photo credit: Puccaso

So, you want to learn Arabic? Can I get you your tranquilizers now or should I wait until after you’ve had your nervous breakdown. I don’t mean to scare you or anything like that, but you’ve decided to take on one of the toughest languages out there. I’m not sure which is harder, Arabic or Hebrew. I’ve tackled them both and let me tell you, neither of them is a picnic. But okay, you’ve made up your mind that this is one language you want to learn, so it’s best you’re forewarned and forearmed before tackling this beast. This article will give you the 2-cent tour.

There’s a Whole New Set of Characters

For starters, you’re dealing with a WHOLE new set of characters here. If you’ve been doing nothing but learning Latin based languages like English, German, French and Spanish, good luck with this monster. Arabic uses the Arabic Alphabet which is nothing like its Latin counterpart. The symbols, to the untrained eye, will literally look like chicken scratch. I kid you not. There is nothing in this alphabet that even remotely resembles our Latin characters that we so take for granted.

There are Many Dialects & Variations

Aside from that, you’re dealing with a language that has many dialects and variations. The alphabet itself can be written with vowels either written out or implied, meaning they’re left out but they’re there. If you think that’s confusing enough, combine that with the different dialects and you’re heading for a class A nervous breakdown. I sometimes wonder why anybody would voluntarily want to tackle this monster. Of course I understand that in some college curriculums, it’s required. My condolences to you and your family if you’re one of them.

Learning Arabic Will Take Some Time

Finally, and this may be the most important thing of all, when dealing with a language like this, it is CRITICAL that you put in a great deal of time into learning it. This isn’t something that you’re going to be able to do casually when the mood strikes you. Remember how tough it was to learn German? Well baby, that was a cake walk next to what you have ahead of you. At least with German you recognized your alphabet. Here, it’s like you’re five years old and learning to read for the first time.

Don’t Worry. There’s Help

If all this sounds daunting, don’t fret. On this website you’ll find reviews of great resources that will actually make learning Arabic tolerable. No, it’s not going to be a piece of cake, but it’s going to be easier than trying to go it alone with the “standard” tools you have available to you.

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photo credit: Doctor Yuri

Do you have any idea how many different languages and dialects there are in the world? Well, if you don’t, you sure picked one of the more fascinating ones by wanting to teach yourself Arabic. But before you jump headfirst into this language, there are a few things you need to know. This article is going to fill you in on some of what you have ahead of you. Hopefully, after reading this, you’ll be prepared.

It’s Not as Simple as “ABC” or “123″

For starters, and this is probably the most important thing for you to realize, unlike many languages like German, French and Spanish, the Arabic Alphabet is not like our standard English, or Latin alphabet. The symbols are quite different and quite complex. For somebody who has been reading nothing but English their whole life, this can be quite a culture shock. This is why American born Jewish children are taught Hebrew at such a young age. The Herbrew alphabet, also made of symbols quite different from the Latin, is not easy to grasp as you get older. One mark can totally change the meaning of a word and how it’s pronounced.

Another thing you need to know is that the Arabic alphabet is used for quite a few languages in Asia and Africa, including Arabic itself. Actually, next to the Latin alphabet, it is the second most used alphabet in the world today. Not many people know this. If you’re looking to read the holy book of Islam, then this alphabet is the one you’re going to want to learn because that’s what it’s written in. And trust me…it’s not light reading.

Don’t Let the Tricky Reading Get You

Another thing about Arabic like Hebrew, is that it is written from right to left just like the Hebrew alphabet. So if you grew up in a Hebrew home, you might have a bit of an advantage when learning Arabic, as opposed to somebody growing up in an English speaking house. Then you’ve really got your work cut out for you. However, as with Hebrew, some of the vowels are optional symbols. This can make reading a bit tricky at times.

If you check out the product reviews on this website, you’ll find recommendations for the best ebooks, audios, and softwares for learning to speak and read Arabic. Whatever you preference, I think you’ll find them all quite helpful.

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