So, you are up for learning Arabic. This is challenging but worth learning. The Arabic language holds one of the most ancient languages statuses in the world. The Arabic language has more than 400 million speakers around the world, and it is one of the six most spoken languages in the world. English is spoken in 101 countries, followed by Arabic in 60 countries. 

It’s not easy to learn a language vastly different from your own. As adults, we tend to learn by accumulating vocabulary, but often don’t know how each piece interacts with each other to form grammatically correct language. We need to immerse ourselves entirely in the new language. However, there are still silent challenges that can slow the earning process.

• Arabic is considered a language with a non-Latin alphabet.
• There is almost no shared vocabulary between Arabic and Latin-based languages. 
• Arabic is also written from right to left instead of left to right
• Arabic is foreign to English speakers in every sense of the word.

Despite being such a different language, learning Arabic has its rewards, which in turn helps you to pick up the language easily. Here, Multibhashi provides you with 5 Rockstar tips to learn Arabic at home. It will take hard work, dedication, and time, but it’s certainly achievable.

It’s important that you know there are lots of different ‘Arabics’. It is the mother tongue and official language of nearly 30 countries in the Middle East and northern Africa. Arabic, in different countries, has different words and different grammar, different accents, and a variety of local pronunciations. Arabic is almost two languages, there are colloquial Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic. 

Arabs use colloquial language in their interactions daily, meaning the language which is spoken regularly and is most often used in television and movies. If you’re planning to spend time in one area, you’ll want to choose the variation that pertains to that region.

However, one should also consider Modern Standard Arabic, the official language of 22 Arab countries and one of the official languages of the United Nations.

Don’t be put off with the alphabet.

Go step by step by first learning alphabets instead of jumping directly into transcribing Arab words. It will take you nowhere but certainly trap you. Arabic script is actually what’s called an ‘abjad’ which means it’s an alphabet primarily made up of consonants without vowels. It could be daunting to see if the word ‘computer’ is written as km**b*ywtr.

The problem is when you see a word written like this, and you’ve never encountered it before, it’s very hard or impossible to know how it’s pronounced unless you can hear it. So practice with quality material with audio and/or a native speaker to listen to (accessible through online portals), you’ll get used to it.

With practice, you won’t even look at what is missing in the word and by mere seeing, the word could be read.

Once you have grasped letters, then you form those letters into words, then you learn how to form sentences, and then you learn more about proper syntax and grammar.

Now you can ponder upon the basic Arabic vocabulary. You can note down the words with their transliteration and meanings. To start with, daily used vocabulary could be considered, few given as example:

Na’am – Yes

Laa –  No

Al -The

Ana- I am

Yumkin – It’s possible

Mataa? – When?

Man? – Who?

Additionally, it’s amazing to know Arabic has contributed numerous words to the English language, such as:

• قطن [koton], cotton; 
• سكر [succar], sugar;
• غزال [ghazal], gazelle; 
• قيثارة [qithara], guitar;
• قيراط [qeerat], carat.

Learning would become easier through this way of associative learning. Associating words to a context will provide the skills for one to use these words appropriately. Another way to learn Arabic vocabulary is by the use of flashcards. The reason why flashcards work is that they force us to recall the sight of the word and its meaning associated with it by constant repetition.

When coming across a new word, in addition to writing down its translation write down a phrase in which the word is used. This helps to put the new words into use for different contexts.

Stick to the wall in every Arabic-speaking forum, be it online or offline. Listen to Arabic being used – spoken or recited – every day. This is foundational to building understanding, pronunciation, and a sense of the rhythm of how the language is spoken. By listening every day, you will develop an ear that can comprehend verbal Arabic effectively. Club your listening activity while doing another task. Daily listening builds your confidence and level of comfort when it comes to engaging in conversations in Arabic.

Also, the best way to learn a new word is to see it, hear it, write it and speak it, so combine those activities, along with listening, as much as you can. Watch children’s television programs in Arabic. The vocabulary is simple and can be extremely helpful to the learners of any age.

So you’ve made the pledge. How to proceed? Is there a proper way to go about language learning? Immerse yourself in the study and practice Arabic every single day. Surrounding yourself, submerging yourself in the new language culture is extremely important. It’s important that you get to converse in Arabic with other people. It can be difficult to find a conversational partner but thankfully, modern technology can do a lot to solve that problem.

Good luck with your Arabic learning! 

An important thing is giving yourself your ‘own time’ to learn the language systematically by involving any of the above-discussed ways.