Learning Arabic for foreigners: 8 effective steps with ketaby Academy, part 1

Question and answer about learning Arabic

Arabic is one of the oldest and most prestigious languages in history, spoken by more than 400 million people in the Arab world and elsewhere around the world. It is, of course, one of the most profound languages in terms of meaning and vocabulary richness. Learning Arabic for foreigners greatly helps you learn the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, and it also opens up more opportunities for travel, study, and work in Arab countries.

For non-native speakers, learning Arabic may seem difficult at first, but at Ketaby Academy, we believe that you can learn it and achieve mastery if you follow the right approach.

Follow us at Ketaby Academy in this article as we guide you through 4 effective steps for learning Arabic for foreigners. Let’s get started…..

Number 1: Decide which Arabic you want to learn

  Before you start learning Arabic, we at Ketaby Academy would like to inform you that Arabic is not a single version but a group of different approaches and types. The two main types of Arabic are:

  • Modern Standard Arabic: also called “Fus-ha فصحى” it’s the official language used in the media, books, magazines, educational curricula, and religious texts from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
  • Arabic dialects: there are the versions used in everyday life among the people, and it varies from one country to another. For example, there is the Egyptian dialect, which is used in Egypt and is widely spoken and understood in the Arab world, and there is the Levantine dialect used in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, and there is the Gulf dialect used in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, as well as the Moroccan dialect used in Morocco and Algeria.

At Ketaby Academy, we consider Modern standard Arabic to be the most suitable for beginners, as it is understood in all Arab countries and is the approach used in educational resources. It also makes it easier for you to learn any of the other dialects later on, and you can learn a specific dialect if you want to travel and live in a particular country.

Number 2: Start with the Arabic Alphabet

  At Ketaby Academy, we consider learning the Alphabet to be the cornerstone that qualifies you to learn any skill as reading, writing, listening, and speakin later on.

The Arabic Alphabet consists of 28 letters. At Ketaby Academy workshops, we focus on the shape of the letters as well as their correct pronunciation with an understanding of the short Vowels “harakat” (fatha, damma, kasra, and sukun) that guide pronunciation and the meaning.

You must study them well. Then, know that the letters differ in shape depending on their position in the word, as well as their pronunciation and how to join letters together. It may seem confusing at first, so you must focus on visual and auditory input to master them.

Number 3: Learn common words and phrases

Once you have mastered the Alphabets, the next step in learning Arabic for foreigners is to learn everyday words and simple, common phrases so that you can use them daily at school, university, work, etc.

Some of these words are:

  • Hello = “marhaban” مرحبا
  • Please = “min fadlak” من فضلك
  • Thank you = “shukran” شكرا

Here are some simple, common phrases used every day:

  • What’s your name? = “ma esmok” ما إسمك
  • How are you? = “kayf halok” كيف حالك

At Ketaby Academy, we recommend learning about 5 common words and phrases every day, repeating them and speaking them with native Arabic speakers, this makes learning Arabic for foreigners practical and useful from the start.

Number 4: Listening is a milestone

   “Those who do not listen cannot speak”, I couldn’t agree more!

Listening is very important as a step for learning Arabic for foreigners,

At Ketaby Academy, we train you to listen from day one, as we consider it a fundamental pillar for learning any language. If you don’t understand what is being said to you, you won’t be able to respond, communicate, or learn. This is what many beginners fall into when they postpone listening until they learn the grammer.

Listening regularly from the start helps you master the sounds of sentences, words, and their rhythm, as well as pronunciation, which in turn makes it easier for you to pronounce and converse.

Ketaby Academy Tip : start with slow and easy content (such as simple everyday conversations, cartoons on YouTube, and videos for Learning Arabic for Foreigners from Zero), repeating the videos until you understand the words, and then try to repeat what the speaker said, which is called shadowing.

Listening is your way to speak fluently, so make it a daily habit as brushing your teeth.

Common questions about learning Arabic for foreigners:

How do I learn Arabic by myself?

  • At ketaby academy we help you to learn Arabic for the start by focusing on Lithening skills, conversation and writting.

What is the easiest Arabic to learn?

  • Modern Standard Arabic (also called “Fus-ha فصحى”) is the easiest Arabic to learn and also the Egyptian dialect.

Can I learn Arabic by listening?

  • Yes, of course, Listening regularly from the start helps you master the sounds of sentences, words, and their rhythm, as well as pronunciation, which in turn makes it easier for you to pronounce and converse.

How to get better at listening to Arabic?

  • start with slow and easy content (such as simple everyday conversations), repeating the videos until you understand the words, and then try to repeat what the speaker said.

Should I learn the Arabic alphabet first?

  • Absolutely yes, learning the Alphabet qualifies you to learn any skill as reading, writing, listening, and speakin later on.

To know more, join us in Arabic language courses and wait for part 2.