... As for my language lessons... well, things are not going too badly. I feel I´m slowly [?] some Arabic. I go to classes ever morning for an hour and a half. They are ok, but the teacher is very strict. He gets irritated if you make a mistake, so I just [?] and don´t say anything, but I do take lots of notes. We do some speaking and a little witing every day and I´m gradually beginning to [?] the difference between all the letters of the alphabet, though it´s not easy. Some people in the class have studied Arabic before and they generally [?] much quicker than me when new things are introduced, but I try and do lots of homework and so I´m [?] with the others ok.
The best thing though is just walking around town- people often ask you to come in their shop and have a cup of tea. Obviously I can´t say much yet but it´s a good chance for them to practise their English and for me to practise my Arabic. Somehow, between us, we can generally [?] what we want to say.
It´s funny but some words and expressions you hear again and again, like "shokran" (which means "thank you"). I try and make and effort to [?] what new words mean, either by asking someone or by [?] the words in my English / Arabic dictionary, and then learning them by heart.
All in all, I feel I´m able to [?] in Arabic for the day-to-day things like shopping, catching buses and taxis, saying "Hello" to people and so on.
My job, on the other hand, has not been going so well...