a guide to learning arabic

7/31/2019 A Guide to Learning Arabic

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Arabic For The World (3)

A Guide to Learning Arabic

Islam Yousry Aly

ALDIWAN CENTER

For Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language


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ALDIWAN CENTER

For Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying , recording or otherwise , without the

prior permission of the owner.

Deposit No.: 1896/2004

Edited by:Bhawana Kamil

General Supervisor: Waleed Assayed Muhammad

Aldiwan Center

12 Najeeb Nahfooz Street-Nasr City-Cairo Egypt

00202 2708415 020103886934

[email protected]

http://www.aldiwancentre.com
mailto:[email protected]://www.aldiwancentre.com/http://www.aldiwancentre.com/mailto:[email protected]


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Contents

Introduction 1

How do we learn the language? 4

Misconceptions About the Language 12

When have we learnt the language? 19

Language Skills and Methods for

Developing Them26

A Summary of Our Experiences 33

Students Experiences in Learning

Arabic39


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In the Name of God, all praise is due to God,

may Peace and Blessings be upon the

Messenger of God

Introduction

For eight years now, I have met a great

number of non-Arab students learning Arabic, and

among them I have found those who have

succeeded in learning the language and those

who have not. I have noticed that the difference

between the successful and unsuccessful student

is mostly a result of their understanding of the

nature of the language learning process and of

the planning of that process. Most of the new

students are given advice by their teachers on the

first day. Some of them accept the advice and

some prefer to try to achieve success in their own

way. Unfortunately, the second type of students

realizes the value of the teachers advice only

after several months have passed and he already


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lost much of his money, time, and determination.

Therefore, Al Diwan Center for Teaching

Arabic as a Foreign Language considers it

appropriate to present some advice to students

wanting to learn Arabic, with the hope of helping

them plan the learning process. We offer them

not only some of our own experience, but also the

experience of their colleagues who have already

learnt Arabic, so that they may effectively utilize

their time, money, and strength.

We will discuss six main topics:

1. How do we learn the language?2. Misconceptions about the Language3. When have we learnt the language?4. Language Skills and Methods for Developing

Them

5. A Summary of Our Experiences6.

Students Experiences in Learning Arabic

And God it is Who bestows success.

Islam Yousry AlyAl Diwan [email protected]


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I. How do we learn the language?

A. Choosing the Method of Learning

Out of the many methods for teaching

foreign languages, two are most common. The

first method, called the "Grammar-Translation

Method", utilizes the native language of the

students while teaching. The second method,

"Audio-Oral Method", uses the target language,

which is the language the student is trying to

learn, without using an intermediary language in

teaching. Researchers in the field of teaching

foreign languages have found that a method in

which an intermediary language is not used is

more beneficial for students because it mimics the

way children learn their mother tongue. A child

knows no language when he is born, so he beginsby listening to people around him (listening

skills). Then he begins repeating their words

(speaking skills). After growing older, he learns to


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read (reading skills), and finally he is able to write

and express what he wants (writing skills).

I have met many students who have learnt

Arabic in their countries for periods of more than

six years, yet they are not able to speak Arabic

for more then three minutes. This is because they

studied using the first method (Grammar-

Translation). Thus, they are not accustomed to

communicating in Arabic. Their only relationship

with Arabic is through studying literary texts

which were translated for them into their mother

tongue by their teachers.

In summary, the student wanting to learn

Arabic must only use Arabic when studying the

language.

B. Choosing the Period of Ones Studies

Some of the students deal with the

language as if it is fast food.Students may want

to learn the language in the same way in which


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they pass through a fast food restaurant; they

order a hamburger, take it away and eat it

wherever they wish.

I have seen some students who want to

learn the language in a month. Others want to

learn in a couple of weeks. My reply is that they

need a tourist office which could run them

through the basics of Arabic rather than a

specialized institute for teaching the language.

Language is a living organism. To get

acquainted with it, to understand it, and to live

with it, one must dedicate a certain period of time

to it. If you were to ask, How long is that

period?my reply based on our experience at Al

Diwan would be not having found any prior

research on this topic that the shortest period in

which the students can truly accomplish

something is two hundred hours in a period of twomonths. We have noticed that if the student

studies for less than this period, takes a break,

and then recommences studying, he forgets what


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he previously learned. On the other hand, if he

completes at least two hundred hours of studies,

he forgets much less. To demonstrate this point

more academically: the student during that period

of two hundred hours1 has nearly finished the first

of four stages in learning the language.2 Thus, he

has reached a level that enables him to execute

the linguistic tasks which strengthen his

relationship with the language.

