So a moment to note my yoeman effort today to acquire a new Arabic dictionary (the Hans Wehr to be sure) as of course I left my core copy behind in MENA.

Having visited what I would suggest is a large number of bookstores, including University ones (there being a certain density of such in the area) during the day (perhaps rather overtaxing myself, thus leading to silly maudlin reflexions for which I apologize), I can report I found not a single copy.

Now, yes, I can order the bloody thing online. And will. But given this is the standard Arabic to English reference dictionary, I would have expected that at the Uni bookstores I might have come across, say a stray copy. I have heard about the great push to teach Arabic in the United States. I certainly hope my random walk is not indicative of the depth of this supposed blooming interest.

Indeed, rather sadly, I found little material at all on Arabic (it is a small hobby of mine to collect - with the not entirely unfounded pretence I will actually refer to them - language reference books. I did manage in my wandering to walk away with a decent new French-English business dictionary. Always good to have updated editions to help get the new jargon right). The ordinary bookstores did not surprise me, but the fact the pickings at the Uni ones (and the fact that they were selling archaic rubbish for Arabic) were so slim did.

I had fully expected that the past, what, five years, would have at least seen a flourishing of reference materials.

Sadly, that is not the case. At least given my small, skewed, semi-random sample.

Based on this (and my obsession with language references), I would say that the English speaking world would be well served in pouring some serious money into developing half-way decent Arabic langauge teaching materials. It's scandalous that the same inadequate rubbish that I used a long time ago is still being pimped to the unwary Arabic student (including the idiotic use of bizarre translit systems and unreadable linguist blither). (Of course I note in passing I might get a better Arabic business dicco out of it, although come to think of it, Arabic desperately needs some modern diccos of modern business usage as well. Arabic-Arabic dictionaries are largely archaic things that feel like they were dragged out of a 1960s dustbin)

One has merely to look at the well developed materials available for French, Spanish and the like as models. There is no earthly reason why such a model can't be followed for Arabic. Targetted texts, etc. etc. No earthly reason except the resources are not really flowing.

This, of course, is not news per se. But I wished to register my astonishment that in this great center of learning where I am presently about to get shot full of hazardous chemicals, the situ for Arabic matierals is so entirely pathetic.