How to learn Levantine Arabic

This article contains a list of resources I use to learn Levantine Arabic. While I've mainly been focussing on learning Lebanese/Syrian Arabic, a lot of these resources will come in handy learning any dialect.

(Will periodically update this as I find more resources!)

Reading/writing

• Lesson 1 Arabic from the Beginning, Imran Alawiye - this is a great walkthrough of the alphabet. I coupled this with rote learning/repetition daily over a month or so to learn the letters. Pay attention to the various forms the letters can take!

Vocabulary

Note: The most effective way to learn vocabulary is to build your own Anki deck over time using words you experience in conversation, watching or reading. You'll avoid spending time learning words you'll never experience or use (until later on at least), though others' decks can be a good place to start so long as they include vocabulary appropriate for your proficiency level.

• arwords.com - a Levantine Arabic dictionary
• Aaron's Levantine Arabic (mixed Levantine and Syrian) Anki flashcards - can be used with https://apps.ankiweb.net/ for spaced repetition learning (the best way to learn vocabulary over time!)
• Reverso Arabic dictionary - has a larger collection of words than arwords.com, but a lot are Fusha/from other dialects. Good for learning more advanced vocabulary.

Watching/Listening

• Beirut Today | YouTube - independent journalism on Lebanon and Beirut specifically. Features built-in Arabic subtitles.
• Rabia Zayyat Official | YouTube - interviews in Lebanese/Syrian Arabic
• LearnArabicWithMaha | YouTube - mostly Palestinian Arabic, though she breaks down grammar and words that are shared in Syrian and Lebanese as well
• Shahid - is a streaming service that offers Arabic shows. Can recommend giving a Lebanese or Syrian drama a try. Provides English and Arabic subtitles.

Reading

• Lingualism graded readers - from A1 up, graded readers in Levantine Arabic. Lingualism's Lebanese Arabic Verbs (book) - breaks down how verbs work, their tenses, and gives examples of common verbs.

Speaking

• iTalki - a language learning platform that offers private language teachers. There are plenty of Syrian and Lebanese teachers available here.
• Preply - same as above. I used Preply while learning German, and would give this a try if I hadn't found an Arabic teacher on iTalki already.