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Arabic is a rich and diverse language that is an official language in 26 countries, and is spoken by almost 300 million native speakers worldwide.
It is true, however, that for English native speakers, Arabic is substantially more difficult to learn than the European languages of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or French.
But if you are determined and motivated, there is no reason why you can't succeed in learning it!
In slightly confusing fashion, Arabic has different written and spoken forms, and the spoken forms differ yet still across the various Arabic speaking countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
Any Arabic language course taught in the western world will more than likely be in one of the written forms of Modern Standard Arabic, or Classical Arabic. Don't worry, these two are often used interchangeable by native speakers as there is very little difference between them.
Here's a Superprof guide to learning classical Arabic at any age.
How to Learn Arabic for Children?
The earlier you learn a language, the more developed your brain will become.
Register your child for Arabic lessons at an early age. It will develop their curiosity and be beneficial for them later on in life.
Especially because, until the age of 7, a child's brain is like a sponge: its neuronal plasticity is so powerful that it absorbs everything, meaning that children learn things more easily than an adult.
Sociological studies on socialization show that a child recognizes their immediate family (parents, brothers and sisters) as the social world.
This means that children learn about the world, and the values of a society through their immediate family. During this phase, known as primary socialization, the way that they are taught to interact with the world will influence future behaviour as a teenager and subsequently as an adult.
There are many myths surrounding raising bilingual children, but if you want your child to have an Arabic language culture, then your role is to actively socialize him or her with the language and culture. If a child's parents speak two languages, he or she will find it normal to learn a language other than English.
Have you ever been struck by the ease with which German, Dutch, Austrian, or Scandinavian children speak fluent English even though they are barely eight years old and it is not their mother tongue?
Their ease and fluency comes from learning English from the earliest age possible. You should do the same for your children with the Arabic language.
Stimulate their thirst for knowledge: with Arabic, they will have to memorize the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, the letters' four respective forms, Arabic grammar, Arabic vocabulary words, and learn to read Arabic and progress in Arabic writing even before mastering the English language.
Here are some tips for teaching Arabic to children:
- Hire a nanny who is proficient in the Arabic language: many babysitting agencies offer an after-school program that includes foreign languages as part of the nanny package.
- Place many different language learning tools in front of your child: books, images, songs, films, fun interactive games ...
- Introduce your child to Arabic courses online:
1. www.earabiclearning.com
2. www.hello-world.com
3. www.learn-quran-kids.com
4. www.studioarabiya.com - Choose relevant language learning videos and language introduction tutorials for the Arabic language from platforms such as Youtube and Dailymotion.
- If you are digitally savvy parents, why not use language apps? Apps like "Learn Arabic for children" and "Learn Arabic While Having Fun" can be used to memorize the Arabic alphabet, numbers, colors, Arabic animals with a native Arabic teacher.
Arabic for Beginners: How to Learn Arabic on your Own
Do you want to learn Arabic without taking tutoring lessons?
It's fairly possible to do it alone, though it will prove difficult.
The famous saying, "Rome was not built in one day" is applicable to learning the Arabic language. It will take time: around two years of classes until you can develop an understanding of the Arabic language when learning it alone.
On the other hand, learning the basics in Arabic can be very affordable. Personally, after six months of university courses I was able to get by, linguistically speaking.
It was by revising it on my own that I was able to learn how to read the Arabic alphabet and start writing in modern standard Arabic while also learning new vocabulary.
Here is a good recipe in order to learn Arabic on your own: practice, review, ruminate, speak the letters of the alphabet and vocabulary words aloud, etc...
Rest assured, Arabic grammar is much simpler than Latin languages' grammar. What's more difficult is pronouncing the Arabic language's guttural consonants.
But second language learners finish by getting used to it through training.
You can start with:
- Learning the alphabet by heart
- Abandoning the grammar you're used to in English
- Making revision sheets for yourself
- learning arabic online or on your own means not having anyone to correct your mistakes. Which is why you should take the time to go through course materials for a beginner.
But it doesn't stop there. In this digital age, one has access to everything online. And there is almost everything you need in order to learn Arabic.
Here are some things to do:
- Buy books with language learning methods in order to discover the language and its alphabet step by step:
1. Kallimni ‘Arabi Bishweesh: A Beginners Course in Spoken Egyptian Arabic 1
2. Living Language Arabic, Complete Edition: Beginner through advanced course
3. Arabic-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Visual Dictionaries)
4. Arabic for Dummies: a Beginner’s guide to Arabic - Consult Arabic videos and tutorials for beginners on the internet (Youtube, Dailymotion, Method Assimil, Arabic websites, etc.)
- Go to an Arab country and learn the language through cultural immersion during your stay. But, be careful: so that you can progress with your speaking skills, you will need to know the Arabic alphabet and its pronunciation without any problems!
