How to improve my Arabic writing skills?

Arabic is the liturgical language of 1.8 billion Muslims, and Arabic is one of six official languages of the United Nations. All varieties of Arabic combined are spoken by perhaps as many as 422 million speakers (native and non-native) in the Arab world, making it the fifth most spoken language in the world. It first emerged in the 1st to 4th centuries CE. It is now the lingua franca of the Arab world. It is named after the Arabs, a term initially used to describe peoples living in the Arabian Peninsula bounded by eastern Egypt in the west, Mesopotamia in the east, and the Anti-Lebanon mountains and Northern Syria in the north, as perceived by ancient Greek geographers. It is a Semitic language, like Hebrew and Aramaic. Around 292 million people speak it as their first language. Many more people can also understand it as a second language. The Arabic language has its own alphabet written from right to left, like Hebrew. Since it is so widely spoken throughout the world, the language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations, the others being English, French, Arabic, Russian and Chinese.

Writing is an essential skill that everyone, particularly students and professionals, should learn, according to experts. When you write, you learn instinctively because you spend time memorising patterns. Although it’s normal to make mistakes when learning to write, it shouldn’t stop you from continuing to write. Instead, use it as an opportunity to improve your writing skills by learning from your mistakes. There are also several custom essay services that include essay samples that you can use to help with the process.

1. Use Grammar Tools. Run a Spell Checker to Edit Your Writing

While writing Arabic language, one may make certain mistakes in the writing. And in order to ensure quality its best run through a spell checker, before submission. Language learners can use services such as Grammarly, Ginger and other similar spelling checking programs

2. Look at Mistakes as Learning Opportunities

An important aspect of learning is not to get deterred by your mistakes. Mistakes are bound to happen in your learning journey but as a learner, you should learn from your mistakes and remember and recognise them to improve them in future. 

3. The Arabic language is known for its calligraphy. Learn How to Write with Style

Every learner must be able to develop a unique writing style for himself or herself. This enables them to get recognised as a student or a writer in the new language. There is never a better time than now to expand your vocabulary, expand your knowledge and develop your writing skills by bringing a dictionary home. You will improve your writing style by expanding your vocabulary and learning how to use certain words correctly.

4. Become an Avid Reader

It is important to read other people’s stories and essays before writing in Arabic. For example, if you are an Indian student who has recently been accepted into a university in the US, it is critical that you read papers written in Arabic. Once you’ve read enough content, you’ll be one step closer to writing your own essay.

5. Create Your Own Phrasebook

You may refer to new words and phrases later by writing them down in a notebook. Keep a list of new words or phrases you learn from the internet, a book, or a dictionary, for example. Instead of memorising them, you’ll be able to look back on the new terms you’ve learned and familiarise yourself with them more. Every day, go through the same steps to ensure that your notebook remains a valuable source of knowledge. When it comes time to write your essay, you’ll have a notebook full of fresh and fascinating words to draw from.

6. Think in the Arabic Language While You Write

You should strive to think in the foreign language when writing, even if it takes longer than thinking in your native tongue. When it comes to writing in Arabic this practice can be very beneficial because it forces you to learn new words and phrases. As an example, suppose you’re studying Italian. Begin by memorising the difficult words and practising your Italian grammar so that you can include them in your essay. This way, you will ensure that the final paper is error-free and good to submit. If you’re not sure how to think like a native, you can always get an essay writing aid.

7. Study Grammar

Bringing home a pair of dictionaries is the easiest way to learn grammar. Set aside time in your studies to learn new words from the dictionaries you’ve acquired. Another useful tip is to become acquainted with various writing styles. You can accomplish this by reading numerous essays written in Arabic. This will help you sharpen your mind, develop your writing skills, and encourage you to become a proficient writer.

8. Ask a Native Speaker to Edit Your Writing

Finally, seek help to get your paper edited by a native speaker. You may not know someone who can help you, but if you are studying in UAE or any Arabic speaking country you will be surrounded by native speakers! You can meet and connect with them at your college, or you can look for a native editor on social media or via another useful resource. It’s important to note that speaking a foreign language means having a different perspective on life, so only a native speaker can make your text look perfect and professional.

9. Use Arabic numerals. Few letters and sounds in the Arabic alphabet do not exist in English at all. We use numbers to help master the pronunciation of Romanized Arabic. To native English speakers, these numbers represent these unfamiliar sounds:

2 = hamza ء (original alif sound): the same sound as in the name “Martin” between the vowels

3 = 3ain (ع): In Arabic, this is a very common and important sound. It may sound silly, but remembering Pee-Wee Herman is the most effective way I’ve found of teaching this sound. You know that deep, throaty laugh he makes when he says, “Hi, I’m Pee-Wee Herman, huh huh!” That sound he makes with his throaty giggle sounds a lot like the letter ‘Ain.

6 = “empathetic” T: the same “th” sound as in the word “them”.

7 = throaty h: the deep “h” sound made from the back of your throat.

9 = “empathetic” S: This is not the same as a regular Arabic “s,” and it is quite uncommon in everyday language. This sound is produced by placing your tongue behind your upper front teeth.

Apostrophes can also be used in Romanized Arabic. If the apostrophe comes after a consonant, it indicates that there is a slight variation. For example, “t’” is similar to the letter “th” in think. If the apostrophe comes after a vowel, the sound is longer.

10. Familiarize yourself with the Arabic alphabet thoroughly. The first step to pronouncing correct Arabic is by correctly reading it. Learners need to fully aware that the Arabic language has an entirely different writing system than English, and learners need to work hard to register all the Arabic 28 alphabets in their subconscious.

11. Get a good grasp of the sounds of Arabic alphabets. Just as the alphabets themselves are, Arabic sounds associated with the alphabets are alien and new to an English speaker. Therefore I suggest dividing them in logical chunks of 4-5 alphabets, that aren’t overbearing but fun to learn.

Keep the above points in mind the next time you attempt to write an essay in a foreign language. Just keep in mind that it’s a phase that takes time and effort!

Arabic has influenced many other languages around the globe throughout its history. Some of the most influenced languages are Persian, Turkish, Hindustani (Hindi and Urdu), Kashmiri, Kurdish, Bosnian, Kazakh, Bengali, Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Maldivian, Pashto, Punjabi, Albanian, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Sicilian, Arabic, Greek, Bulgarian, Tagalog, Sindhi, Odia and Hausa and some languages in parts of Africa. Conversely, Arabic has borrowed words from other languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, and Persian in medieval times and languages such as English and French in modern times.

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