Arabic is one of the most spoken languages nowadays, and the demand for Arabic speakers is increasing rapidly.
In this article, we will tell you how to learn Arabic reading and writing easily, how long it takes to learn, and the steps to follow, so, let’s get started.
Is it hard to learn Arabic?
Before I tell you how to learn Arabic let’s first answer the question that every new learner asks “Is Arabic an easy language to learn?” the answer that you will normally hear is No, Arabic is not an easy language to learn.
However, the true answer is that it depends on you. if you like the language and have a goal to achieve and what pushes you to keep going then yes Arabic is an easy language to learn. But if you choose to learn it because you heard that it’s a good language to learn without really having the will to learn it you will stop in the middle of the way.
What does that mean? Before you start learning a language ask yourself the following:
Why do I want to learn it?
When I learn it what will I do next?
What will it benefit me with?
When you answer those questions, you will understand if you really want to learn it or not. And if you do then keep reading and we will tell you how to do so.
Tips and tricks to learn Arabic easily.
Here are some tips and tricks to help you learn Arabic reading and writing easily:
1. Choose the Arabic you want to learn.
When it comes to learning Arabic Reading and writing, it’s important to know the difference between the types of Arabic. There are three main types of Arabic and they are:
a. Classical Arabic
It is the language of the Quran. this type of Arabic reading is only used when reciting the Quran or quoting old religious texts.
Today, because studies in Islam and the Quran require a high degree of knowledge of Arabic syntax, lexical theory, and semantics, only Muslim scholars who attended religious schools learn classical Arabic.
Classic Arabic is also found in pre-Islamic and early Islamic poetry, prophecies, and some 1st-century historical documents.
The Arabic language in general derives its grammatical and syntactic rules from its classical form. Mastery of classical Arabic requires years of study and oral practice. It uses archaic vocabulary, most of which is borrowed from the Quran and hadiths.
Just like in the Quran, classical Arabic speeches are rich in stylistic tools, figurative speech, rhyming sentences, and word order not typically found in MSA. Most non-native learners of Arabic reading and writing are interested in classical Arabic either because they want to understand the Quran or are scholars of theology and experts in comparative religious studies.
b. Modern Standard Arabic.
Often called Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in English and Fusha in Arabic. It is commonly used in contexts such as writing, TV and radio broadcasts, formal interviews, speeches, and official letters.
It is similar to but easier than classical Arabic.
Native Arabic speakers usually do not make a clear distinction between classical Arabic and the MSA, but many people learn Arabic by reading and writing the MSA.
Modern Standard Arabic was deliberately developed in the early 19th century as a modernized version of classical Arabic. It was promoted by the pan-Arab anti-colonial movement that emerged at the time as a medium of communication that united all Arabs, regardless of country of origin or religion.
Arabs often use a combination of slang and MSA. For example, interviewers typically use MSA to ask prepared questions or make prepared remarks, then switch to colloquial variations to add instant comments or reply to questions. Arab leaders give speeches in MSA and resort to colloquial Arabic to make a point or simplify an idea to illiterate citizens.
Another reason is most native speakers of Arabic cannot maintain speaking MSA for an extended period of time and resort to colloquial Arabic because that`s what they are used to in their daily life.
C. Colloquial Arabic or Ammiyya:
In the Maghreb region, it is called Darija. As opposed to MSA, `Ammiyya` refers to the regional varieties or vernaculars across the Arab world used for everyday speaking situations. In fact, `Ammiyya or Darija is the first language of every Arab, as they later acquire MSA in school.
Unlike MSA, `Ammiyya does not adhere to the strict rules of grammar and word order and often loses other structured linguistic features. In fact, Ammiyya uses many Farsi and Turkish terms in the Arab countries that were under Ottoman rule, and Darija, or Maghrebi Arabic, has a lot of French, Spanish, and Italian.
When learning the Arabic dialect, it is important to choose one, not to learn all of them. Here are the main Arabic dialects:
Maghrebi Arabic: This dialect is used in the Western Arab countries which include: Algerians, Moroccans, and Tunisians. The total number of people who speak Maghrebi Arabic is about 80 million speakers.
You can learn the Maghrebi Arabic from the textbook ‘The Routledge Introductory Course in Moroccan Arabic’.