For example, the student who completes

this introductory stage in the language should

have:3

The ability to ask for necessary things. The ability to express his preferences with

respect to necessary things.

1This number represents the average period of time requiredby students to finish one level in learning the language andmay differ from one student to another.2 The four levels are: introductory, intermediate, advanced,and expert.3Summarized from Proficiency Guidelines for Speaking 1999from The American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages

(http://www.actfl.org)


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The ability to answer simple questionsabout his daily matters.

The ability to ask simple questions.

If the student puts these abilities to use,

he retains command over them and does not

forget what he learnt.

On the other hand, the student who

studies for a very short period of time, only

learning the alphabet, or learning some past

tense conjugations, or memorizing some

vocabulary, can not execute linguistic tasks using

letters far removed from words, or with words far

removed from sentences, or verbs far removed

from syntax.

In conclusion, from our experience, the

minimal period of studying a language is

approximately two hundred hours, the period inwhich one can complete a stage.


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C. Choosing a Teacher

The teacher plays a very consequential

role in the language acquisition process. The

student can not judge what the foreign teacher

language presents, as opposed to any other

teacher. If a mathematics teacher says that 3 + 3

= 7, any student can find the mistake. When

learning a new language, the student can not find

the mistakes by himself.

I met a group of students coming from an

African county who confused the s and sh

sounds. This is despite the fact that the group had

been learning the language for nearly fifteen

years, albeit with a non-native speaker who also

interchanged the s and sh sounds in Arabic.4

Therefore, the students were simply following the

teachers lead.I met students from Eastern Europe

expressing verbs in a strange manner. If one of

4 rTT ehl iTTh hT and (seen and sheen) respectively.


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them wanted to say, I want to sleep, he would

say I want to do sleeping. And instead of saying

I want to drink, he said, I want to do drinking.

When I investigated the matter, I found that their

teacher was Arab, but did not study the language

in an academic setting, and therefore found this

to be the easiest way to teach verbs.

I met other students discussing Arabic

grammar in English, although they had been

studying Arabic for nearly six months. When I

asked about this, I found that their previous

teacher told them that in order to learn Arabic, we

must learn its grammar rules first and then

learning the language itself would be easy.

In my opinion, for the student who has

spent six continuous months and is still not

speaking Arabic, it is cheaper for him to stay in

his country and buy an English book of Arabicgrammar rules, which can be bought anywhere.

In this way he may reach the same result that he

reached in six months far from his country.


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To summarize this point: the student first

has to ask the other experienced students:

Is the teacher Arab or not? If not, does he pronounce Arabic well or

not?

Is the teacher an expert in Arabic or not?Meaning, has he studied the language

academically in a university or an

institute?

Does the teacher pronounce the languagecorrectly?

Is the teacher aware of how to teachArabic as a foreign language?

If all of these conditions are met, the

teacher is suitable to study with.


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II. Misconceptions about the Language

A. Grammar RulesAre the Language

If you have read a book on traffic rules, it

does not mean that you can drive. If you can start

the engine and move the car forwards and

backwards, it does not mean that you can move

with it amongst other cars.

Likewise, grammar is a tool for linguistic

accuracy, not the language itself. I have met

many students who have spent hundreds of hours

studying Arabic grammar, thinking that they were

learning Arabic. Eventually, in the first

conversation with an Arab, they find out that they

have studied about the language and not the

language itself.

Thus, the student must view the languageas expressions, culture, habits and traditions. All

of these facets are interconnected through the

science of grammar.


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B. The older the book, the more suitable it is forlinguistic studies.

I see many students always searching for

old books from which to study, thinking that the

older the book, the closer it is to correctness.

Some of the students have a sheikh in their non-

Arab county who advises them to go to Arab

countries and to study old grammar books which

they have suggested for them. The student

travels thousand of miles to study that book,

spends his money and time thinking that he is

learning the language. Eventually, he returns to

his country neither understanding that book nor

learning Arabic.

