How Do You Really Make Friends in Jordan?
In this episode of Tips for Learning Levantine Arabic, Jennifer sits down in Amman with Adriana to talk honestly about one of the most common—and intimidating—questions language learners ask: How do you actually build real relationships with local people in Arabic?

Adriana shares her personal journey of forming deep friendships in Jordan, even in the early stages of learning Arabic. As a self-described introvert and perfectionist, she explains how intentionality, humility, listening, and overcoming fear mattered far more than fluency or extroversion. From volunteering and language exchange to long home visits, shared meals, and spontaneous encounters in parks, Adriana offers concrete, lived experience on how relationships can be formed between expats and locals in Jordanian.

This episode explores:

• Making friends before you “speak well”

• Why fear—not grammar—is the biggest obstacle

• Introversion, self-care, and emotional health in cross-cultural life

• Cultural expectations around hospitality, visits, and time

• The values of presence, humility, and genuine listening

• How relationships accelerate language learning in powerful ways

Whether you’re newly arrived in Jordan, stuck in an expat bubble, or preparing to live in the Arab world, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and encourage you to approach Arabic—and people—with patience, courage, and love.

If you want to move beyond textbooks and into real community, Adriana has some helpful advice for you.

For more on our approach to learning the spoken Levantine Arabic dialect, check out our site here: http://shababeekcenter.com

In this episode, we bust one of the most persistent myths in Arabic learning: that memorizing vocabulary lists leads to fluency. Spoiler alert—it doesn’t.

Building on the previous episode, Stop Translating: Learn Arabic in Arabic, we explore why memorization often derails even the most motivated learners and how it leads to exhaustion, discouragement, and burnout long before reaching meaningful proficiency.

Drawing on decades of coaching experience—and supported by language-acquisition research—we unpack:

• Why memorizing vocabulary is far slower and less effective than you think

• The staggering number of words fluent speakers actually recognize

• How your brain really acquires language through repeated, meaningful encounters

• The difference between input, interaction, and output—and why all three matter

• What to focus on instead of memorizing so you can build long-term understanding

• Why creating a growing library of comprehensible audio accelerates fluency

• How natural repetition, real-life encounters, and guided practice outperform any word list

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate learner, or supporting others along their Arabic journey, this episode offers a clear and research-grounded path forward—one that is far more enjoyable and sustainable than memorization ever could be.

If you’re ready to let go of unhelpful habits and build your fluency through meaningful exposure, guided practice, and natural acquisition, this episode is for you.

Don’t forget to follow the podcast and leave a review to support more Arabic learners around the world!

To learn more about our approach to learning Arabic, visit our page here.

Here's the link to the comedian mentioned in the episode: Ismo on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

In this episode of Tips for Learning Levantine Arabic, host Jennifer Kilpack broadcasts from Amman, Jordan, sharing one of the most important lessons for Arabic learners: stop translating from your first language and start thinking directly in Arabic.

Many language learners hit a plateau because they rely too heavily on translation. Jennifer explains why this habit slows your fluency, blocks your cultural understanding, and keeps you from speaking Arabic naturally. Instead, she offers practical, research-based methods for building real Arabic thinking habits and forming authentic connections between words, ideas, and culture.

You’ll learn:

• Why translation is like wearing the wrong glasses—and how Arabic meanings are deeply rooted in culture, not equivalents.

• How to recognize word partnerships and learn Arabic in meaningful chunks rather than isolated vocabulary.

• Why exact equivalents are a myth, and how understanding Arabic through its own worldview enriches both language and empathy.

• The subtle colonial danger of forcing Arabic into English frameworks—and how immersive, culture-respectful learning preserves the dignity and beauty of the Arabic language.

• How to train your mind to think in Arabic through simple daily habits, from self-talk at the grocery store to conscious listening.

Jennifer also highlights how Arabic expressions are inseparable from religion and daily life—and why avoiding religious language actually limits your understanding of Arab communication.

By the end of this episode, you’ll understand why real fluency means learning to think with Arabic, not about Arabic. You’ll gain strategies to move past mental translation, build confidence in conversation, and open yourself to the depth of Levantine Arabic culture and worldview.

Whether you’re a beginner memorizing flashcards or an intermediate learner trying to sound more natural, this episode will help you:

• Break free from direct translation.

• Build a deeper connection between language and culture.

