There are various reasons to learn a new language, and there are many ways you can take to master one. As for Arabic, it is the 5th most commonly spoken native language in the world with over 300 million native speakers. It is also the language that is highly related to Islam, one of the biggest religions in the universe with a huge number of believers spreading all over the world.It is not surprising that a lot of people want to learn Arabic. Many people learn Arabic for a religious reason, since Arabic is the language of Quran, the holy book of Islam and learning the Quran is an obligation for all Moslems.
As a language with its own writing system, learning Arabic is a challenge in itself as you have to learn not only how the language works in its distinctive grammar, but also memorize the writing symbols for its 29 letters. It is going to take efforts and time to learn the language, but the benefits you are going to get is going to be worth it. For instance, if you are a Moslem, you will get a better understanding of the Quran without having to read the Quran translation. For business purpose, you can work as an interpreter and translator and many more benefits.
Nowadays learning another language is made easy with the help of technology. Resources to learn the language can easily be found online. There are websites that offer services and tutorial on how to learn Arabic. This way you can learn Arabic online with less effort, as all you need is internet connection and willingness and spirit to learn.
1. Choose one
The thing is that the Arabic language is classified into some different types. For instance, if you are learning the language for daily conversation, you are going to learn different language system from the one for the Quran. So, the first thing to do if you want to learn Arabic online is deciding the type of Arabic you need to learn.
If you are learning Arabic for the purpose of academic writing or formal context, learn Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). This type of Arabic is used widely across the Arab World for literature, newspapers, education, radio/television news programs, political speeches, etc.
In case you are learning Arabic for understanding the Quran, you should learn Classical (Qur’anic) Arabic. This is the type of Arabic that is used in the Holy Quran and various Islamic text resources.
Meanwhile, if you are planning to live in Arab World, learn one of Colloquial Arabics that consist of Gulf Arabic, Mesopotamian Arabic, Levantine Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, and Maghrebi Arabic. Because Arabs speak regional dialects, and one dialect can be significantly different from the other. So choose one that you need the most.
2. Find partners
The second guide in how to learn Arabic is finding a partner. Learning a new language is best done by using the language both through written and spoken forms. However, you can’t just practice by yourself. Having a partner can be a huge help in the process. You can help each other in achieving new levels. You can find a partner from an online course. It is even better if you can get a native Arabic to teach you the language, and you can teach them your native language in return. It is a win-win solution. Nowadays doing things like this is not hard at all, especially with the presence of the internet and social media.
3. Start from the alphabet
Arabic has its own language system consisting of 29 letters. Since it is different from English
alphabet, the very first thing to learn is memorizing all 29 symbols of the letters. Knowing how a word is written will better help you in learning the vocabularies, since some words are often related
in meaning because they are constructed of the same letters. For instance, “masjid” [consisting of four letters mim, sa, ja, and da] means the place for praying. While praying in Arabic is “sujud” [consisting of three letters sa, ja and da], and “sajadah” [consisting of four letters sa, ja, da, and ha] is what people call a rug used for praying.
4. Practice and practice
Practice makes perfect is not just a saying. It is true when applied to learning Arabic online or
learning any language in general. After all, what are you learning the language for if not for using it, right? Don’t hesitate to practice. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Sometimes, we only know the right version of something after learning from previous mistakes.
For Moslems, Arabic is the language of worship and prayers. We pray in Arabic. Our Holy Quran is written in Arabic. Since our religion roots in Arabic, it will help us better understand Islam by learning Arabic. Even if we are non-Arab Muslims, learning Arabic is important, so that we could read the Quran and improve our understanding of it. With technology nowadays, we can learn Arabic online from our home through online tutoring. Hopefully, this guide of how to learn Arabic is helpful for you.
Sources
https://www.tayseerulquran.com/blog/benefits-of-learning-arabic-online-3-reasons-you-should-
learn-arabic/