Interesting facts about the Arabic language: Arabic is around 2,000 years old, although it has evolved since its origin in the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabic language is only growing in importance and today it’s the fourth most spoken language around the world, after Chinese, Spanish, and English, with around 362 million native speakers.

Additionally, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and there are currently over two billion Muslims. This has spread Arabic around the world as it’s the language of the Holy Qur’an and is therefore an important language for all Muslims. Many Westerners are also surprised to learn that there are other religions besides Islam in the Arab World and that many Druze, Christian, and Jewish Arabs also speak Arabic.

Arabic Is Spoken Across An Important Region

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is a very important region, historically, culturally, and economically. Arabic is therefore very important if you wish to work, live, or travel here. Equally, if you are interested in the region, Arabic is a great language to study, which will help you learn more about the region, its literature, its cultures, and its people.

Learning any new language will always teach you more about your language when you find the similarities and differences. Additionally, facts about the Arabic language, along with Arabic language studies or any other language, will give you insight into the mindsets and mannerisms of people who speak the language.

In this guide, we will talk you through some tips that will help you learn the language quickly and effectively and also make a recommendation for where you can study the language in the Middle East.

But Wait… Which Dialect?

Arabic is a fascinating language, and one of the most important facts about the Arabic language is that – it’s the official language of Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen?

Additionally, western colonization and imperialism have created a large Arab diaspora around the world, with many native Arabic speakers needing to flee their homelands for other non-Arab countries. Because Arabic is so widely spoken, it’s therefore made of many different dialects, with some estimating that there are around 30 modern variants or dialects. 

Modern Standard Arabic 

In most classrooms outside of MENA, students will be taught Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), a kind of catch-all formal version of the language which might be the best way to learn the language until you know which dialect you want to specialize in.

MSA is the formal language used in education, formal speech, literature, and the news. MSA developed from Classical Arabic (the language of the Holy Qur’an), which was also used for Islamic literature between the 7th and 9th centuries.

However, if you wish to converse with native Arabic speakers, it’s best to choose a dialect to specialize in because native Arabic speakers generally don’t speak MSA in their daily lives. They are likely to understand you speaking MSA to them, but you will likely not fully understand them when they respond to you in their dialect, which inevitably creates communication barriers. 

Facts About the Arabic Language Local Dialects

Local people in each country or region speak their variant. The different dialects across the Arab World share many similarities with the Modern Standard format, but will usually have different vocabulary and grammatical structures, some variations in pronunciation along being spoken in different accents. Even from one city or village to the next, there can be differences.

Northern African countries have dialects that differ quite substantially from Middle Eastern Arabic due to the different linguistic influences there. For example, one of the lasting impacts of the French colonization of African countries is the influence on the way Arabic is spoken there and fusing it with French in some regards. 

Khaliji And Shami 

The two most popular dialects in the Middle East are Khaliji (Gulf Arabic) and Shami (Levantine Arabic). Khaliji is spoken in the Gulf states like the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar, while Shami is spoken by all Arabic countries near the Mediterranean Sea: Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan.

Critically, most Arabic speakers can understand the Levantine dialect because it’s the most commonly recognized as it’s the closest to Modern Standard Arabic, while other dialects may be less likely to be understood by an outsider. This makes learning Levantine Arabic a wonderful choice for those considering which dialect to learn. 

So Which Dialect Should You Choose?

Before you begin your Arabic language studies, first decide which type to learn – MSA or a local dialect. There is an abundance of MSA classes and study materials available, making it accessible to learn but not necessarily useful, depending on what your goals are. Decide what your goals are and what you wish to do with Arabic, and then you can decide which type is best for you.

Keep reading to find some tips to help you learn, once you have decided which Arabic dialect to learn.  

Should You Learn The Arabic Alphabet?

Some people think learning the Arabic alphabet is too difficult, so they use Arabizi, a mix between “3arabi” and “Inglizi” (“Arabic” and “English” in Arabic, respectively) instead. This involves using the Latin alphabet and numbers to represent sounds that are not present in English. For example, the name “Mohammed” can be written as “M7md” in Arabizi. 

However, if you do not learn the Arabic alphabet, you will not be able to read and write, you will therefore have difficulty learning new words on your own. Learning the Arabic alphabet will also help improve your pronunciation, as using the English alphabet or Arabizi often gives inaccurate pronunciation. 

It Doesn’t Have To Be Overwhelming 

Learning the Arabic alphabet can seem too overwhelming at first, for several reasons. Firstly, it’s different from the Latin alphabet. It is in cursive and you read it from right to left, which is not as difficult as it seems. Additionally, each letter has four variations – the beginning, the middle, the end, and the isolated form.

