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About the Course

Šlomo Surayt aims to teach Surayt as it is spoken among its native speakers today. The course provides learners with a level of communicative competence on a range of topics. Each unit includes material that advances the reading, writing, listening, and pronunciation skills of the learner, and additionally contains “cultural notes” to contextualize the language.

The course is equivalent to A1-A2 level (beginner level) according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Each level consists of 8 learning units; in total 16. The learning units contain texts and dialogues of everyday encounters and situations, structured grammatical explanations, and exercises related to the vocabulary and grammar. The vocabulary is presented not merely in word-format, but also teaches phrases. Each unit ends with a full word list.

The lessons are built around topics relevant to the contemporary life of Surayt speakers. The main fictive characters chosen in the narrative live in the diaspora and communicate about different basic topics, such as greetings, family, food, clothes, farming and work. Almost 90 per cent of the course content is enhanced with sound files, recorded by native Surayt speakers (in both female and male voices). This will help learners to learn and practice the correct pronunciation of words and phrases, and to grasp the language melody specific to Surayt.

The exercises are constructed to consolidate the knowledge of the learned vocabulary, in both word and phrase format, and linked directly to the grammar. The thematic cultural notes offer learners a unique opportunity to contextualize language learning within the broad framework of culture. At the end of the book, learners will find a list of verb conjugations, and a detailed glossary consisting of the whole vocabulary used in the book.   

Learning Surayt can be fun if you are interested, but difficult if you are not motivated, which is the case for learning any new language. Learners familiar with Semitic languages have definitely some advantages in learning Surayt, but the course does not require any previous knowledge. In order to familiarise the learner with the writing and sound system of Surayt, the first two chapters introduce the phonology and the newly developed orthography.

The course is designed as a complete resource for both independent and classroom–based learners who wish to acquire the ability to speak, understand, read and write basic Surayt. The online version is provided in seven languages – English, German, Swedish, Dutch, French, Arabic and Turkish.