Egyptian: Egyptian Arabic is the Arabic used in Egypt. And most Arab understand it, as Egyptian movies and TV series are popular. So, if you are a non-Arabic speaker then this might be the easiest dialect to learn.
Arabian colloquial: This Arabic dialect is also called Khaliji or Gulf Arabic. The countries that speak it include Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait.
Yemeni Arabic: This one has many dialects but the main dialect is called San’ani or Sana’ dialect. You should know that the hardest two dialects to learn are the Yemeni and Maghrebi.
Levantine: The Arabic dialect that is spoken in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine. More than 30 million speak it.
Mesopotamian: This includes several mutually understandable varieties that have been spoken even in parts of Iraq and eastern Syria.
Those are not all the Arabic dialects in the world, there are still many others like Hassaniya in Mauritania. It is close to the Gulf dialect than it is to the Maghrebi.
Your first step when you learn Arabic reading and writing was choosing the type of Arabic, and we covered that, now let’s discover the following steps.
2. Learn the Arabic letters.
When Arabic Reading it is essential to learn the alphabet. There are only 28 letters in the Arabic Alphabet and they aren’t too hard to learn. Actually, most Arabic learners said that learning the letters didn’t take too much time from them.
Listen to alphabet songs for kids and repeat what you hear. You will be amazed at how fast you memorize the letters as the human brain tends to memorize songs faster.
Also, download and print the Arabic alphabet sheet and practice writing them and get familiar with how they change their shapes according to their place in the word.
3. Learn the words that are the same in English and Arabic.
Arabic is a root-based language which means that from one root you can come up with many words. For example the word “drasa = درس” you can come up with the word “tadrus = تدرس”, “yadrus = يدرس”, “darasat = درست”, and many other words.
That’s one method you could use to learn Arabic words. However, at the beginning of learning, you might find it hard to follow this method. Then what should you do? Learn the words that are the same in English and Arabic. Here are some of them:
كومبيوتر : Computer
تليفون : Telephone
ميكرويف : Microwave
ميكانيكي : Mechanic
مليون : Million
4. Learn the daily expressions and common Arabic Phrases.
If you’re planning to travel to an Arab country then you should learn reading and writing the common phrases. Also, when learning the common phrases, you will be able to understand what you hear, this will give you a feeling of accomplishment and encourages you to keep going.
Here are some of the common phrases to learn Arabic Reading easily:
- Naäam. Yes.
- Laa. No.
- Min faDlik. Please.
- Shukran. Thank you.
- äafwan. You’re welcome.
- Arjuu almaädhira. I am sorry.
- SabaaH alkhayr. Good morning.
- Masaa’ alkhayr. Good evening.
- TuSbiH äalaa khayr. Good night.
- hal tataHaddath al’ingiliiziyya? Do you speak English?
- hal yuwjad aHad hunaa yataHaddath al’ingiliiziyya? Does anyone here speak English?
- anaa ataHaddath faqaT qaliil min aläarabiyya. I only speak a little Arabic.
- maa ismuk? What is your name?
- ismii…. My name is …
- kayfa Haluk? How are you?
- anaa bikhayr shukran. I’m fine, thank you.
- anaa saäiid jiddan bimuqaabalatak. I am very glad to meet you.
- anaa laa afham. I don’t understand.
- madhaa taquul? What did you say?
- hal yumkinuk attaHadduth bibuT’. Can you speak more slowly?
- anaa afham tamaaman. I understand perfectly.
5. Use flashcards.
Once you memorize new words daily you might forget some of them or find a word that is a bit hard to memorize. Therefore, the best way to learn Arabic reading and writing is through the use of Flashcards.
Write the words on cards and its meaning on the back of the card and keep them with you all the time. Whenever you feel bored or have some free time look at them and test yourself. This way you will never forget them.
6. Repeat.
This is an effective method that will help you learn the right pronunciation of the word, also when you keep repeating a word you won’t forget it. And your mind will become familiar with it, which will enhance your Arabic reading significantly, and with time you will speak fluently.
7. Keep Read.
If you seek to enhance your Arabic reading and writing then you have to practice daily. The best way to find and learn new words the best method is to keep reading and make reading a daily habit.