I remember once a student from Central

Asia came with a book printed from an oldmanuscript. In the margin of all the pages, there

was an explanation of the text. Under this

explanation there was more writing, which was a


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book in itself. He asked me to teach this book to

him and his colleagues in Al Diwan. I asked him to

give me the book, and when I saw it I

remembered learning about the book in the

undergraduate years. This book was an

intermediary stage in the development of Arabic

Rhetoric. The book does not represent the final

form of that science, as other efforts came after it

and Arabic Rhetoric took its final form.

I asked the student, Why do you and your

colleagues want to study this book? He

answered, In our country, a man is not regarded

as knowing Arabic if he has not read this book.

I asked, Do people know Arabic in your

country?

No!! he replied.

So I asked him, Then, who made this

rule?He explained, This idea was present

before the Communist Revolution of 1917 when

our country was occupied. Later, when the Soviet


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Union fell and freedom returned to our country,

people remembered that they were Muslims, and

this idea (about the old book) returned once

again.

This attitude expresses how many students

feel that using older books is the best way to

learn Arabic. The reader should not think that I

am opposed to legacy. However, we have to

realize that several traditional books were

stepping stones in the development of Islamic and

Arabic sciences. They are not the semi-final form

which scientists later agreed upon.

Moreover, these books were written for

Arabs to read in an era when the most

distinguished people were the Arabic authors and

speakers. An author used to write for people

living and breathing the Arabic language. They did

not take into consideration that these books weregoing to be studied by non-Arab students learning

Arabic. Many words used in these books are not

used anymore in our daily life.


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To summarize this point on which I

elaborated because of its importance we must

study from books written to teach Arabic as a

foreign language, which take into consideration

the spirit of the age in which we are living and its

literary styles. Once we master these books, we

start reading religious books written for children

because they have easier words and some older

traditional words that have less complex rhetorical

forms. If we understand these books, we proceed

to the next stage, and so on, until we arrive at

the traditional books. However, we must know

which of their words are used in daily life and

which are not so that we do not make mistakes

when interacting with Arabs.

C. The more difficult the words, the moreeloquent they are.

I remember one of my students always

holding an Arabic-Turkish dictionary. When he


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wrote an essay, he would use some very unusual

words. If I asked for a synonymous word, he

would give me an even more unusual word.

When I investigated the matter with him, I

found out that he had memorized the dictionary,

regardless of whether a word is still used or not.

He memorized words not knowing the context in

which they are used because the dictionary was

small. Thus he used certain words together,

using unusual words in an even more unusual

context. He explained this according to his

understanding that eloquence in language means

using words that ordinary people do not

understand.

In fact, that was not the problem of just

one student, but of several, who thought that

rhetoric is synonymous to difficulty. This

understanding is not accurate because Rhetoric,as defined with respect to Arabic Linguistic

sciences, is matching the language used with

what the situation requires. This means that the


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words you say have to be appropriate for the

situation in which you are talking, from the nature

of the subject, to the actual situation, from the

person to whom you are speaking, to your

relationship with him. Only if your words meet all

of these requirements are you considered

eloquent.


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III. When have we learnt the language?

In the past, the focus in foreign language

classes used to be on How, Rules, What to

Say, Vocabulary.

Teachers used to spend their time

explaining grammar rules, and the students were

eager to memorize vocabulary and master the

rules. Unfortunately, the end result did not justify

all the effort.

The principle of the current organizations

for foreign language education is

Communication, in which the emphasis is placed

on Why, Who and When.

Although rules and vocabulary are

considered essential tools for communication,

acquiring the ability to communicate is the

essential goal for learning languages.The American Council for Teachers of

Foreign Languages, in cooperation with other

organization in the field, has decided upon a set


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of objectives. Whoever achieves these objectives

can be considered to have learnt the language.

A. CommunicationCommunication is the heart of learning a

second language, whether the communication is

face to face, through writing, or across continents

through literature.

I met some students whose only

relationship with the language was through a

book and their teacher. They did not interact with

native speakers. There are colonies of students in

some Arab countries who study religion in circles

as closed as possible, and avoid dealing with

Arabs. Therefore, we find that, in the end, their

linguistic capabilities are very weak.

Hence, we suggest that in order to achievecommunication skills, students should participate

in conversation, obtain information, convey their

feelings and emotions, and exchange points of


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view. They also have to understand, and be able

to explain, literature (written and oral) about

different subjects. The have to present their

thoughts and understanding about different issues

to the listeners or readers as well.

