Hello everyone,

 

My name is Aida and I’ve put this podcast together for you, to help you listen to authentic material, spoken by a native speaker in colloquial Arabic. If you’re a beginner to pre-intermediate, then this is the right place for you to be to improve your Arabic listening and speaking skills.

 

In this series, you will be listening to a different topic each time. The purpose is to provide you with the necessary vocabulary on a wide range of topics, such as family, hobbies, studying, travelling and so on.

Today I’m going to talk about homes and different places to live.

 

Most people live either in apartments or in private houses or villas. Almost everyone prefers to live in a villa. The idea of villas is tempting because on the one hand, you have more space and a garden, and on the other, you have lots of privacy. There’s no disturbance from the neighbours, and we can also have our own parties and invite friends over without disturbing others.

Apartments can be owned or rented. They can be quite expensive nowadays, so not everyone can afford to buy an apartment. In Jordan most students continue to live with their parents. Even when they begin their careers, both males and females still live with their parents. This is mostly due to financial reasons, as students cannot afford to rent an apartment, but also because of the Arab culture, which is based on close family ties. Since it is uncommon to live alone in an apartment in Jordan, it is also difficult to find small apartments that are designed for one or two people.

 

People live in town or in the countryside. Many people in Jordan have moved from their governorates to the capital, Amman, because of the better infrastructure, services, and job opportunities.

 

As in any other country, there are advantages and disadvantages to living in the countryside. It’s quieter, you can enjoy long walks in nature, children have more space to play, and the atmosphere is cleaner. Some of the disadvantages are that there are very little cultural events, no night life and there is less privacy. Also, if you can’t find a job in the countryside, you will probably have to travel at least an hour to reach your job location every day. This, of course, leaves you with less leisure time.

 

Now let me give you an example of what people might say in reply to questions related to housing and living conditions.

 

Personally, I prefer to live in town. I love to be in the countryside for picnics and long walks, but it is too quiet for me to live there. I prefer not to feel isolated. Also, I don’t like to drive long distance, so living in town is more convenient in terms of work. Occasionally, I like to attend cultural events, and in town, you can visit a museum, go the cinema, or go to a concert.

 

In Amman most shops stay open till night-time or the late evening. It is also possible to find many restaurants open at those times.

 

The countryside is a beautiful place to get away from stress and to be a quieter environment, but it not where I prefer to live. I like to be near family and friends, and I also prefer to have important services nearby, such as shops, restaurants, hospitals, and educational institutions.

 

Now try and answer the following questions in colloquial Arabic: what kind of house do you prefer to live in and do you prefer to live in the countryside or in town? Why?

 

So, that’s all for today’s episode. I hope you have found it useful. If you liked it, remember that listening to the same episode more than once is very helpful in remembering the new vocabulary you have learnt. It was great having you with me. I’d appreciate you leaving me a like and would love it if you could join me for more episodes.

 

This is Aida from Learn Arabic with Ease! Bye Bye!