The Arabic language is usually found on top of the lists of the hardest language to learn. This is due to many misconceptions about the culture and the language in the media. People who speak the language or those learning it at the moment will tell you otherwise. The Arabic language has 28 letters in the alphabet. Letters are written from right to left with most letters joined together; those are the most significant differences from other languages. The richness and the beauty of the language are noticed almost immediately after attempting to learn a few words. The grammar is logical and easy to understand. Learning Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or Fusha (which is the universal Arabic) is an easy way to comprehend the language and be able to speak it.
Arabic is the fourth most spoken language in the world and the global demand for Arabic speakers only continues to grow. Speaking the language is an invaluable skill that can create many career opportunities. Nowadays, parents are investing in teaching their children Arabic to open doors to a slightly untapped market.
Many myths surround the language and its learning accessibility, and these following four are the most popular. It is important to learn the facts before the myths.
- The script is impossibly difficult, like hieroglyphics. This is purely a myth and hieroglyphics have not been used for thousands of years. Hieroglyphics are picture words used by Ancient Egyptians during the Pharaonic civilization. There is no relation to the Modern Standard Arabic language or any Arabic dialect used today. The Arabic alphabet is simple with 28 letters that are similar in shape (only 5 basic shapes). Writing is clockwise from right to left. There is nothing impossible about learning the Arabic language. In fact, more people are engaging in Arabic learning apps and traveling to the Middle East to get immersed in the culture.
- Arabic has too many exotic sounds, Impossible for foreigners. There are only two or three sounds in the Arabic language which are not found in English. It has been proven that these sounds can be easily learned through imitation, similar to any new language. In fact, Arabic is written phonetically. This means that every word is spelled exactly as it sounds, rendering it easier to learn through visual aids and repetition.
- Arabic has a terribly rich vocabulary. The Arabic Language is exceptionally rich in its culture and poetry, all reasons that make people keen to learn it. As for its vocabulary, it is no more complex than any other modern language. The vocabulary of Modern Standard Arabic is not the same as ancient modern poetry, which is where the general confusion comes from. The high figures of millions of words are a misguided assertion. Once you start learning Arabic online and understanding the basic roots and patterns of the words, it is as simple as learning any other foreign language. Arabic offers an added bonus to learn more words through derivation from a single root. This expands the learner’s vocabulary at a much faster rate and expedites the learning process. With new digitized learning applications that offer instant translation to a learner’s tongue language, the common misconception that Arabic takes longer to learn is no longer an issue.
- Arabic grammar is complicated. All grammar basics in any language have a certain level of complexity that needs to be comprehended and applied with practice. Modern Standard Arabic grammar is not more complicated than other languages. On the contrary, the verb conjugation and tenses are simpler than many other languages. MSA and Fusha have two verb tenses (present and past) which is even simpler than the three tenses in the English language. There are a few irregular verbs that are categorized separately but follow a very predictable pattern. This pattern has been found to be easy to learn and apply especially with children at a young age. Like any other language, there are aspects of the grammar that are easy and others that are more difficult.
Aside from the Arabic Language becoming an invaluable skill for any job seeker, the benefits of learning the beautiful language and getting immersed in the culture and religion behind it should not be marred by such myths and claims. Learning Arabic has never been easier today with all the applications available to eager learners of all ages. It is time to remove all myths and false claims from your head and choose to learn Arabic today. Modern Standard Arabic or Fusha will enable you to communicate using the most widespread version of the Arabic Language in no time.
I Read Arabic app is available on both Google Play and App Store
For more info please visit: https://app.ireadarabic.com
