Tuesday, October 28

Do You Want To Learn Arabic?

Arabic is the mother tongue to over 225 million people in Africa and Asia, and there are as many as 246 million non-native speakers (source). Arabic is spoken throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, and Chad. In short, learning a bit of Arabic makes whole lot of sense, whether you are doing it for religious, social or business purposes.

LEARN ARABIC FOR FREE?
Here are five (5) learning spaces to get you started:

  • ArabicPod
    This website created by Mohamed Moshaya and Ehab Saleh is dedicated to providing innovative and effective methods for learning Arabic. They use web 2.0 technologies such as podcasts, videos, games, etc. to provide a rich learning experience. Although, they only launched recently (March 2008), their free online lessons have been downloaded more than a million times. You will really enjoy their podcasts, which involves two guys having an engaging chat while learning Arabic (Thumbs up!). I also like that one can rate and provide comments to each podcast, which again facilitates learning conversations and continuous improvement. All of their audio podcasts can be freely listened to and downloaded. For most of the other content, there is a subscription fee which is setup to cover the costs of running the website. I hope that some noble investor will come in soon to cover the costs, so that we all can enjoy the rest for free.
  • Madinah Arabic
    This free site has been designed to teach the Arabic language inspired by one of the most popular courses being used today - the Madinah Book Series by Dr. V. Abdur Rahim which is used by Madinah University to teach English speaking students the Arabic language. This course will eventually contain
    (under development) everything an individual needs to learn the Arabic Language (Classical and Modern Standard) from complete beginner to advanced level. If you prefer a straight-to-the-point kind of course (efficient learning!), you have found it right here. I don't mind that the audio provided is being chunked to phrases and words, but it would be wonderful if we could also download the full lesson in one MP3 file (conveniently access lessons on our IPods and Mp3 players). But, besides that it is a splendid and noble initiative.
  • Babel - Arabic
    This is an online course in Arabic. It teaches you basic sentences, how to write, how to count and introduces Arabic grammar. All with sounds! This course will teach you about 400 of the most common words in Arabic. All lessons are the product of cooperation between an Arab native and a non-Arab who have managed to learn the language.
  • Learn Arabic (speak7)
    Learn Arabic for free, their lessons are available to anyone who wants to speak Arabic, from grammar, vocabulary, expressions, phrases and more.
  • Arabic.org
    Here you can learn the basics in Arabic language, and they also offer professional Arabic translation and calligraphy services. Interestingly, this Arabic owned small firm is located in New York City (of all places). They want to create an online site devoted to Arabic. It will be interesting to see how this evolves. They should also consider offering Arabic courses on ITunes (free and commercial versions).

Whether you are 10 or 72 years-old, I suppose you might find one of these four learning opportunities a useful starting point to learn the basics in Arabic. I like the variety of approaches each initiative has taken to facilitate learning. Some people might want to learn through learning conversations (e.g. ArabicPod), while others might want to learn efficiently in a book-style format with audio support (e.g. Madinah Arabic). Either way, these five learning initiatives provides us with different approaches to satisfy different learning styles. Why not use all four to get us started?

Finally, click here if you want to learn Arabic in less than 9-minutes (video). WOW!

Do you have any better suggestions to learn Arabic online for free? I am still a beginner :)

4 comments:

