How to learn Arabic while in coronavirus lockdown

As the coronavirus pandemic forces people around the world to stay home, coming out of lockdown knowing a new language – even one of the hardest to learn in the world – is possible, experts say.

For native English speakers the Arabic language is considered one of the most difficult to learn, with the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI) rating it as “exceptionally difficult.”

But with the right resources, one can yatakallam al-arabiya (speak Arabic) by the end of the coronavirus pandemic.

Types of Arabic

Before starting to learn the language, a beginner should pick which type of Arabic to start studying. Unlike English, there are three main categories of Arabic: Classical or Quranic Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and regional dialects.

Most language courses teach Modern Standard Arabic, while others focus on regional dialects such as Levantine, Egyptian, and Gulf.

Choosing between learning the standard and dialect will depend on your goal in learning Arabic, according to Sarab Al Ani, a professor of Arabic at Yale University.

Some people want to study the language because they have Arab heritage, some may have an incentive to learn due to religious purposes, others may want to learn for future career plans.

“Depending on these goals, you are going to pick a specific path. Learning Modern Standard is the best place to start if you don’t have a specific goal,” said Al Ani in an interview with Al Arabiya English, adding that those who hope to use Arabic for future travel should focus on the dialect of the destination.

How to begin

There are more resources than ever before to learn Arabic, according to Al Ani, who recommends a beginner explore as many methods as possible to discover the best personal way to learn.

“A question to ask is, ‘How do I learn best?’ It could be text, video, audio, writing, or interaction, ” said Al Ani, who teaches all levels of Arabic both in-person and online.

Textbooks: The two main textbooks used in American universities to learn Arabic are “Alif Baa” and “Al- Kitaab” that range in price from $30 to $80. Certain editions of the books come with multimedia components, as well. Though these textbooks were intended for classroom learning, they can be used for individual learning, as long as the individual is dedicated to learning Arabic, according to Al Ani.

Smartphone Apps: American language-learning app Duolingo added Arabic to its list of languages last July. The free platform offers a “good start” with its game-like lessons.However more resources will be needed for a robust, deeper understanding of the language, according to Al Ani.

YouTube: YouTube offers a wealth of Arabic language videos, but arguably the most popular Arabic teacher for English speakers on YouTube is Maha Yakoub and her “Learn Arabic with Maha” channel, which has amassed over 63 million views.

Her most watched videos include “Arabic Beginner Lesson 1- My name is” and “12 useful Arabic phrases you need to know!” Al Ani said Yakoub is “well-known” and “established” in the Arabic language learning world. Yakoub also offers specific videos that teach Arabic in the Palestinian dialect.

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