How to Learn Arabic in a Hurry!
Can we really learn a language solo? It is possible, but it is more difficult if you want to learn the Arabic language quickly, let alone for free.
Do not panic. Because Islam is one of the main religions in the world, you can often find an intensive Arabic course in your nearest big city.
Here's how to learn Arabic quickly.
- Start by hiring a tutor.
Go to the Superprof website to find a private online Arabic tutor, for example by searching for "Arabic lessons London".
Some tutors are Arabic-speaking, while some are native speakers from Morocco or Egypt. Based on their hourly rates, they will provide you with quality training in classical Arabic.
A beginner's course in Arabic at home will give you a regular learning rhythm, with regular testing executed by your tutor and adapted to your ambitions and level.
You can progress in pronunciation, reading the alphabet (vowels and consonants), learning Arabic writing, Arabic grammar (personal pronouns and possessive pronouns) as well as memorizing more and more Arabic vocabulary in order to understand any Arabic text.
- Apply to an approved language school in order to learn Arabic.
Group lessons may make you progress faster!
Collective lessons can also build social ties and help improve your oral expression, your Arabic verb conjugations, and pronunciation when chatting with other Arabic language students.
In order to do this, head for language centers, private institutes, mosques, and any university offering Arabic as a subject or degree.
Take Arabic language course here.
How to Learn the Arabic of the Quran
If you want to deepen your religious faith and have an Islamic education, you will have to learn the Quran and the idiom of Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah.
To understand Qur'anic Arabic you will need to speak some classical Arabic. Koranic Arabic is an ancient language and remains as it was written in feudal liturgical literature.
Learning Qur'anic Arabic at Your Local Mosque
Some people want to learn Arabic in order to be able to read and study the Quran.
Here's a little anecdote:
The so-called "miracles of God in the Qur'an" reveal that in the Holy Book of Islam, many antonyms are used with the same frequency.
For example, the word "world" is used 115 times, which is the same number of times as the word "beyond." "Satan" is used as frequently as "Angels"--that is, 88 times. Among others, "Paradise" and "Hell" are cited 77 times each.
More broadly, the Quran (القرآن, al-Qur'ān) corresponds to recitation in Arabic. This is called the science of Tajwid.
Learning Quranic Arabic means studying to recite the Holy Quran, a complex science gradually developed by Muslim scholars throughout history to guard the decline of Islam.
Taking Quranic Arabic Courses in a Specialized Institute
Since you want to learn the art of reciting the Book of Prophet Muhammad, you will have to work on memorizing the text.
Adult and child courses in Islamic Science Institutes focus on the memorization and chanting of the Quran verses.
Learning to speak Arabic by reciting the Quran is an excellent way to learn Arabic for those who wish to receive an Islamic education.
Find your nearest institute for learning Quranic Arabic and you'll be on your way to becoming fluent in Classical Arabic.
How to Learn Arabic Quickly?
There are many tricks for learning Arabic quickly.
But here are 10 that can be very effective in order to learn Arabic as quickly as possible.
- You need to be strong willed.
- You must learn the 28 Arabic characters and their correct pronunciation.
- You have to be aware that a language is not only words but also a marriage between the syntax and lexicon.
- You must know that the "good Arab" is the one found in the Quran, the one of the poets during El Jahilia (the period before Islam), and also the words of the Prophet Mohamed.
- It is necessary to try and practice what you learn in daily life.
- Whenever you can, think in Arabic and not in your native language.
- You must try and tell the Arabic dialects apart, which vary from country to country, as well as the Arabic taught at universities, which is a common denominator amongst Arabs.
- It is always good to use audio supports for Arabic.
- Spend 15 to 30 minutes every day talking about any subject in Arabic, the aim being to familiarize yourself with the language.
- Learn at least one word a day and try and use it in conversation during the day in order to properly memorize.
Educational Games for Learning the Arabic Language
We've all spent time in school (some of us are still there at the time of writing this) and we've all learned at least one thing during lessons that at times felt endless: you never learn as effectively as when the lesson plan is fun!
Fun is usually the key to learning; don't you think?
If you agree with this principle, which is quite dear to several teachers, then you will readily admit that learning Arabic through educational games can be amazing! For students of any age of course.
- But how can one get started?
- Where and with whom?
- Where can you buy these games?
You will not be surprised to read that many of these fun ways to learn Arabic can be found on the internet:
- With websites: www.earabiclearning.com, www.hello-world.com, www.learn-quran-kids.com
- But also apps: Arabic Nemo is an excellent example.
Finally, for those who would like the learning experience to be a family experience, why not try a video game like Jawab Speed?
The platform that connects tutors and students
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