B. Culture

Students can not truly excel in a language

until they understand the cultural environment of

the language.

I have met certain students who refused to

learn bout Arabic literature and culture,

considering their teachers discussion of the topic

a form of racism. They think the student who

studies Arabic in order to understand Islam does

not need to understand Arabic culture.

This view is not correct. We cantappreciate the effect the Quran had on the Arabs

to whom it was revealed without knowing the

value of the word in an Arabs life. And we can not


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understand the Prophets (peace and blessing be

upon him) life without understanding how

relationships were built and developed in Arab

society. An Arab used to stand by his brother

whether he was the oppressor or the oppressed.

An Arab himself did not want to leave idol worship

for fear of betraying the path of his father. On the

other hand, certain Arab morals blended with

Islam to create a prophetic generation which ruled

over a land stretching from the borders of China

to the Atlantic Ocean.

In the present age, a foreign student will

not grasp the language perfectly unless he knows

the value of the sacred things in an Arabs life,

and in a Muslims life in particular, such as the

hatred towards occupation, their animosity

towards Zionism, and the despondent state in

which Arabs live- sorrowful over a lost glory.Therefore, we can say that a student can

not grasp the Arabic language unless he

understands these and many other cultural


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aspects of the historical and contemporary Arabs

personality.

Culture encompasses literature, customs,

traditions, feudal and tribal relationships, the

relationship between the scholar and the student,

the rich and the poor, the ruler and the ruled.

C. Connections

Studying language strengthens

relationships among people who can not speak to

each other because they do not speak the same

language.

When you speak only one language, you

can communicate only to foreigners who speak

your language, and usually only to the well

educated. But when you speak their language,

you can communicate with a large number of itsnative speakers, thereby developing new

relationships.


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D. Comparisons

A student should not deal with the foreign

language detached from his own language. It is

true that we do not want the student to resort to

literal translation. But we would like him to

compare between his language and the new one,

from the sounds of the alphabet, to how people

convey their emotions, in addition to symbols,

proverbs, heroes, customs and traditions.

Through comparisons and differentiation

between the two languages, the students

understanding of the nature of language and

cultural concepts is broadened. He may come to

know about the multitude of points of view

present in this world.

E.

Community

When a student can use the new language

to express his happiness and sadness, to praise


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and to criticize, then we can say that he has truly

learned the new language.

Such elements give the student of

language the ability to coexist with a multilingual

community, whether at home or around the

world, whatever the environment may be.


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IV. Language Skills and Methods forDeveloping Them

In order to discover what the language

skills are, let us each ask ourselves, How does a

child learn language?

You will find that a child is born without

having any vocabulary. He begins to listen to the

sounds of words around him. If such words are

Hindi, the child, near the age of ten months, will

begin imitating these Hindi words. If these sounds

are Arabic, the child will behave similarly with

respect to Arabic words.

This implies that we hear first (Listening

Skills) and then imitate what we hear (Speaking

Skills). We then begin reading (Reading Skills)

and, as our cognition develops, we express what

we want through writing (Writing Skills).Therefore, the natural way of learning a

language is the best way to learn a foreign

language. That is, you listen to the language


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being spoken properly and imitate what you hear,

and then you read and write.

Language Skills:

Listening Speaking Reading Writing

Methods for Developing Language Skills:

A. Methods for Developing Listening Skills

1. Listening to the Holy Quran on CDs ortapes.

2. Listening to Islamic and other eloquentsongs.

3. Listening to the Holy Quran on the radio.4. Listening to religious programming on the

television or radio.


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5. Listening to news on the television orradio.

6. Listening to religions lectures in classicalArabic.

7. Watching historical Islamic movies andtelevision series spoken in classical Arabic.

B. Methods for Developing Speaking Skills

Good speech is the intrinsic result of listening

properly.

1. Memorizing vocabulary in correct Arabicsyntax.

2. Concentrating on the correctness ofspeech rather than its speed.

3. Interaction with Arabs who speak classicalArabic fluently.

4. Training for delivering speeches in privateand public venues.


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5. Living with students whose only commonlanguage is classical Arabic.

6. Making use of the science of Tajweed inorder to develop correct pronunciation and

intonation.

