– Sure!
This conversation happened once inВ aВ coffee shop when ordering an iced latte. At first glance, it is not notable. But IВ wondered again why people predispose themselves toВ failure? Who convinced this pretty and smart lady that it was hard toВ learn aВ foreign language? Maybe she, like many people, was not lucky enough toВ have aВ good teacher at school? Or did the family lack psychological support for any new beginnings? How many people do not know what they miss out on, putting language learning on the list ofВ pipe dreams? How may IВ transfer them at least aВ part ofВ the experience about how simple and pleasant itВ is?
Thus, aВ usual conversation and lovely bag from Dubai, featuring beautiful cactus, served as one ofВ the ideas for this book.
Secondly, if someone had told me eight years ago (when I first visited the United Arab Emirates) that I would willingly start learning Arabic and even less write this book – I would never have believed it! Where are Arabists, Orientalists, professors, diplomatic translators, and the author of these lines! I may be a polyglot for European languages and an ordinary entrepreneur. I felt unworthy of even approaching such luminaries in my mind and beginning to write something about Arabic. Surprisingly, in the process of learning it has been possible to attract the attention of friends to this language and to the culture of the Middle East. I became interested in Arabic calligraphy and, as a result, in the drawing.
IВ had toВ face the fact that there are much fewer manuals ofВ Arabic inВ comparison toВ European languages, so IВ had toВ build my own learning system, like aВ mosaic, adding it toВ my teaching method ofВ aВ foreign language.
Third, there is an incredible amount ofВ information devoted toВ language learning inВ our time. It seems that there is nothing toВ add: toВ choose courses, aВ teacher, manuals, decorate the process with words В«motivation,В» В«self-development,В» and В«terms,В» download aВ couple ofВ applications inВ aВ smartphone, make aВ solemn promise toВ friends inВ social networks and that is enough.
InВ such aВ case, why do many very talented and serious people, who want toВ learn the language that opens up new horizons inВ careers, businesses, and sometimes inВ personal lives, do not get toВ master it and put it on their list ofВ achievements and their rГ©sumГ©? Why it happens that even with an excellent teacher, the student can set specific goals but fails toВ achieve results?
The fact is – that people are integrated into the learning process differently. They translate feelings into thoughts and texts having unique ways of perceiving the information and the nature of learning.
In this book, the reader will get acquainted with twelve ways to learn Arabic and learn how to move the learning process from a deadlock – not only to start but to continue until the end. Everyone is going to recognize himself/herself in a particular chapter (or in several ones) and will get a ready decision about what to do about it; will figure out how it is easier to achieve results in Arabic without unnecessary suffering.
The book consists ofВ two parts. The first one is dedicated toВ the specificities ofВ the language; the second describes the types ofВ students.
The book intends to prove that the Arabic language is available to everyone, not only to В«celestial beings.В»
The next photo depicts the moment when, on way from aВ business meeting inВ Palm Jumeirah, the author came up with the idea ofВ sharing the experience ofВ learning this language with other people starting their way into Arabic. Alternatively, even with those who have not yet done so. Perhaps the book will serve as an inspiration toВ make the first step!
On the car’s side mirror, it is written that English-speaking readers will understand effortlessly: «Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.» That is what one can say about Arabic: it is much closer to us and a lot easier than it seems to be.
Reasons for learning Arabic
Arabic may appear inВ life for aВ variety ofВ reasons. For example:
As aВ means ofВ gaining aВ well-paid job inВ Gulf countries;
Interest inВ the culture and history ofВ specific countries;
Study ofВ aВ rare language (polyglot calling card), including as aВ linguistic phenomenon;
Love and family reunification;
Ancestral call and roots;
Hobbies, interests, and personal beliefs; the magic ofВ music and fascination with the literature ofВ the East;
Travel;
Moving toВ the desired country;
__________________________________ (write your idea!).
1.В Arabic is one ofВ the most popular languages inВ the world. Today it is among the top languages with the largest number ofВ speakers. Over 300В million people speak Arabic; it is official inВ 22В countries. This language is becoming more popular every day, and it is expected that it will soon be as popular as English. Arabic is important for those who plan toВ work abroad and make aВ good living. Its knowledge is aВ bonus for people with professional skills: inВ Europe and inВ the CIS countries, there is aВ significant shortage ofВ Arabic-speaking specialists.
