How to Learn Arabic

 The way we prioritise languages to learn can often be a little illogical. In the UK, we regularly teach children French (76.8 million native speakers) or German (95 million native speakers). However, we tend to ignore a language spoken as a mother tongue by more than 200 million people in 22 countries and known by around a billion all over the world — including in this country. This is Arabic, one of the most important of all global languages. If your career is likely to involve international contact, fluency in Arabic is almost certain to be a benefit at some stage. However, there are difficulties to learning this language. So what are the steps for learning Arabic?

Learn the Arabic Alphabet

 One of the major difficulties of learning Arabic is that it's written in a completely different script from the one we're used to. Not only are the forms of the letters different in the Arabic script (as well as some letters for sounds we don't use) but it's also written right to left across the page, instead of left to right. Of course, you don't need the alphabet purely for the spoken language, but the chances are you'll have to be able to read it at some point, if only to remind yourself of the words you're learning. The good news is that the Arabic alphabet is also used for several other major languages, including Urdu.

Make Sure You're Learning the Right Arabic

 There are many different forms of Arabic, ranging from classical Arabic (which is mainly used in Qur'anic scholarship) to versions used in different parts of the Arabic-speaking words. It can happen that Arabic-speakers from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Morocco, for instance, can't understand one another. Unless you specifically want to learn one of these regional forms, it's best to go for Modern Standard Arabic. This is the official language of most Arabic-speaking countries, and it should allow you to make yourself understood in any of them.

Learn Arabic Words and Phrases

 Building up a vocabulary of common Arabic words and phrases can take you a long way. One way of doing this is to get an Arabic phrasebook and write out flashcards from it to help you learn. Of course, you'll need to know whether you're pronouncing these words properly or not. One of the best ways of doing this is to find video content online, such as TED talks, in Arabic with English subtitles.

Understand Arabic Grammar

 Knowing individual words and phrases is important, but you need to understand how they fit together before you have a conversation in Arabic. The grammar is very different from English in places — for example, Arabic normally puts the verb first in a sentence. Once you know the rules of Arabic grammar, you'll start finding it easier both to use and understand whole sentences, instead of just phrases.

Find People to Speak Arabic With

 Once you feel you've learnt enough of the basics, actually using Arabic with native speakers is invaluable. You may well have friends, neighbours or work colleagues with an Arabic-speaking background, so find out if they speak the form of the language you're learning and ask if they'd be willing to help. Alternatively, you might be able to find an Arabic-speaking group online. You'll learn from listening to native speakers, and you can also ask them to correct your pronunciation and usage.

Take Lessons with a Tutor

 You can do all this yourself, of course, but it can be somewhat hit or miss. It's much more reliable to take Arabic lessons with a private tutor. Make sure you find a tutor who teaches the appropriate form of the language. A native speaker is always an advantage, but a track-record of successfully teaching Arabic is even more crucial.

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