The Arabic Language - and how to learn it

The Arabic language is a language with a long history that traces its roots to sometime before the 6th century A.D.  Arabic is imbued with history, and shrouded in mystery.  Today, the Arabic language is the 5th most spoken tongue on Earth, and is the official language in numerous Middle Eastern and Northern African countries, such as Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.  If you are interested in the study of ancient Near Eastern history, modern Middle Eastern history, religion, or foreign languages, learning the Arabic language will help you in your academic endeavours.  There are a number of ways you can go about learning how to read, write, and speak Arabic.

If you are planning to learn the Arabic language for academic reasons, there are many options.  You can attend a college or University, and earn your degree in Arabic.  You can also choose the language as a minor, which will supplement your studies if you earn a degree in religion, history, archaeology, politics, or even art history or business.  A degree or a minor in Arabic will enable you to translate ancient documents and literature, which will give you wonderful research potential.  If you do receive your degree in Arabic, you will be highly knowledgeable in a very formal dialect of the language, both written and conversationally.  Also, if you have military aspirations, knowing how to communicate in Arabic would be useful, given today's military environment.

If you have plans to travel extensively to an Arabic speaking country such as Egypt or Morocco, consider studying at home using a program or course suitable for self-study before you go.  By learning the fundamentals of a foreign language, you demonstrate that you are sensitive to the culture and sincerely interested in the country by learning to communicate with locals in their native tongue.  You won't look like a typical tourist by carrying a book or stumbling through questions to local residents, and you will have a deeper understanding of the culture you are experiencing on your visit.  Your travels will be more rewarding, exciting, and enjoyable.

There are several advantages to learning how to read and speak the Arabic language through a self-study course.  You will find that doing so is very convenient. And your studies won't interfere with your work and personal commitments.  Courses are completed at your own pace, with no set class times.  You can study Arabic from the comforts of your home.  You will find that the costs for most Arabic self-study programs are reasonable as well.

Whether you are a student of ancient history, religion, or archaeology and you feel that learning the Arabic language will be advantageous in carrying out your research, or you’re making plans to travel to an Arab country like Egypt or Morocco in the near future and want to be able to ask where the bathroom is or order dinner from the menu in their language, you have plenty of options as to how to learn the language.  By studying Arabic at a college or University, you will gain a sound knowledge of reading formal Arabic, which will undoubtedly assist you in your academic research.  However, you can achieve almost the same level of competency by immersing yourself in the Arabic language at home, e.g. through self-study courses.  By using one of these courses in Arabic, you will be able to rapidly and comfortably learn the basics of the language, which will make your travels abroad less stressful, and more enjoyable.  Investing the time to learn the Arabic language will enable you to plunge into an exciting new culture, perhaps change a few stereotypes, enhance your travels, and complement your academic endeavours.

So head over to our free Basic Arabic Course or check out our recommendations for more thorough self-study courses.