Learn Lebanese Arabic with transcribed podcast episodes exploring Lebanon and its people | تعلم اللغة العربية باللهجة اللبنانية مع البودكاست الأسبوعي والمكتوب الذي يعرفك على لبنان وشعبه
With skyrocketing prices and stagnating salaries, Nassar and Mirna find themselves in need of a new budget, to keep afloat during these hard economic times. They discuss their personal expenditures and priorities and agree on different ways to economize. Tune in to this week’s episode of Language Wave, as the couple’s financial tips might inspire … Continue reading Episode 92 – Skit: Household budgeting
Mariam calls her niece Reem to check on her and chat a bit. When Mariam notices that Reem’s voice does not sound well, she asks her about it. Reem, who is waiting to begin her third Physiotherapy year in the Lebanese University, starts telling her aunt about the reasons behind her depression; the continuous strikes … Continue reading Episode 91 – Education sector crisis
Malak is a home-based entrepreneur in Lebanon who sells artificial flower arrangements and other handmade home-decorations. In this episode, Malak speaks with her sister, Mariam, about the challenges facing local small businesses during the current financial crisis. Malak explains how she tries to navigate the difficult situation and wonders if the crisis might force her … Continue reading Episode 86 – Small business amid economic upheaval
Due to an unprecedented economic crisis, the medical sector in Lebanon is collapsing. Medications cannot be found, pharmacies continue to go on strikes, and doctors are emigrating. Amid this chaos, patients struggle with inflation, currency devaluation, and lack of basic infrastructure. As Rana is searching for her dad’s hypertension medication, she discusses with Khaled Lebanon’s … Continue reading Episode 83 – Medical crisis
Rail transport began in Lebanon in the 1890s while it was part of the Ottoman Empire. Over time, rail lines were built along the entire length of the Lebanese coastline. Additional tracks ran east across the country connecting Beirut and the Syrian capital Damascus. The rail system operated for close to a hundred years but … Continue reading Episode 50 – Lebanon’s defunct train system
For generations Lebanese citizens have emigrated across the world to seek better business or job opportunities, higher education, and safety from conflict. Large Lebanese communities can found in North and South America, Europe, West Africa, Australia, and the Arabian Gulf. Almost every household in Lebanon has relatives who live abroad. In this episode, Dareen tells … Continue reading Episode 39 – Lebanese emigration
Lebanon's is experiencing a profound economic crisis that began before massive protests rocked the country in October 2019. Since then the coronavirus has further compounded the economic downturn. In a video seen widely in local media, a Lebanese woman who lost her job was sobbing and said through tears, “I was working and sustaining a … Continue reading Episode 36 – Economic hardship
The coronavirus pandemic is a historic health crisis that has affected Lebanon and every other country around the world. Unfortunately, Lebanon was already in a recession when Covid-19 further paralyzed the economy and shuttered campuses of schools and universities across the country. Early in the pandemic, the Lebanese government announced a plan called Al-Ta‘be’a Al-A‘meh … Continue reading Episode 34 – Coronavirus