Why Learn Arabic?

I first studied classical Arabic at Edinburgh University in Scotland and then learnt how to use Arabic professionally as a BBC journalist in the Middle East and socially by marrying into an Arab family. I also have a post-graduate degree in education for my career as a teacher, and have taught languages in English secondary schools and Arabic to adults. I created Bab Online Arabic because I believe there is a lack of easy-to-follow language courses which combine written and spoken Arabic. My own experience strongly suggests it is better for English speakers to begin learning the language from someone who has already made the journey they want to embark on.

About Bab Online Arabic

Bab Online Arabic comprises of twelve short, engaging online lessons designed to get you reading, writing, speaking and understanding Arabic. The lessons include learning the alphabet, basic grammar and vocabulary, and conversational dialogue -- all the tools you need to begin exploring Arabic literature and contemporary media, as well as conversational dialogues voiced by native speakers to model real-life everyday communication.

The course is designed for adult English speakers who are complete beginners or who have never tried learning written Arabic. Each lesson takes a few Arabic letters which are then used in words and phrases in a precise sequence that builds on the previous lesson, adding grammatical structures and vocabulary as well as an illustrated spoken dialogue voiced by native Arabic speakers (Levantine dialect) introducing everyday expressions.

The first six lessons are free so users can try out the course before committing. Thereafter users are required to pay a monthly subscription of 3.99 GBP ($5.34) to access the remaining six lessons. Try a lesson or two by going to Bab Online Arabic where you can also find sections on the pleasures and advantages of learning Arabic, more detail about each lesson, and my background as a teacher of the language. Each lesson should take between 20 to 30 minutes, depending how much practice the student invests in the interactive exercises. I would recommend doing no more than one lesson a day, but trying to spend at least a few minutes each day reinforcing the learning in between lessons.

Why Learn Arabic

I can honestly say that the first reason for learning Arabic is the sheer aesthetic pleasure of it. The language has an unearthly beauty that cannot be described in English; you have to experience it, and you can, whatever your age or background. I include in the pleasure incentive the joy of exploring a trove of literature still largely unknown in the Western world, the excitement of opening a door to a whole new world of places, of history and culture but above all of people.  It’s why I called my language learning programme Bab, which is Arabic for door or gateway.

The second reason is that it’s one of the best possible pathways to neuroplasticity, the mental equivalent of giving your brain a regular workout to make it fitter, more powerful and better able not just to slow down the aging process but even reverse it. There’s an ever-growing body of scientific evidence to support this claim about language learning in general, and I believe the greater the distance between your mother tongue and the learned language, the better workout you give your brain in bridging it. Language processing is the most complex activity the brain has evolved to handle so do yours a favour and take it down the gym.

The third reason is that it can open up all sorts of career advantages and economic opportunities, whatever your field of operation. Don’t just take my word for it, having enjoyed a wonderful career, quite a lot of it spent in the Middle East. Hard-headed economists plot a direct correspondence between a country’s GDP performance and its linguistic skills, and for the Anglosphere Mandarin and Arabic are the top earners. Don’t believe the monolinguists* who tell you everyone speaks English. First, they don’t, and second, ask a bridge engineer if you can build one starting at just one end. I’ve worked on some huge, complex international projects that involved mega-bucks and lots of people. Here’s what I learnt: in any project that spans two languages those who can use both will always be in control.

On the subject of bridges my hope is to build a new one with Bab, and see it grow into a portal between peoples and cultures. I’m pouring all my language teaching experience and expertise into it, and flatter myself that I’m developing a new, unrivalled way to learn Arabic that combines knowledge of the literary language with practical, everyday communication. Twelve short lessons, if practiced diligently, provide a solid basis for further, independent acquisition, whether scholarly or through social interaction. Thereafter, the plan is to use authentic language resources such as the Quran, classical literature and contemporary culture, poetry, novels, films, music, news coverage, and more, for exploration that has infinite horizons. If Bab had a theme song it would be, as Elvis Costello sang, What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?

*AI Overview: Monolinguists are individuals who speak, read, or write only one language. While common in many regions, they generally lack the enhanced cognitive flexibility, memory, and multitasking abilities often found in multilingual individuals, and they may not delay dementia symptoms as long as bilinguals. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Qatar Foundation International (QFI). While QFI reviews guest contributions for clarity and to ensure the content is valuable for our audience, the accuracy and completeness of the information are the responsibility of the author.

References

https://linktr.ee/Bab_online_Arabic

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/learning-another-language-may-slow-brain-aging-huge-new-study-finds/

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1814-1.html