25th Oct 2021
Best resources to learn Arabic
As one of the world's oldest and most frequently spoken languages, it's no surprise that Arabic is a distinct and influential language.
The unique features of Arabic language
In Europe, the Arabic language has affected both Latin and Greek. As a result, many vocabulary terms from Arabic are borrowed from several Romance languages, including Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, and Sicilian. The impact did not end there; it may also be observed in Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, and Urdu. The Arabic Languages have also had an impact on the African languages of Somali and Swahili. The language also has had an impact on Asian languages like Hindi, Malay, Indonesian, Pashto, Punjabi, Sindhi, Hausa, and Tagalog. At the same time, Arabic had a major effect on numerous English terms, such as amber, candy, racquet, lemon, alchemy, arsenal, giraffe, alcohol, algebra, sherbet, algorithm, alkaline, coffee, sugar, cotton, hazard, kebab, loofah, camel, magazine, ghoul, couch, tariff.
Why Arabic is a difficult language to learn
Other than its capacity to influence, the Arabic language is distinguished by the following characteristics:
- Arabic Alphabet (Abjad) Has Only 3 Vowels
It's amazing how a 12.3 million-word language can produce this many words with only three vowels out of 28 letters! These three vowels have five different variants. This implies that the great majority of Arabic words are made up entirely of consonants.
- Arabic Is Written From Right To Left
Arabic writing, unlike English and other Latin-based languages, is written from right to left. However, in the Arabic language used in India, Pakistan, and Iran, the numerals are written from left to right, with various variants for the digits 4, 5, 6, and 7.
- Arabic Has Letters Not Pronounced In Any Other Language
There are also a few sounds that are unique to English, such as “ح”, which is a ‘ha' sound, and “ض” which is a very heavy “daad” sound.
- The Variations Are Limitless
Every word in Arabic has an equivalent that expresses the difference accurately. Some nouns, such as camel, have over 100 variants. Each of these variants is used to describe a different condition. A terrified camel, for example, is referred to as “Al-Jafool.” The term "Al-Harib" refers to a female camel who moves far ahead of the rest, giving the appearance that it is escaping.
- Arabic Has Different Forms According To The Context Used
Isn't it true in all languages? However, depending on the situation, Arabic takes on multiple forms. For example, Standard or Classical Arabic "Fusha" is a separate variety of the language used in media, publishing, literature, and other formal situations. “Aamiya,” or colloquial (spoken) Arabic, has numerous variations used in everyday conversation, and they differ from nation to country and even town to town.
Listening Materials for Learning Arabic
- ArabicPod101.com on Apple Podcasts
Arabic may be practiced at any time and in any place! These audio and video lessons with native speakers will thrill and engage you while you study. Even better, new content is released on a weekly basis, so you'll never be bored!
- Peace Corps
These online workbooks and audio recordings are designed to get you from scratch to basic, fluent Arabic speaking as quickly as possible. You may be certain that you will use every word you study because the courses are based on real-life situations and discussions! In addition, if you continue to struggle with the letters, you will discover a consistent English transcribing approach to help you.
- BBC Arabic Radio
It's a fantastic way to learn Modern Standard Arabic. BBC Arabic Live radio helps to learn more about current affairs in Arabic, listen to casual conversations that are aired, acquire new vocabulary, and improve your general listening skills.
- Rapid Arabic
It gives you instructions in Modern Standard Arabic. Consider this an audio phrasebook that is given over specially composed music, enabling the phrases to become "stuck" in your head. Everything is based on research as well.
- TalkInArabic.com
This collection covers Arabic dialects such as Egyptian, Iraqi, Saudi, Levantine, Tunisian, Moroccan, Algerian, and Sudanese. Its primary goal is to provide high-quality video and audio assets for listening to every major dialect, including subtitles, transcripts, and conversations. However, keep in mind that the problem is not as easy as separating Modern Standard Arabic from dialects. In reality, depending on the situation and occasion, they are blended to varying degrees.
Resources to learn Arabic textbook
Get your favorite book from Madinah Media's online bookstore for Arabic study. Books are a popular way to learn Arabic and may be quite helpful.
It is a wonderful book for beginners to learn Arabic, and it comes highly recommended. It is a one-of-a-kind, easy-to-follow lesson developed just for amateurs. The author has used the tried-and-true approach of teaching through relatable examples. Grammatical structures are provided in their most basic forms to ensure that they are understandable. Each chapter includes practice tasks to help you remember what you've just studied and enhanced your knowledge of current written and spoken Arabic.
This is a little bilingual phrasebook that may be carried in your pocket. It's a great book to have with you if you're going to the Middle East. Those who do not have the time to study Arabic yet need to be able to communicate in an Arabic-speaking country. This phrasebook covers over 1500 phrases that visitors will need to know when visiting hotels, airports, restaurants, train stations, and other venues. A 200-word bilingual dictionary, driving directions, trip suggestions, simplified maps of major cities, and much more are included in this book.
This Arabic Conversation Book is an excellent resource for learning contemporary spoken Arabic. It was designed particularly for tourists, business travelers, and students who wish to achieve a certain level of proficiency in spoken Arabic in a short amount of time. The objective of this book is to teach basic conversational skills in spoken Arabic. This book is intended for anyone who seeks to speak Arabic professionally and comfortably in a short amount of time. The book covers a wide range of topics, including airports and hotels, dining and clothing, restaurants and shopping, and so on. The book's terminology is all in contemporary standard Arabic. They have carefully translated the Arabic text into English in order to aid those who are unable to read Arabic. This Arabic Conversation Book will provide students with a fundamental and technological grasp of the Arabic language, allowing them to properly understand and communicate in Arabic.
This brief book, which covers all grammatical parts prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (C.B.S.E.) for 9th and 10th-grade students, is a valuable reference for those beginners interested in learning Arabic grammar. The author’s simple, direct, and lucid approach, based on his extensive experience attempting to teach Arabic at top C.B.S.E. schools in India and abroad, will make this a useful reference for all students.
Arabic Lessons and Courses
Do you enjoy learning Arabic with the assistance of a professional Arabic tutor? Not a problem! Enroll in Studio Arabiya's Arabic program to benefit from online Arabic lessons and courses taught by local Arabic speakers. All courses are peer-reviewed and approved by highly-trusted educational institutions. All teachers are university-approved as well. Don’t miss the chance of learning with a real tutor without worrying about your learning plan and execution.