7. Listening to lessons and repeating themout loud.

8. Concentrating on the most importantgrammatical rules in speech.

C. Methods for Developing Reading Skills

1. Reciting the Holy Quran.2. Reading texts out loud with Arabs.3. Reading texts out loud with colleagues and

correcting each other.

4. Reading various types of readingmaterials, such as books, stories,newspapers and magazines.


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5. When watching non-Arabic movies orprograms, one should turn off the sound

and read the Arabic translation only.

6. Concentrating on the placement ofdiacritical marks above or below the

written letter (tashkeel) in the elementary

learning stages and assuring that the

student memorizes the words written form

and pronunciation.

7. Training for recognition of a wordspronunciation when seeing it without

diacritical marks. (This will enable the

student to read un-diacritically marked

texts.)

D. Methods for Developing Writing Skills

Handwriting Dictation Composition

1. Learning handwriting using handwritingworkbooks.


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2. Writing abundantly. (compositions, letters,stories)

3. Following up what you have written withyour Arabic teacher or handwriting

teacher.

4. Reading a book on the rules of Arabicdictation, such as proper usage of the

Arabic letter hamza ) ( and

differentiating between letters which sound

similar.

5. Writing and asking someone to reviewwhat you have written.

6. Writing what you hear from a newsbroadcast as an exercise in dictation.

7. Make your own glossary of the mostimportant vocabulary words and

expressions concerning important topics.

8. Writing essays on topics you care about.a. Identifying the topic.b. Identifying the main ideas.c. Identifying the subsidiary ideas.


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d. Writing, while seeking assistancefrom a dictionary.

9. Let your colleagues read what you havewritten and ask their opinion.

10.Follow up your writing with your Arabicteacher.

Methods for Understanding Arabic Culture

1. Reading popular stories.2. Reading popular proverbs.3. Reading the history of native speakers.4. Watching movies and programs discussing

the issues of the native speakers.

5. Attending the happy and sad occasions ofnative speakers.

6. Reading newspapers and books aboutArab traditions.

7. Visiting Islamic and historical Arab sites.


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V. A Summary of Our Experiences

The following is some advice extracted

from our experience with students at Al Diwan

who come to Egypt to study Arabic:

A. Friends

1. Be wary of friends who take up your timein wasteful matters.

2. Befriend the serious students.3. Inform your friends that you are going to

speak Arabic for a certain time everyday.

Start with one hour and increase it every

week.

4. Look at your friends condition beforeheeding his advice. For if he is industrious,take his advice. If he is not, do not take

his advice in matters of studies.


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5. Do not live with a friend who differs fromyou greatly in his habits. You may lose

much of your time in trying to adjust to his

behavior and this may affect you

psychologically.

B. The Country in Which You Study

1. Try to interact with people.A large number of students who come to

the Arab World to study face certain difficulties

as a result of their limited information about

Arabs. Some students think that Arabs are all

good, and others think they are all bad. Both

points of view lack balance. Arab people are

like any other people in that some of them are

good and some are bad.

2.

Local AccentsEach Arab society has its own accent which

is derived from classical Arabic though it may

differ somewhat from it. We recommend that


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you review information about the country in

which you are going to study through internet

sites. Try to vary the sources you use.

C. Studying

1. Choosing the Institutea. It has a good reputation with

respect to the knowledge offered

and the administration.

b. Its curriculum is clear.c. Its financial system is clear.d. It has the ability to adjust to the

students goal for studying.

e. It has set regulations concerningstudents, stating the students

rights and responsibilities.

f.

It has an assessment form throughwhich you can express your

opinions.


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2. Try to study at a center specializing inteaching foreigners. Teaching Arabic as a

foreign language differs greatly from

teaching it to Arabs.

3. If you want to learn classical Arabic, becareful in your mingling with ordinary

people because they use a dialect of Arabic

which may adversely affect your ability to

speak classical Arabic.

4. Dont move form one center to another.Most students who do that return to their

home without learning Arabic. Therefore,

dont try to leave your center and move to

another one unless:

a. The teachers dont respect thestudents time.

b. The teachers waste timehaphazardly.

c. The center takes a lot of moneyfrom you without a legitimate

reason.


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5. To avoid losing time and money, get toknow the system in place at the center

before paying any fees. Ask about

students regulations, their rights and

responsibilities, and what is allowed and

what is not.

6. Try to familiarize your center with the aimof your studies so that the teacher can

direct you in ways that will help you

accomplish your particular goal.

