How to Learn Arabic | 7 Important Steps to Fluency

By Ben Schmidt Aug 7, 2022

Many people from different countries of the world are looking for how to learn Arabic because of its importance and beauty.

Learning Arabic presents a challenge for a few reasons. For one thing, Arabic has a complex word-derivation system and grammar. For another thing, its dialects can be drastically different.

Besides, some of its sounds, especially consonants, are among the rarest and most challenging to learn. In fact, one of them is found only in Arabic.

But don’t worry, we’re trying to make your efforts as efficient as possible.

How to Learn Arabic effectively

Here is how you should approach learning Arabic:

Choose your target dialect according to your priorities:

While many learners would opt to start with Modern Standard Arabic, it’s not always the wisest choice. Yes, it’s the formal variety that’s regarded with the highest respect, but you can’t use it with people in daily life. You’ll sound awkward, and you’ll not understand half of the responses.

And don’t expect it to make it easier to learn the colloquial dialects. It’s very different from them.

So when you choose which dialect to learn, consider your personal needs. For example, if your goal is to work as a translator, focusing on Modern Standard Arabic is the right choice. But if you want to live in an Arab country and your job there will require verbal communication with locals, then learning the dialect of the country you’re traveling to is the right choice.

Learn the Arabic alphabet:

Arabic has a unique alphabet system that’s written from right to left. In this system, short vowels are expressed with subscript or superscript marks called harakat (plural of haraka), so most of the actual letters in an Arabic word are consonants, and harakat are not even written at times. This can be confusing and hard to get used to at first, although you’ll get better at guessing correct pronunciation with experience.

But despite all this, it’s an easy alphabet to learn. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that the pronunciation of words is much more predictable than in most languages.

Learning the Arabic alphabet from the very beginning will enable you to use the best Arabic-learning resources. Learning the alphabet will also allow you to understand written texts in Arabic, such as news reports and social media posts. In addition, you will be able to communicate in writing, whether it be texting via phone or writing formal letters.

Master Arabic pronunciation:

As I’ve said, Arabic has a variety of consonants. They’re part of the beautiful sound of this melodious language, but they tend to frustrate learners.

Be patient. Training your articulatory muscles takes time, much as trying to become more flexible through daily stretching exercises.

I suggest that you listen to audio files of Arabic spoken by native speakers and repeat what you hear. And perhaps you can find a tutor who will tell you precisely what you are doing wrong.

You can also find a learning partner to get feedback. Recording yourself is another great way to improve because people don’t usually notice their pronunciation mistakes while they speak.

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes:

There’s no learner in the world who never made mistakes. Even your teachers made plenty of them to get where they are (you should remember this when you are too embarrassed to speak Arabic in front of them).

So successful learning is certainly not about perfection but persistence. It’s also about being bold and accepting errors while trying to avoid them next time.

Learn the Arabic word-derivation rules:

To derive words, most languages simply add suffixes, such as –like in the word Paris-like, or prefixes, such as post– in postgraduate, to word roots or stems. But Arabic is more complex than that. It uses different sets of inflexions, or patterns of vowels, to derive words.

First, the roots in this language usually consist of three consonants. For example, the root ktb expresses the concept of writing. The past tense verb is derived by adding the short vowel /a/ after each letter. It becomes kataba (wrote). The verb “to allow” is also derived in the same way from smh, so we get samaha.

Using this to your advantage will spare you much time and effort in learning new words. So memorize roots and their derivations together. You will save time and eventually master deriving words yourself.

Immerse yourself in Arabic:

If you want to learn any language, immersion is a must. You have to listen to native speakers of your target language if you want to be able to understand them.

Songs, movies, and other forms of entertainment are all excellent tools for learning languages. They let you develop your skills and have fun at the same time. Feeling that you’re being rewarded for consuming entertainment will also motivate you to keep doing it. This is very different from school.

Art is also influential because it can introduce learners to the culture of their target language speakers.

Moreover, you can choose to listen to news reports and podcasts, especially if you’re curious about the complexities of events in the Middle East.

Use language-learning apps:

Apps are great because they present information in an attractive and fun way. They also usually help learners set reasonable daily goals, giving them a sense of achievement when they complete them. Another good thing about them is that experts designed them, so the information is well-suited to each level.