How to Learn Spoken Arabic Through Text and Sound for Free

Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, but it is also notoriously difficult to learn. Spoken Arabic is especially difficult, involving many sounds and speech patterns difficult for speakers of other languages. You can learn written Arabic from books and classes, but you need special resources if you want to learn spoken Arabic well. Fortunately, there are many resources available, especially on the Internet, that can help you to learn spoken Arabic. With a little effort, you can find such resources without needing to pay anything.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Internet connection
• Speakers
• Microphone

1. Determine your starting level of Arabic language knowledge. If you already know a great deal of written or spoken Arabic, you will want different resources than if you are just starting out.

2. Practice sounds specific to the Arabic language. Certain common sounds in Arabic, such as the "ta" and "kh" sounds will require practice if you want to say them correctly. Seek out sites with audio pronunciation of the Arabic alphabet and repeat the sounds you hear.

3. Listen and repeat individual Arabic words. Even if you can pronounce the basic Arabic sounds, it may require some practice to speak the words. Many language websites offer audio pronunciations of the words in their lessons, which you can listen to and repeat.

4. Watch and listen to video content available from Arabic-language websites. Most major world news sources, such as the BBC and al-Jazeera, offer news content in Arabic. Open audio and video files on the sites to hear the Arabic. If you have trouble understanding the Arabic, look for the same news reports in English as a reference.

5. If you want to learn how to speak any of the many Arabic dialects, your best source for free files to help you is YouTube. Search the site for videos from countries like Egypt, Morocco or Iraq. Listen to the language and compare it to the formal Arabic heard from news sites.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be too frustrated if you find some Arabic sounds difficult at first. Pronounce them as best you can in conversation, and your ability to speak them well will improve over time. Look for children's language sites that offer simpler dialogs. This is especially useful for beginning language learners.
• If your main purpose in Arabic learning is to pick up an Arabic dialect, you need to focus your studies on resources from the specific country. News sites will only offer formal Arabic, which differs greatly from dialects and informal language.

References

• Differences between formal Arabic and Arabic dialects
• Arabic pronunciation rules

Resources

• Arabic alphabet with audio
• Links to Arabic-language news sites and music
• Arabic language for children

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