The Arabic language is what is called a “Semitic language,” two other Semitic languages being Hebrew and Aramaic (the language Jesus spoke). There are about 200 million Arabic speakers in the world today and it is gaining more popularity than ever. Have you ever wanted to learn to speak Arabic, but are discouraged, thinking you could never learn this language? Well, I can assure you that the Arabic language is not as difficult as it may appear initially and there are so many resources available for learning this fascinating and rewarding language.
The first thing you need to learn if you want to learn Arabic is the Arabic alphabet. I know it may seem more fulfilling and interesting to learn to speak Arabic phrases through audio, but if you try this method, without knowing the alphabet, you will get lost, not pronounce the letters the way you should, and you will not understand the grammatical structure that makes up the sentence you are learning. If you go this route, you will master a few phrases, but that is it. You will not really know anything about the Arabic language. It is crucial that your first step when learning Arabic is learning the alphabet.
If you choose not to take formal Arabic classes to learn the Arabic language, fear not. You can still learn the Arabic alphabet and vocabulary on your own, but it takes discipline and patience. I recommend the series books, Al Kitab fi ta’allum Al arabiya ( I have included the direct link to these on amazon.com), as this is a popular series for students learning Arabic at university. The books in this series will teach you the alphabet, and how to write each letter in every form, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. It is very helpful that these Arabic language books all come with DVDs that you can play in your computer or DVD player. The DVDs have pronunciation from native Arabic speakers (Egyptian dialect) and many drills for you to practice with. I highly recommend these books if you are serious about learning Arabic. If you can master this first step of learning the alphabet, you are well on your way to speaking Arabic.
After you feel comfortable with the Arabic alphabet (keep in mind that can this step can take months), and you know some basic vocabulary and Arabic greetings, there are many resources available online to expand your knowledge of the Arabic language. There is a site on the computer called Arabic pod (I have linked this, as well) that allows you to access mini Arabic lessons for free. The native speakers of Arabic explain what the lesson will be about, repeat a few sentences in Arabic several times, and then break down and explain the vocabulary and grammatical structure of each sentence. These types of lessons are beneficial to someone learning to speak Arabic because they allow you to hear how the letters of the Arabic alphabet and words flow together when speaking Arabic. This will help to alleviate the” choppiness” that occurs when speaking a foreign language. By listening to native speakers and repeating what they say, you will master the Arabic language and the pronunciation of Arabic letters. These Arabic pod lessons are also available on itunes for your ipod and iphone.
Of course the ever popular Rosetta Stone language learning software is available for the Arabic language, as well. I have not personally examined the Rosetta Stone lessons, but have watched a brief tutorial, and they seem like they would be extremely helpful in learning the Arabic language. There is of course the issue of money with this Arabic learning tool, as the Rosetta Stone lessons are notoriously expensive. However, if you have the money to spare, Rosetta Stone has excellent reviews, so buying these lessons would help you to learn to speak Arabic in no time.
If you have always been fascinated by the Arabic language, but are intimidated, don’t be. Learning to speak Arabic is not as difficult as you may think. Arabic is fun to learn and is very rewarding. The sense of pride you will feel when you begin to understand and speak Arabic is indescribable, so if you would like to learn Arabic, go for it! There are many resources available for learning to speak Arabic, so take advantage of these resources. Good luck and “salamu alaykum,” which is Arabic for “peace be with you.”