However, don’t start reading complicated books, read something that you like and that is suitable for your level. For example, beginners should start reading kids’ stories, short posts, quotes, and social media posts.
When you finish this step move to the next level and start reading magazine articles, newspapers, and books. This way you will expose yourself to new words and how to use them. When you find a word, you don’t know, write it down and put it in a sentence.
8. Review what you learn.
When you memorize new words you have to review them every now and then or you will forget them. Keep reviewing the words until you become familiar with it and can use it in a sentence easily.
9. Read out loud.
To enhance your Arabic reading and pronunciation skills you should read any sentence you come across out loud. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, it’s normal, plus learning from your mistakes is the best way.
What to avoid when learning the Arabic language?
here are some of the major mistakes people do when learning Arabic reading and writing:
1- Not knowing the reason you’re Studying Arabic for.
The first step to take before learning a new language is to figure out why you want to learn it. For example, do you want to learn it to study abroad in an Arab country? Are you going after a job in an Arab country? Or do you want to learn Arabic because you love the language? there are many reasons and having one is what pushes you through your learning journey.
There are many dialects in the Arabic language, and if you know why you’re learning Arabic reading then you can determine easily which dialects to learn. But if you don’t have a reason, you will only pick a dialect according to what people say and, in the end, you will get confused and hate the language. So, before you start learning Arabic reading and writing, ask yourself, why do I want to learn Arabic?
2- Not Practicing.
In order to learn something, you must practice, let’s say you’re studying math and all you do is watch videos regarding how to solve a specific problem. If you didn’t try to solve it yourself, will you be able to solve it on your own? Of course not, you will fail at it.
The same thing applies to learning a new language, to be good at it you should practice it as much as you can, memorize new words, read, watch Arabic movies, and try to understand what they say or mimic them even if you don’t understand a word, this way you will catch the right pronunciation of the words.
Make practicing Arabic reading and writing a main part of your daily schedule, your mind needs to practice even if you think that you don’t need to. This goes for any language, not just Arabic, practice makes perfect, don’t forget that.
3- Having unrealistic goals.
Another important thing is to set up your goals, not having a goal will make you confused, and don’t know where to start or how to keep going.
However, setting unachievable goals is much worse, set goals that fit your schedule and abilities, for example, don’t make one of your goals to memorize 2000 new words every day, this goal is unrealistic and no one can achieve it. And when having goals that you can’t achieve will make you feel down, and we don’t want this to happen.
4- Not being consistent.
To get better in the Arabic reading and to meet your goals you should be consistent. Practice Arabic every day, and don’t pass a day without studying or you will start all over again. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do anything but learn Arabic all day, no just 10 minutes or half an hour is good. Remember, don’t set goals that you can’t achieve.
Studying the language every day will make your mind familiar with it and it will be much easier for you to learn faster.
How long does it take to learn Arabic?
Learning Arabic might be hard and needs your commitment and dedication like any other language does. If you want to learn Arabic fast you should start by taking courses or watching Arabic learning series.
However, you should know that it will still take a couple of months. You can’t learn a whole language in a week or less. If you are ready to commit to learning Arabic reading and writing you should know that you will have to study every day. So that your brain starts to deal with Arabic and its culture as if it’s a regular thing.
Studying new words every day and practicing them daily will make them stick into your brain, and Arabic will become your second language faster.
According to estimation, if you’re an English speaker and you want to learn Arabic it will take from you about 2200 hours of Arabic classes and courses. This means more than 80 weeks of consistent language study.
To know how much time, you will spend learning Arabic here are two questions for you to answer.
- How much time are you ready to spend each day to learn Arabic?
- Are you willing to continue? and, for how many weeks or months will you keep up learning? Are you ready to spare for Arabic learning?
For the first question, the answer really depends on you, your motivation, commitment, and are you really willing to learn Arabic? Additionally, how much time can you spend on learning?
Although the answer to the second question depends on the answer to the first question, however, you should keep in mind that it is impossible to learn a language in just a few weeks.
If you want to learn it in just a few weeks you will end up knowing some Arabic expressions but you want to be able to understand Arabic and translate it. It will be a disaster, so there is no need for you to force yourself to learn Arabic fast.
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