Can I master Arabic in a year?
We almost always think about the time it would take to learn something new even before starting the learning process. This is important because for most of us learning a new skill or a new language would mean making changes to our schedules to create time for the new language or skill we want to learn. If you are planning to learn Arabic or have just started and wondered how long it would take to learn the language or can I master Arabic in a year must have crossed your mind. Well, there is no specific answer to this because it would depend on various factors.
If you go by numbers, according to the Foreign Service Institute Arabic is a category IV language which means it is a difficult language and would need 2200 hours of learning to be at an advanced level. According to this, you would need to put in more than 6 hours of learning the language to become good at it. This could be a far from the distant possibility for people with other commitments and responsibilities which take up a considerable amount of their daily time.
Let us first look at the factors that would have an impact on your Arabic learning and play a crucial role in how fast or slow you can learn.
Your native language
The 2200-hour timeframe is based on English as a native language. If you speak a native language that is close to Arabic, or which has certain similarities with Arabic like Urdu, it might not take you a very long time to master the language.
Your experience with other languages
If you are bilingual or a multilingual who is already experienced with learning a new language, learning Arabic might become easier for you. You might not have learned any language similar to Arabic, but you already know what works for you when it comes to learning a new language.
Your style of learning
Are you learning Arabic only when you are in the class or are you surrounding yourself with the language all the time? Depending on whether you are just attending a class and then do nothing about Arabic or you find different ways to practice such as reading, writing, speaking to someone and listening to Arabic, the time taken to learn Arabic would vary.
How much do you spend learning Arabic?
This is a very important aspect to look at. Depending on whether you are spending two hours a week or dedicating two hours a day to learn Arabic, you would be able to master the language.
Your reason and your motivation
How strong is your reason to learn Arabic will decide how motivated are you. It is okay to feel low at times during the learning process, but your overall enthusiasm and purpose for learning Arabic would highly influence the time that you take to master the language.
Finally,
Rather than feeling overwhelmed by looking at the numbers, if you focus on the positive factors that can help you learn the Arabic language and work with complete dedication, it definitely is not impossible to master Arabic in a year.