Pronunciation, spelling, the concept of roots and patterns and idomatic phrases are just some of the areas that cause confusion for students of Arabic. Learning how to avoid the common errors that arise repeatedly in these areas is an essential step in successful language learning. Speed Up Your Arabic is a unique and innovative resource that identifies and explains the most commonly made errors, enabling students to learn from their mistakes and enhance their understanding of the Arabic language. Each of the nine chapters focuses on a grammatical category where English speakers typically make mistakes in Arabic. Each chapter is divided into sections that classify the concepts and errors into subcategories. Full explanations are provided throughout with clear, comprehensive examples and exercises to help the learner gain an in-depth understanding of Arabic grammar and usage. Key features: Carefully selected grammar topics and examples based on the most commonly made errors Comprehensive explanations of the most difficult grammar points help learners gain an in-depth understanding of Arabic grammar and usage. Exercises throughout reinforce learning and link theory to practice A complete answer key making it ideal for self-study A glossary of grammatical terms, an Arabic-English glossary and a bibliography to aid learning Useful drills and listening samples available for free download at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415660556/ Suitable both for classroom use or self-study, Speed Up Your Arabic is the ideal resource for all intermediate learners of Arabic wishing to refine their language skills.

This indispensable resource for Western readers about the Kurds-an ancient indigenous group that exemplifies diversity in the Middle East-examines their history, politics, economics, and social structure. The Kurds: An Encyclopedia of Life, Culture, and Society provides an insightful examination the Kurds-from their historical beginning to today-through thematic and country-specific essays as well as important primary documents that allow for a greater understanding of the diversity and pluralism of the region. This single-volume work looks at the Kurds from a variety of angles and disciplines, including history, anthropology, economics, religion, geography, and musicology, to cover the ethnic populations of the original Kurdish homeland states as well as of the diaspora. The book evaluates sources in Kurdish (both Kurmanci and Sorani) in addition to information of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish origin to present broad, up-to-date coverage that will serve nonspecialist readers, high school and college students, and professionals, journalists, politicians, and other decision makers who require accurate perspectives on Kurdish history and culture. Additionally, an entire section of the book provides excerpts of primary sources selected for their importance to Kurdish history and identity. These 20 primary source excerpts are accompanied by introductions and analysis that enable readers to fully appreciate their political, religious, and cultural importance. Supplies a thorough examination of the Kurds, a people that are of great interest and relevance to the general public because of their successful campaign against the Islamic State Offers a local, regional, and global perspective on important current Middle Eastern issues through the context of the Kurdish people Underscores how the Kurds stand for diversity and pluralism in an otherwise homogeneous Middle East Enables readers to develop a much better understanding of U.S. involvement in the Middle East Includes entries written by a team of international contributors, including many Kurdish scholars

Pronunciation, spelling, the concept of roots and patterns and idomatic phrases are just some of the areas that cause confusion for students of Arabic. Learning how to avoid the common errors that arise repeatedly in these areas is an essential step in successful language learning. Speed Up Your Arabic is a unique and innovative resource that identifies and explains the most commonly made errors, enabling students to learn from their mistakes and enhance their understanding of the Arabic language. Each of the nine chapters focuses on a grammatical category where English speakers typically make mistakes in Arabic. Each chapter is divided into sections that classify the concepts and errors into subcategories. Full explanations are provided throughout with clear, comprehensive examples and exercises to help the learner gain an in-depth understanding of Arabic grammar and usage. Key features: Carefully selected grammar topics and examples based on the most commonly made errors Comprehensive explanations of the most difficult grammar points help learners gain an in-depth understanding of Arabic grammar and usage. Exercises throughout reinforce learning and link theory to practice A complete answer key making it ideal for self-study A glossary of grammatical terms, an Arabic-English glossary and a bibliography to aid learning Useful drills and listening samples available for free download at http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415660556/ Suitable both for classroom use or self-study, Speed Up Your Arabic is the ideal resource for all intermediate learners of Arabic wishing to refine their language skills.

Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority traces the development of Yezidi identity on the margins of Syria's minority context. This little known group is connected to the community's main living area in northern Iraq, but evolved as a separate identity group in the context of Syria's colonial, national, and revolutionary history. Always on the bottom of the socio-economic hierarchy, the two sub-groups located in the Kurdagh and the Jezira experience a period of sociological and theological renewal in their quest for a recognized and protected status in the new Syria. In this book, Sebastian Maisel transmits and analyzes the Yezidi perspective on Syria's policies towards ethnic and religious minorities.