The developing economies ofВ Arabic-speaking States are increasingly specialized inВ the service sector and require skilled workers.
2.В Arabic is considered aВ springboard for studying Farsi, Urdu, Hebrew, and Turkish. The difficulty ofВ learning it is exaggerated, as the language is well systematized even for home learning.
3. Knowing the language makes it easier to understand its speakers’ mentality and successfully build friendly relations.
4. Arabic does not tolerate borrowing: it contains no more than 1% ofВ foreign words.
The richness ofВ this language makes us wonder and admire it. Even the best translation ofВ the Arabic text would be approximate since no other language inВ the world had exact analogs toВ Arabic expressions. Its vocabulary is full ofВ meaning. Hollow and vague words Arabs do not like, seeking accuracy and perfection inВ everything, especially inВ expressing thoughts.
5.В Arabic is very logical, and learning is often compared toВ mathematics. If you only know three letters, you can create dozens ofВ new words byВ formulas. There are models inВ the language showing how toВ do it properly.
6. The Arabic language has played a significant role in the history of world culture: it has produced a wealth of artistic and scientific literature.
7. Arabian ligature is aВ paradise for aesthetics and unique fine arts! You can learn not only toВ contemplate it but also toВ write it. There are no capital letters; there is no difference between the printed and written letters.
Learning Arabic from scratch without tutoring or group instruction is not easy. For the first stage ofВ education, it is essential toВ find В«yourВ» teacher with whom you will be comfortable studying 100%. The author ofВ this book is convinced that this is aВ necessary factor for success. InВ one lesson, aВ student can fall inВ love with aВ foreign language (especially Arabic) for the rest ofВ his life or cultivate fear/rejection.
It may not be easy toВ provide training inВ classic methods and teaching materials but more effective toВ focus on consultancy and conversational skills.
On the one hand, you study independently in textbooks; on the other – attend one-on-one tutoring and/or in a group.
Arabic can be studied inВ special cultural centers, and it is very likely that you will be able toВ go toВ internships and practice inВ the country ofВ native speakers.
ToВ speed up language learning, if right now there is no way toВ learn thoughtfully and profoundly, you can act toВ satisfy the first impulse.
Let us start and have aВ look at some question words:
You have already learned eight words!
OfВ course, if you want aВ great result, you have toВ commit toВ serious work, but IВ would call it The Path. InВ this process, you will become spiritually more prosperous, more tolerant, and even more attractive as aВ person.
It is easy toВ touch the soul ofВ this wise, precise, philosophically generous language.
on the border ofВ Qatar and Saudi Arabia
Ease ofВ the Arabic language
The Arabs are very eloquent. Any situation can instantly find aВ clever saying. See some Arabic winged expressions and proverbs:
Will the shadow be straight if the barrel is curved?
Do not open aВ door you cannot close.
IВ am emir, and you emir. Who will drive donkeys?
InВ conversation, the path shortens.
The heart sees before the head.
The army ofВ sheep, led byВ aВ lion, will defeat the army ofВ lions, led byВ aВ sheep.
Arabic is a complex and mysterious language for many people until they learn it. I am convinced that everyone can learn Arabic!
First, consider its merits, and inВ the next chapter, consider its nuances. IВ do not want toВ call them cons, although the chapter is specifically referred toВ as such: it is very likely that aВ large part ofВ the readers will open it first.
1.В Arabic is aВ flexible language. The same word meaning can be conveyed inВ several ways: the structure ofВ the proposals is not as rigid as, for example, inВ English or French. InВ this respect, Arabic is similar toВ Russian.
2. Arabic is a mathematical language: words and sentences are constructed by certain formulas. This is a tremendous advantage of Arabic – a minimum number of exceptions to the rules.
So you do not have toВ cram much! If one learns grammar at aВ reasonable level, one word can inВ some cases, be composed ofВ more than aВ dozen derived words using model formulas.