7. You are far away from your home in orderto study Arabic, so dont distract yourself

in studying things you can learn at home.

8. After every level, try to convey yourobservations to the teacher concerning the

administration of lectures so that you get

the utmost benefit from time and

knowledge.9. Ask your teacher for advice if you want to

raise your linguistic level. However, know

that improvement does not come in a day.


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10.In Arab culture much respect is given toteachers. This may differ from certain

other cultures. Therefore, be aware of how

you interact with your teacher in terms of

appreciation and respect. A lack of these

things can complicate the relationship

between the two of you.


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Students Experiences

in Learning Arabic

The experiences of the following students are not meant to

endorse any particular institution or viewpoint, including that

of this book. The comments of these students are includedbecause they were successful in learning the Arabic language

and their experiences may be helpful to those wishing to study

Arabic.


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In the Name of God

the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

It has almost been a year since my husband and

I arrived in Egypt. In this year, I have learned alot about myself, my fellow students, and about

what it takes to learn a language and survive

away from home.

Studying Arabic in the Arab World

My aunt, who is a linguist in India, once told methat Eskimos have over fifty words for snow and

ice. This is an indication of the importance of this

object in their lives.

There is a Hindi/Urdu word nazar, of Arabic

origin. The closest translation in English is theevil-eye. Yet it is much more than that. It implies

envy, jealousy, malice, desire. It is a concept

which South Asians and Arabs have. However, the

English did not have the same concept, and hence

had a need to create a word to describe it.

One of my goals in learning Arabic was to be

able to understand the Quran. In this holy book,

heaven is often described as having an abundance

of rivers and trees and fruits. Living in California,


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a state where you can find any fruit in the world,

and being surrounded by lush greenery, I do not

think I ever realized the full power of this

description. Only when I survived my first Arabsummer in an apartment overlooking miles of

sand did I realize why the prospect of a future of

rivers and trees would seem like heaven to a

seventh century desert Arab.

My purpose in mentioning these anecdotes is toconvey that language is not a set of words. It is

an expression of culture, thoughts and emotions.

Language only makes sense within the culture of

its origin. And having spent almost a year in the

Arab world, I know for a fact that my

understanding of the language would not have

been the same had I studied the language at

home in America. Even from a simply practical

point of view, living in a country where all print

media and most television and radio is

transmitted in Arabic, the acquisition of thelanguage is quicker, deeper, and more

comprehensive. It is easier to see how the

language is used by those who know it best. It is


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known that the only way to solidify information is

to put it to use, and studying here I was forced to

use the language in order to deal with people and

live my life.The Institute

The choice of the institute is probably the most

important choice you will have to make in learning

Arabic. It was important to me that I chose a

place that employed teachers who were experts inArabic and teaching it as a foreign language and

had friendly and open personalities. I knew I

made the correct choice when I looked forward to

going to class every morning and meeting my

teachers. The institute in which you learn not only

has a huge effect on your education, but on your

entire experience living in a foreign country. The

teachers in your institute will be the people you

interact with most regularly. It is important that

you are comfortable there!

I also loved the fact that the institute had an

Arabic-only policy. From the very beginning, the

student is forced to try to use any Arabic he

knows. One of my teachers gave me a wonderful


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analogy. He said that if I had a Mercedes and an

old beat-up Pinto parked outside of my house, I

would obviously drive the Mercedes. The only way

I would use the Pinto is if the Mercedes were notpresent. Similarly, the only way a foreign

language student is going to use the new

language is if he is prevented from using his

native tongue. Also, there are many words that

can not be translated. It is important to get a feel

for how the word is used in the language without

depending on a translation in order to understand

it.

Righteous Companionship

I did not miss home until about four months into

the trip, and when I did it came as a shock to me.

I asked many people for advice, from people who

had experience. They advised me to find

righteous companionship. The cure was spending

time with friends who had my same intentions in

learning Arabic and placed importance on thesame things as me in life.


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Your choice in friends can also affect your

education. Will you encourage each other to

struggle harder to learn? Will you try to speak to

each other in Arabic to get extra practice? Or willyou spend too much of your precious time abroad

hanging out? Going abroad to study costs a lot of

time and money. We must be careful to spend

both wisely.