We recommend that you focus on learning the isolated forms of each letter first, and practice writing words using isolated letters, without joining them. Once you can write all the isolated forms confidently, you can begin to learn to join the letters and learn the other forms. This will incrementally build your proficiency rather than overwhelm you.

Install An Arabic Keyboard On Your Phone

Installing an Arabic keyboard on your phone is free and easy. It allows you to start using Arabic more in your daily life, whether through texting in Arabic with friends, searching the Internet, or writing captions in Arabic for your social media posts.

DON’T Use Google Translate 

Google Translate can be awkward or inaccurate at the best of times, but this is especially true for Arabic. Google Translate uses MSA, so it won’t be accurate if you are trying to learn a local dialect. One of the cool facts about the Arabic language is that Arabic is full of poetry and metaphors and Google Translate will often translate these literally, which completely changes and loses the intended meaning, often giving very bizarre translations in English.

Keep A Notebook For New Vocabulary

Keep a notebook so you can write down new words you see or hear so that you remember new vocabulary you encounter. If you are unsure about the meaning or spelling, you can look them up, or ask a friend or teacher about them later.

Watch Videos On Youtube

There is an abundance of free videos to help you learn Arabic on YouTube, whether you are looking to learn how to pronounce Arabic letters, vocabulary, colloquial phrases, or grammar. YouTube can also be a great way to test out different dialects before committing to one.

Watch Arabic TV And Films

The more you immerse yourself in Arabic culture, the quicker you will pick up and enjoy the language. There are many Arabic films and series on Netflix, you could also ask an Arab friend for recommendations of series and films to watch. You can then use subtitles to build your understanding of the show.

Listen To Arabic Songs 

If you are a beginner, listening to slower songs with clear pronunciation will likely be most helpful. However, if you are at a more advanced level, listening to rap and hip-hop songs can be a great way to challenge yourself. Just a few of the most famous Arab singers that you might like to check out are Umm Kulthum (Egypt), Fairuz (Lebanon), Abdel Halim Hafez (Egypt), Reem Bana (Palestine), and Nancy Ajram (Lebanon). 

Speak Native!

Some of the best advice when learning any language is to find a native speaker to practice with. If they can speak your language, they will be able to explain everything to you more easily and give you recommendations for articles, films, or websites to improve your Arabic.

They can also teach you the quirks of their dialect much better than a non-native speaker. If you make friends with an Arabic speaker, you will be able to informally improve your Arabic through practicing conversation about various topics with them.

Practice, Practice, Practice

The only way to get better at speaking Arabic is to speak. The only way to get better at listening to and understanding Arabic is to listen to it. And, of course, the only way to get better at reading and writing Arabic is to read and write. It might sound simple, but many language learners think if they write and read enough, they will get better at speaking. If only that were true!

Work On Your Confidence 

A big reason why people spend years studying a language but are still unable to speak it is that they lack the confidence to speak. One way to build confidence is to be kind and encourage yourself. Think about the kind of teacher you would prefer – one who is kind and encouraging, or one who criticizes you for every mistake.

Then treat yourself how you wish to be treated. It’s also important to accept that you are going to make mistakes because you are human, that’s okay and that’s normal and everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes show you what you can improve on and what you still need to learn.  

Summary 

In closing to an end, another of the key facts about the Arabic language is that Arabic is the fourth most spoken language in the world, and not only is it a rich and beautiful language, but it’s also growing in importance due to globalization. There are many different dialects of Arabic to choose from, but we recommend learning the Levantine dialect because it’s one of the most widely usable and understood dialects, being the closest to Modern Standard Arabic. Here we have provided you with several tips to help you learn Arabic.

However, we think the best way to not just learn some fun facts about the Arabic language, but learn Arabic itself is to come and study it with us and immerse yourself in our language and our Palestinian culture, while also making memories to last a lifetime. Many international students and volunteers join us, so you will have the chance to make friends with Palestinians as well as people from all over the world.

When you study with us, you will not only have one of our wonderful native Arabic-speaking teachers, but you will also have a flexible course, where you can choose the length, the intensity, and the start and end dates. In addition to an immersion in Arabic and Palestinian culture, we also include accommodation, daily breakfast, and several visits around Hebron city to help you learn more about Palestine politically and culturally. 

Find Out More

What did you think of our guide? Which of these facts about the Arabic language did you already know? Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact: Info@ecpalestine.org and on Whatsapp:+972599479880

Tags: Arabic dialects and their differences, Arabic language origins and evolution, Interesting facts about the Arabic language, Unique aspects of Arabic pronunciation