How to Teach Yourself Arabic

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Arabic is one of the world's most widely spoken languages, yet it's not always easy to find an Arabic language course. In some areas, it's hard even finding someone who can give private lessons. The good news, though, is that there are lots of "teach yourself Arabic" courses and learning material online that can help you get around this problem.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Arabic language course
Bilingual dictionary for Arabic and your language
Arabic reading material
Arabic listening material

Step1

Learn to read and write the Arabic alphabet. This alone will take some focused study. As you learn the Arabic alphabet, get familiar with the sounds of each letter. Explanations in textbooks aren't enough to describe a sound accurately, though. The best way to learn Arabic sounds is either from recorded audio or, preferably, a live person.

Step2

Choose a quality Arabic course designed for self-instruction. Arabic is not very similar to English, so unless you speak another Semitic language, you'll need some solid guidance to get started learning it. To avoid wasting time or getting frustrated, find a well organized Arabic course that can guide you through the fundamentals. It doesn't have to be expensive. You can start with a short "survival Arabic" book, but get recommendations and read reviews first so you can make sure it uses effective teaching methods.

Step3

Build a basic Arabic vocabulary. Start to teach yourself Arabic using the word lists from the course you're following and choose words from your bilingual dictionary. If you learn best by seeing, flash cards (with Arabic, not Latin letters) can help. If you prefer to hear words, there are software programs for Arabic that include sound with their flash cards. Creating short sentences with new words can help you remember vocabulary and practice grammar, too.

Step4

Find listening and reading material. Even having Arabic music or TV on in the background can help you get used to the sounds of the language. For real learning, though, you'll probably do better with the guided listening activities included in your Arabic course. For reading, pick up some Arabic newspapers. Instead of jumping right into full articles, though, try reading short advertisements. You can also try children's books, but look for those originally written in Arabic, rather than translated from some other language.

Step5

Look for ways to speak Arabic. Arabic language clubs or volunteer opportunities that put you in contact with Arabic speakers are ideal. Middle eastern grocery stores and restaurants are also places to meet new people. Even if you're not Muslim, you might find your local mosque has activities open to all and you're likely to meet Arabic speakers there. If there aren't any local Arabic speakers, look online for some.

Step6

Identify a language helper. Find a fluent Arabic speaker who doesn't mind answering your questions. This might be a language exchange partner or just a helpful friend. Your helper can clear up questions and provide examples of grammar, which will help you learn faster and more easily. You'll need more than just a conversation partner. If you look for a language exchange partner, choose someone who can explain grammar, too.

Tips & Warnings

Take your learning one small step at a time. Arabic grammar is quite different from English grammar, so don't be afraid to take some extra time with basic concepts like possessives and pronoun use. In the long run, it's better to get a good foundation slowly than to learn bad grammar quickly.
Many English speakers find Arabic challenging even with a full-time course lead by a skilled teacher. If you start feeling overwhelmed by trying to teach yourself, ask for help. Don't give up too soon.