Hisurfer

I have a chance to stay with a friend - a Lebanese priest in Northern Israel - this Spring. I studied Arabic in college, and have been meaning to pick it up again. Does anyone know if I'll hear much of the language in the Nazareth area? Or is it mostly English and Hebrew?

eri

Most of the Israelis (Arabs and Jews)speak English. Nazareth is a mixed town. Upper Nazareth is mostly Jewish - who speak Hebrew. Nazareth is mostly Arabic, their language is Arabic. However, almost all Israeli Arabs speak also very good Hebrew. Unfortunately, very few Jewish Israelis speak Arabic.

Hisurfer

Thanks for the response! I was intending to start studying Arabic again for a trip to Egypt late next year. This give me an excuse / motivation to start earlier!

unaS

You do realize that the colloquial (spoken) language is very different in Egypt and in Israel/Palestine?

eri

Una is absolutely correct. Not only the Egyptian Arabic is different from the Israeli-Palestinian, the written language is different from the spoken language in both dialects.

Hisurfer

I knew that the dialects were different, just not sure how different. Since I'm starting at the beginning, I'm hoping to start with Standard Arabic [I took Classical in college], and adjust it once I get out there.

Or not? Is that a naive view?

I'm not sure what you mean by "the written language is different from the spoken." Please tell me the alphabet is the same, at least!

eri

Put your mind at rest. The letters are the same. The only problem you might encounter is that the man in the street will not understand you. But then you can always resort to English, or use your hands... But seriously. Don't worry. You will get along just fine with or without Arabic. Enjoy your studies. It is always nice to know an additiopnal Language.

unaS

They are not mutually unintelligble, but then neither are they mutually intelligble

Don't think American re Australian, but rather American re Spanish (street language for both, not literary).

Classical is the written language. No worries there, you will understand that.
It is in the shops, in the suq, asking directions and so on that you might well do better in English...accents also can be a problem.

Standard is your best bet yes, but just don't expect it to be the 'standard' language that you will find in actual use.

Whatever - enjoy!

Hisurfer

oh my! I hate to belabor a point, but... I love languages, and travelling is an excuse to push myself to learn. So even though I know that I can fall back on English, French, or charades in most of the world, it's in the suqs, shops, and streets that I'm hoping to learn!

So I'll start with Lebanese Arabic, and hope that it'll give me a base for Egyptian further down the road.

mtlevy

The Isralie arabs do not speak Egyptians arabic, however, they speak hebrew and english and also some speak french.
Do not worry Enjoy They will understand you no matter what language you speak. The food is great the place is great, enjoy.

jenmaroc

I, like the original poster, have to question the comment about the written language differing from Egpyt and Palestine.

I studied Arabic (my major) in college, and then in Syria, Egypt, and Morocco. All of the spoken dialects are different, but I never encountered any differences in the written language. The vocabulary may be different, but the written language - its letters, forms, and rules -have always been the same. What differences have you encountered?