How to Learn Syriac / Aramaic , with no material? | General discussion | Forum
Log In
Register
Home
Topic RSS
08:14
June 5, 2012
Offline
Hi,
I wish to be able to speak to my grand-parents and other relatives, their mother language is Syriac.
There are university courses in the US to learn the ancient written Biblical Syriac, but none to learn to speak the living language.
I got a dictionary from the Netherlands, with phonetic spelling, but that was biblical Syriac as well: my relatives could not understand most words that I suggested.
What is the best way to get up to an advanced speaking level, with no texts, dictionary or grammar, only speech?
09:07
May 13, 2012
Offline
Are you able to convince your relatives to practice with you?
| Studying:
| Next Up:
10:40
November 27, 2011
Online
Wow, that's interesting.
I googled for some resources, I hope these will be of assistance. Note that I didn't really read deeply into any of these so I cannot attest for their usefulness… Some are also in Arabic 
http://www.syriacstudies.com/AFSS/Welcome.html
http://www.learnassyrian.com/aramaic/
http://www.nestorian.org/teach_yourself_modern_syriac.html
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/intro_to_modern_syriac_grammar.htm (Article about Syriac grammar with a long bibliography).
http://www.syriany.com/syriany.html (Many sound files in Syriac. The entire site is in Arabic…)
Songs:
http://www.almahatta.net/musik.htm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/zmryuthe-sryoye-%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9/129700033729085 (Facebook page for Syriac songs, probably a few Syriac speakers here)
I think, like Kothe said, that your best option is to convince your relatives to talk to you. If not, you can look for speakers of Syriac in Syria or Iraq (the former probably lost most of it's internet connection by now, but in Iraq you'll find people eager to study English) and talk to them.
Good luck!
Learning: 
Basic:
17:35
Experienced Language Hacker
July 25, 2011
Offline
I'd agree with the suggestions to see if you family would talk with you. You don't say where you're from, but could you also find diaspora Syriac speakers outside of your family?
But here's another source. I could swear I saw kids books at this site once upon a time, but I couldn't find them today. I couldn't find them because this publisher is mostly serious scholarly books (with prices to match. But I won't launch into my I'm-disgusted-with-absurd-prices-for-scholarship rant today). Anyway, they've got lots of stuff about small languages including a whole section of Syriac. Most of it probably pertains to the older versions of the language, but I did see one called Modern Syriac or the like.
Advanced: 
From Basic to Intermediate: 
I dream:
My blogs: Dead Linguist, Latin, Ancient Greek, Old English My YouTube: sipes23
18:00
June 5, 2012
Offline
Thanks for the comments.
All the sites you mention here are to learn the written Syriac first, but the written Syriac differs from the spoken.
I was in touch with the Syriac churches as they try to organise lessons and to coordinate the efforts, but their focus is scolarly, primarily to get people to learn to read and translate.
There are group lessons in Sweden, alas 1000km from me, and once every week or two weeks, so not something I can attend.
None of my relatives even know how to read/write in it (it was forbidden to teach it in Turkey where they hail from).
Are there any known methods for learning a language only by speaking/hearing? Do I need to write down phonetically all the words I hear, or are there better methods?
I already have a very limited vocabulary from during the years, but I can not make phrases, and I do not improve.
I speak 4 European languages fluently.
06:57
November 27, 2011
Online
arnoldus said
Are there any known methods for learning a language only by speaking/hearing? Do I need to write down phonetically all the words I hear, or are there better methods?
Writing it down phonetically is a good thing. I am actually developing a method (when developing means just thinking about it and telling people about it ) to teach Arabic to speakers of Hebrew using direct transliteration that emphasizes the inherent similarity, and ignoring the "alien" alphabet for the beginning.
So I believe it's perfectly possible to study without learning how to read and write, and I don't think that there is a better method (if you ruled out learning to read and write…)
The question is – how can you be sure that you are catching the sounds correctly? Are there any minor nuances of pronunciation that you are missing? Do you really care that much?
I recommend that if you can't speak to your family for some reason, try to look for a contact in Iraq. It may be a bit hard but fruitful.
Learning:
Basic:
Most Users Ever Online: 522
Currently Online: Gaius Julius, gengiscohen88
21 Guest(s)
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
Kevinpost: 498
Randybvain: 450
this_just_in: 328
Alasdair: 304
sipes23: 260
NKellyEmerald: 231
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 7
Members: 19257
Moderators: 2
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 5
Forums: 16
Topics: 2660
Posts: 15226
Newest Members: bvgseirkl, Korspu, Korsam, Michaellpp, Michaelsll, DrotoAquata
Moderators: Lingo (268), anno (205)
Administrators: Benny (459)
Comments on this entry are closed.