How to Learn Arabic for Children

Arabic is one of the fastest-growing languages of study in Western countries and is spoken by more than 200 million people worldwide. However, very few schools offer Arabic as a language for study. Your child can still learn Arabic, either in private classes, together with you or on the Internet. Although Arabic is not a simple language, learning it can still be enjoyable and interesting for children.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Arabic-English dictionary
• Picture books in Arabic
• Arabic music CDs

Steps to Learn Arabic for Children

1. Discuss language learning with your child. Your child should think of reasons why she wants to learn Arabic, and you should come up with language goals together.

2. Start with the basics. Unless your child is very young, one of the first lessons should cover Arabic writing. Relate the Arabic letters to the English letters. Listen to the sounds and try to repeat them.

3. Look online for Arabic teaching tools aimed specifically for children. Games, music and simple reading exercises are all available and can make Arabic learning more fun and interactive.

4. If your child is in a formal Arabic language class, keep track of what he is learning. Take time to discuss the language and the lessons each day.

5. Do enjoyable activities that enhance learning. Games, music, television, comics, picture books and movies in Arabic will make the language more fun while helping to teach vocabulary and pronunciation.

6. Find Arabic cultural and language activities in your community. In areas with large Arabic-speaking populations, there are frequently kid-friendly activities available to the general public. If no such activities exist, work with your child's school to plan and carry out activities involving Arabic.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn Arabic alongside your child. Not only will this keep you informed of what your child is learning, but it will also encourage your child to work. If your child struggles with learning Arabic, try to determine what the roadblocks are and adapt the method of instruction accordingly. If no classes are available, consider computer language courses that provide instructional material appropriate for children.
• Arabic is considered to be a difficult language that has little correlation to English in either grammar or vocabulary. In order to avoid frustration, let your child know that learning the language well will take time. Especially with older children, take time to discuss the prejudices that many associate with Arabic. In that way, you can avoid possible later trauma.

References

• List of Arabic education and language sites
• History of the Arabic language

Resources

• On-line Arabic resources for children
• Arabic language lessons and games
• The Arabic alphabet with pronunciation

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