photo credit: Damon | Photography

Okay, so you’ve decided that you want to learn to speak and read Arabic. Well, you certainly have a challenge ahead of you. No, I won’t lie. It’s not going to be easy, especially if you’re used to a Latin based language such as English. However, if you put the time into it, you can master this language just like somebody who was born into it. This article is going to give you a few tips to get you on your way.

Know Which Countries You Have in Mind

For starters, it’s probably a good idea to know what countries you’re going to be using this language for. Arabic is spoken in many Asian and African countries. A brief list includes Kurdish, from Northern Iraq, Arwi, which is known as Arabic-Tamil, from Sri Lanka and Hausa from Africa. Trust me, this is a very brief list. And while these are not Arabic languages per say, they are based on the Arabic alphabet and understanding that alphabet can greatly help you when going to these and other countries that use it.

Master the Symbols First

As for learning the language itself, the best thing to do is to first understand the symbols of the language. As they are not like our standard Latin alphabet (A-Z) they can take some time to understand. Unlike a language like German, where all you need to learn is the words, with Arabic, you have to learn a whole new nomenclature. This can be quite challenging as we get older. This is why American born Jewish children learn the Hebrew alphabet at such a young age. Trying to do so when they’re older can be problematic at best.

Record Yourself Speaking

Finally, it is best to record everything so that you can actually hear the words. This will give you the best indicator of how you’re progressing with the language itself. Things in our head don’t sound the same as when they’re actually spoken out loud. So get yourself a cheap tape recorder or even use your computer to tape your lessons and practice. Trust me on this, you’ll find it quite helpful.

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