Introduction
Arabic is usually ranked among the top six of the world’s major languages. As the language of the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, it is also widely used throughout the Muslim world. It belongs to the Semitic group of languages which also includes Hebrew and Amharic, the main language of Ethiopia. Arabic is written from right to left. There are 18 distinct letter shapes, which vary slightly depending on whether they are connected to another letter before or after them. There are no “capital” letters. The full alphabet of 28 letters is created by placing various combinations of dots above or below some of these shapes. The three long vowels are included in written words but the three short vowels are normally omitted – though they can be indicated by marks above and below other letters. Whether you’re a college student looking for your first job to launch a career or you’re a professional going back to school to advance in your career, you have probably heard that learning another language is essential. Being fluent in more than one language will make you stand out from other applicants and open up new career opportunities in countries around the world.