  1. Good Arabic Aids.I have tried a few of these especially the Madina course.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Arabic.org is also a good resource for learning arabic.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello I am Sha!
    Assalam-o-Alaikum!
    I really like & love the arabic as a "Language".
    The impression I got immediately after I
    completed MA English was that I should have
    studied "Arabic".
    I have grown a strong passion and attachment
    for Arabic and the Arabs. How much it can last?
    This is what i don't know nor am much sure about
    but if your gals and guys out there help me, my
    love might become fruitful for me.
    Why do i like and love arabic and the Arabs?
    This is sort of expansive questions.
    I only know that Arabic is soft, smooth
    and melodius.
    The Arabs are loving, sincere and sobre.
    Well, what I don't know is if they are
    lovers of their language too or not.
    I aspire to someday talk fluently in arabic.
    Talk to my friends. But can i attract Arabic
    -speakers to my self by speaking their lang-
    uage is yet another thing to be experienced
    still.
    Arabic is the language of the Muslims but i do
    believe ALLAH will hear and help me even when
    i speak my mother tongue to ask him. I am
    sensitive to the degree that if i like something
    just for the sake of some good and great point
    in it and I am not answered positively.... I
    really begin to hate that thing. Well i don't
    know why should i do it but still here i am to
    do it. I like to chat, sing, speak, think, write
    and argue in Arabic. I have no intention to
    visit an Arabic speaking country as yet but
    can it be helpful enough in learning a language to
    personally visit the country where it is spoken?
    Because we have been in this country of ours for
    since our birth but still we haven't got command
    and control over the national language spoken
    here. Does it go to say that it doesn't matter
    a lot to visit a country for the solitary purpose
    of learning a language spoken there? I like the
    h sound of Arabic and also I like it for not
    having the clattering sounds of t,d etc. I
    want to have good really good arabic language
    friends. I can teach you English "only and only
    if you think you need it". I should thank you
    in advance if you think my love for Arabic and
    the Arab is something valuable.
    With best regards it is farhad (underscore)
    alishah (at) yahoo (dot) com
    my cell number is zerozeroninetwothreeonetwo
    fivezerotwozeroeighteighteight
    Wassalam-o-Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah!
    ( I shall be really anxiously waiting for
    the language friend of my dreams.
    How can i say in Arabic
    "The lover and Admirer of Arabic as a Language"
    Bubye thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. Arabi Center for Arabic Studies

    Arabi Center is one of the leading centers in teaching Arabic language to non native speakers, in Alexandria, the second capital of Egypt,
    Arabi Center recognizes that now days Arabic is one of the world's lively modern languages; it has become of nearly equivalent importance to many world-wide used languages.
    Due to the various political, economic, cultural and religious reasons, the number of people interested in learning Arabic Language has been recently increasing all over the world day-by-day.
    Moreover, Arabic Language is now one of the UN official languages, English, French, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic; it was added as a language of General Assembly, The Security Council, and The Economic & Social Council because of the increase of the UN.

    This motivated Arabi Center to present its programs according to the international curriculum, which helps students to achieve the language's four skills; (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening) as:

    Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
    Classical Arabic (CA)
    Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA)
    Arabic Calligraphy (Khatt-Arabi)
    Arabic for special careers; business, media, and medical
    Arabic for Children
    Training programs for Arabic language teachers
    Online teaching
    Reciting Qur'an with Tajweed


    About us:
    Arabi Center introduces a new definition for teaching Arabic, not only as a language, but also as a culture, and Human heritage, with effective and complying educational standards in the field of teaching Language.

    Arabi Center provides its courses through regular courses, crash courses, and private classes.
    Arabi Center has highly qualified, native speakers instructors
    Arabi Center is following international curriculum
    Arabi Center uses modern teaching methods
    Arabi Center courses are certified
    Arabi Center offers discounts for groups, and families
    Arabi Center practices Arabic language through outdoors tours
    Arabi Center provides free services; internet wireless, library, and indoors events
    Arabi Center provides paid services; car license , Housing
    Arabi Center faces the Roman Greek museum, 5 minutes from the center of Alexandria, 10 minutes from bibliotheca Alexandrina, and near most of Alexandria's landmark
    Arabi Center is beside a wide parking area
    Arabi Center ' café provides sandwiches, snacks, and soft drinks, (cold& Hot)

    6 Roman museum st., Alexandria - Egypt
    Telefax: (00203) 4858843 Mobile: (002)0108306360
    E-mail:info@arabi-center.com www.arabi-center.com

    ReplyDelete