doing as much as I can to make refereeing them easier.
Most of the guys are fantastic players, they just have such short fuses and racial abuse from spectators does not help. [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]

On a side note, myself and another Scoobynetter are setting up some forums for footie fans, players and referees in order to bring the three together. I am including a section for referees where we can get together and offer support to each other....especially new refs.
I might now include a section where other languages can be translated in text and hopefully on audio too so we all become more aware of things happening in the game.

Black Cat

... I'm afraid my football knowledge is very limited neither myself or my hubbie are into footie... but I do know I have been expected to stand aside for 'foreign nationals' on stairwells and other areas where it was deemed that men have priority ' in case you're wondering ... ah .. 'NO WAY'...

Your proposed idea sounds very good.... hope it all works out....I'm sure it will...

moses

chelle check the reply on the mlr

Little Miss WRX

Thanks Black Cat.

Moses, I knew I would grab your attention on one of the two sites.

moses

ahlan wasahlan ( your welcome)

Toonman1

I'll ask my Wife Michelle - she was an English and History teacher in the Gulf for a few years - speaks fluent Arabic. She stuggles to do the same job in County Durham now. She's still not fluent in the local dialect!

Cheers

Little Miss WRX

Cheers Toonman.

Toonman1

Hi Michelle

My Wife says that written traditional Arabic is fairly standard, but spoken Arabic varies soooo much from region to region. She would have no probs in the UAE, but would struggle a bit in another area or country.

Thinking of your situation, she says an insult in Iranian Arabic could actually be nothing at all in Egyptian Arabic. She says it's very complicated and something you can't learn from a teach yourself tape and book.

Her suggestion was a night class or similar, but it would still only teach you how to speak in one particular area.

Good luck!

MichelleWRX1994

Hi Toonman...

Thank you for finding out and thanks to your wife for answering my query. I got the same response from a couple of guys on the MLR board, so I am going to have to find out which Arabic region the majaroity of the teams talk in. Until then, it is pretty much no point me learning one region.

Thanks again,

Chelle.

Toonman1

Michelle

No probs at all. My Wife's an LTA coach (as well as a Primary School teacher). She says it's bad enough when you can understand what the kids say, but it must be awful when you can't (and I don't think you deal with kids either...). She takes her hat off to you (and so do I!). Let us know how you get on.

Take care

Hels and Mike

Little Miss WRX

I get to referee both kids and senior football, there are Arabic teams or teams who have a large Arabic base throughout the ages from Under 9's to Over 35's.

The speed with which a conversation goes is incredible.....a blur of words to the ear.
I can stand there within ear shot and wonder whether the players are just exchanging formalities, being full on abusive or making snidey remarks about me......how am I to know??
You usually know when they are talking about you as the occasional glance comes your way with a smirk or the players are sniggering.

I actually have one of the ladies sides who come from an area where I know a lot of Arabic teams are based. Hopefully I can speak with one of the players or someone to do with the team and ask them which region I would be best to learn in order to communicate with.

the chosen one

hahaha good luck, found it hard enough learning german before i went to the ring..........but arabic, good luck with it anyways

Little Miss WRX

Cheers, looks like I have some hard work ahead of me.