Is it worthwhile to learn Arabic?
Spoken by over 490 million people around the globe, Arabic currently ranks as the 5th most spoken language around the world. It is named after the Arabs which is a term initially used to describe people living in the area bounded by Mesopotamia in the east and the Anti-Lebanon mountains in the west, in North-western Arabia and in the Sinai Peninsula. During the Middle Ages, Arabic was a major vehicle of culture in Europe, especially in science, mathematics and philosophy. Arabic has influenced many other languages around the globe throughout its history including Spanish, Greek, Bulgarian and many more. Arab culture is rich and interesting.
Let's discuss in detail why!
Apart from such a rich history, Arabic is highly beneficial in the modern world as well. First of all, Arabic will make you stand out of the crowd. Since there are very few people from the West that can speak Arabic. Having a command of Arabic will make you appear clever and sophisticated. Learning the language will also enable you to read some of the famous classic literature like Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad the Sailor. Learning Arabic will help you appreciate the region’s unique way of life, cuisine, literature, music and art. You’ll open the door to their rich culture that is not often exposed to the Western world. You’ll appreciate their cultural practices and products and understand the values that matter much to them, such as hospitality, dignity and honour. Learning Arabic will help you learn other languages spoken in the region as well, such as Farsi or Persian, Turkish, Urdu and even Hebrew. Most of the vocabularies of these languages are derived from and similar to Arabic words so you will be able to quickly grasp the semantic and grammatical concepts of the other languages.
What more?
If you’re a traveller then travelling to the Middle East would be easier. A good number of Arabs are able to speak English but the larger part of the population only uses Arabic as their primary language. Even if you can only speak common words and phrases, it is better to speak the local language. It would help you appreciate the traditional villages and other points of interest. You’ll be able to experience true Arab hospitality. Arabs are very proud of their language. Arabic also makes it easier to learn French or Spanish and these languages will allow you to travel or work in various countries, especially in Europe. However, you have more competition because there are more learners and speakers of these languages.
In the professional or business aspect, Countries in the Middle East where Arabic is predominately spoken, have become big players in the world economy and in international business. Learning Arabic will enable you to travel and work in these powerful countries. You’ll have an edge over the competition even if you are in the West. The current demand for fluent Arabic speakers is high, especially in foreign affairs, defence, intelligence, journalism is rising at a steady rate. The secret services in the U.S. need people who are fluent speakers of Arabic. There are many businesses, including translating and interpreting that are also in need of Arabic speakers.
Finally,
Arabic has many benefits of learning it which makes it pretty worthwhile learning. While it does have a notorious reputation of being one of the most difficult languages to learn, this same reputation also makes it highly valuable and greatly in demand.