• Shift your internal thoughts into Arabic for faster fluency.

• Learn to express ideas the way native Arabic speakers do.

🌍 Key themes:
Levantine Arabic • Arabic fluency • Arabic immersion • Stop translating • Think in Arabic • Cultural language learning • Arabic vocabulary • Arabic grammar • Language and culture • Learn Arabic naturally • Arabic learning tips • Immersive language learning • Decolonizing language learning

🎙️ About the podcast:
Tips for Learning Levantine Arabic is hosted by Jennifer Kilpack, an Arabic language coach based in Amman, Jordan. Each episode blends practical language techniques with cultural insights, helping learners connect more deeply with Arab society, thought, and daily life.

If you’ve ever struggled with Arabic grammar, vocabulary retention, or cultural understanding, this episode will show you why your brain doesn’t need a translator—it needs immersion.

👉 Listen now, stop translating and start thinking in Arabic.

For an edited transcript of this episode, visit our page here: https://shababeekcenter.com/podcast/stop-translating-learn-arabic-in-arabic/

To learn more about Shababeek's approach to learning Arabic in Arabic, check out our website here: https://shababeekcenter.com

We’re sharing five powerful tips to boost your language acquisition—no matter the language you’re learning. Drawing on 20+ years of experience and fresh insights from my master’s research in linguistics, I’ll show you how to:

• Stop memorizing single-word flashcards and use collocations instead

• Connect new words directly to objects and experiences, not translations

• Follow the natural order of language development for faster progress

• Be patient and build skills gradually without burning out

• Linger and eavesdrop to learn authentic, real-world expressions

Whether you’re studying Levantine Arabic or any other language, these strategies will keep your learning effective and inspiring. Share this episode with friends on their language journey and subscribe for more tips!

Connect with Jennifer here, and visit the Shababeek website here.

In this episode of Tips for learning Levantine Arabic, we tackle one of the biggest challenges for learners: Arabic prepositions. Whether you’re studying Levantine Arabic in Jordan, preparing for Arabic immersion, or learning spoken Levantine Arabic online, mastering prepositions is key to speaking accurately and fluently.

Discover why Arabic prepositions cause persistent errors even for advanced learners, how they differ from English prepositions, and why context is crucial. We break down common mistakes Levantine Arabic learners make, explain essential verb-preposition combinations, and share practical tips to help you avoid these pitfalls.

Perfect for beginners and intermediate learners, this episode will boost your Jordanian Arabic language skills and help you communicate more naturally in everyday conversations. Tune in to improve your Levantine Arabic grammar, expand your vocabulary, and gain confidence in speaking the dialect used across the Levant region.

By paying careful attention to Levantine Arabic prepositions, your language skills will greatly improve.

Here's a link to episode 1 of our series, Common Mistakes Arabic Learners Make.

In this episode of Tips for Learning Levantine Arabic, we sit down with Reagan White, a dedicated language learner who has spent two years immersed in Arabic study at Shababeek Center for Intercultural Development. Reagan shares the strategy, mindset, and commitment that helped him reach near-superior proficiency in Levantine Arabic.

We discuss why he chose an immersion method of Arabic acquisition, the importance of community-based practice, and how learning the Levantine dialect in Jordan made business communication in Saudi Arabia easy. Reagan also opens up about his experiences building relationships in Arabic, overcoming early frustrations, and reaching the point where Arabic became part of his daily life—for both work and enjoyment.

Whether you're just starting out or looking for motivation to keep going, Reagan’s story offers invaluable insights and encouragement for every Arabic learner.

Join us as we delve into the rich cultural heritage of the Circassian community in Jordan. Our guest, Sama, shares her unique perspective on Circassian history, traditions, and customs. From the Circassian diaspora to their significant role in Jordan today, we explore how this community has preserved its identity. We also dive into how Sama and her community celebrate Ramadan, highlighting the ways they observe this holy month. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about cultural resilience, spiritual growth, and community bonding during Ramadan (and you'll learn some key Arabic phrases along the way).

In this episode, Jennifer delves into the concept that vocabulary meaning is discovered through word combinations, a principle heavily emphasized by modern linguists. She shares an exercise inspired by an Arabic learner at Shababeek, to demonstrate how understanding collocations can clarify the nuances of words like قطعة and حبة. By paying attention to word combinations, you'll learn how to flesh out the meaning of language more completely and speak Arabic more precisely.