Introduction

Arabic is a Semitic language that first emerged in the 1st to 4th centuries CE. It is now the lingua franca of the Arab world. It is named after the Arabs, a term initially used to describe peoples living in the Arabian Peninsula bounded by eastern Egypt in the west, Mesopotamia in the east, and the Anti-Lebanon mountains and Northern Syria in the north, as perceived by ancient Greek geographers. The ISO assigns language codes to thirty varieties of Arabic, including its standard form, Modern Standard Arabic, also referred to as Literary Arabic, which is modernized Classical Arabic. This distinction exists primarily among Western linguists; Arabic speakers themselves generally do not distinguish between Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic, but rather refer to both as al-ʿarabiyyatu l-fuṣḥā (اَلعَرَبِيَّةُ ٱلْفُصْحَىٰ[7] “the eloquent Arabic”) or simply al-fuṣḥā (اَلْفُصْحَىٰ). Modern Standard Arabic is an official language of 26 states and 1 disputed territory, the third most after English and French.

Arabic is widely taught in schools and universities and is used to varying degrees in workplaces, government, and the media. Arabic, in its standard form, is the official language of 26 states, as well as the liturgical language of the religion of Islam, since the Quran and Hadith were written in Arabic

Now while learning Arabic the question arises, Is two years enough time to learn functional Arabic? Actually, there is no appropriate answer to this question. This completely depends on the way of learning, methods of learning, how much time is spent and effort is given to learning the language and various other factors. To some, it may take several years to learn functional Arabic. I have come across several people who have put 2+ years of intense study into Arabic only to get really limited results, have poor conversational skills, and retain very little after some time passes. Whereas on the other hand there are people who have put in a lot less effort than that and got a lot more. With the right approach, you can definitely learn functional Arabic in a shorter span of time.

1. Start with the basics

It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to learn Arabic by transcribing words instead of learning the Arabic alphabet first. Think about how we learned English back in school. First, you learn your letters, then you form those letters into words, then you learn how to form sentences, and then you learn more about proper syntax and grammar. Taking shortcuts will only slow you down.

2. Don’t try to mug up too much at a time

Learning a lot at a single time is not generally practical work. This will generally lead you to end up forgetting everything. I would never suggest you learn 50 new words daily as this is not at all realistic. Instead, I would advise you to learn 5 to a maximum of 10 new words daily and practice the old ones regularly. 

3. Keep repeating

Repetition leads you to success. Repeat as often as you can. Not only the vocabulary but also the larger expressions, grammar points, speech sounds, everything. But you are advised to not just mechanically repeat what you have learnt. You need to use your vocabulary in new settings and new situations. You can watch a small video on Youtube, google a word on Google images search and see what images are associated with that word.

4. Volunteer in Arabic.

Look for ways to get involved in your community with people who speak your target language. Schools, nonprofit organizations, libraries, places of worship, medical clinics, immigration services, ESL classes… These are all great ways to meet some native Arabic speakers to both practice and make a difference.

5. Use learning resources appropriate for your level

You are advised to Use learning resources (book, apps, videos, magazines) that are appropriate for your level. If you are trying to watch a movie or read a book in Arabic after 2 months of learning, it is really horrible wastage of time. unrealistic textbook dialogues are very boring, but you have to bite yourself through them to build a foundation for real-life media you want to use.

6. You should never underestimate the pronunciation part

You need to practice pronunciation throughout your course to master it. Your phonology is going to improve gradually, but until then don’t be surprised if native Arabic speakers find it difficult to understand you. Good study material will give you enough background information about the speech sounds and tones, as well as training audio that you can analyze, imitate, and repeat. You need to pay attention to all the details and don’t just repeat mechanically without understanding. Gradually your ear will start to pick up things and you will be able to pronounce in a way that Arabic speakers will understand. Keep on practicing to refine your accent. 

7. Be regular

It is important to be regular in your studies. Study Arabic every day and be very much regular. Regularity is essential to successful learning.

8. Make your Arabic learning interesting

I would advise you not to make your studies of the Arabic language a boring task. Don’t make it a tedious task. Make it interesting for you. Take advantage of the apps as well.  Make your studies more lively.

9. Never stop learning

These steps are just the beginning. It’s easy to begin the journey of learning Arabic but challenging to see it through. Mastering the language will require years of study, but gaining conversation skills can come quickly if you dedicate yourself to the pursuit.