Patience and IntentionTwo more things that I found to be essential to a

student of knowledge: patience, and purity and

strength of intention. Every student who goes

abroad is a traveler, enduring hardship and

tribulations. Islam teaches that the correct

response to hardship is patience. Many things will

be hard- living in a new place, dealing with a new

system, dealing with different kinds of people. All

require patience.

It is also important for a student to have

patience when learning Arabic. Learning a

language is a process which has to be taken step

by step. We may be eager to read advanced

traditional texts, but we have to realize that a lot


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of work has to be done before we can jump into

these higher levels. I found that it was more

efficient to put in the time required to understand

the language and then move on to advancedsubjects, instead of trying to tackle them before I

was ready, wasting time and effort.

Finally, I think most foreign students here would

agree that THE most important thing you can

bring with you is a strong and pure intention. ForMuslims, our intention always has to be pure for

the sake of pleasing God. All students thinking

about studying abroad must have a clear picture

of why they want to do so. They should renew

their intention on a regular basis before coming

and during their stay. When I found myself losing

will-power in my studies, I found that it was

because I had lost focus on my reasons for

studying Arabic. A strong intention is the only

thing that will sustain a student of knowledge.

- Bhawana Kamil, California, USA


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How I Got to where I am in the Arabic

Language

First of all, I would like to say that learning theArabic language is a gift from Allah.

I came to Egypt on October 11, 1998. Two weeks

later I enrolled in an Arabic language institute for

foreign students. This was the most important

step I took to learn the Arabic language.

In the first year I lived with foreign students who

came to learn Arabic language as well. This

helped me improve my Arabic and feel the

difference between learning Arabic in my country

and here in Egypt. I can honestly say that what I

learned in my country in four years I acquired

here in four months.

My academic studies also played an importantrole in improving in my Arabic. Every language

has more than one component. In the Institute I

learned rules and vocabulary, and learned how to

speak correctly. But my relationship with the


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students and the faculty helped me practice what

I learned at the institute, especially with those

able to speak in Fusha (regular Arabic language).

I hated the popular Arabic (ammie) in the

beginning, because he who learns (ammie) first

is not able to speak Fush'a fluently afterwards. ,

But the opposite works; if you learn Fusha first,

you can easily understand and speak in (ammie)

in a few months.

Understanding the value of the Arabic language

makes you exert maximum effort to learn it, and

to use different ways to acquire it, such as TV,

radio, newspapers, magazines etc. What I mean

is that we should use every thing that the middle-

east offers us to realize our goal.

I think this is all I can say about Arabic and how I

learned it.

Edmond Vathaj

Azhar University Faculty Sharia and Law


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Studying Arabic in Egypt

I am currently a student of Arabic in the

intermediate level at Al-Diwan Center. I becameinterested in the language because it is a world

language and one of the official languages of the

United Nations. My first Arabic course was at a

language institute in California. And although the

training was for 63 weeks, intensive, and with

native Arabic speaking teachers, I was

disappointed in my skills (or lack thereof). I was

able to communicate, but realized I was very far

from fluency.

I therefore decided to study Arabic in an Arabic

speaking country. As I have had both

experiences of language training at home and

abroad, there is no doubt that the benefits of

being immersed in the language, culture, society,

etc., are invaluable. Anyone who has anopportunity to study Arabic abroad should do so.

I am a firm believer that the target language

should be spoken as much as possible from the


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first day the student enters the classroom. At the

language institute in California, I quickly became

disillusioned and disappointed by the fact that the

teachers always reverted back to English. Thepolicy of Al-Diwan, on the other hand, is to speak

Arabic at all times. Indeed, this is what first

attracted me to the program. Although it is

frustrating and uncomfortable for the student in

the beginning, it pays tremendous dividends in

the long-run. Of course, a little English is useful

to clarify a grammar point from time to time when

others means have failed, but, this is always kept

to a minimum and I am grateful for it. So, it is

helpful if your teacher knows your language, but

it is not advisable for him or her to use it.

I live in Nasr City within walking distance of the

Center in a one-bedroom rented apartment.

There are plenty of apartments to fit any budget

in Cairo. I currently live alone in Egypt but I thinkits a good idea to bring your family with you if

possible.


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Socially, I have met a lot of people here in Cairo,

but, unfortunately, I dont have many close

friends. For one, if you are studying intensively,

you dont have a lot of free time to go out,especially at the beginning of the course. Also,

some of the cultural differences have prevented

me from bonding as much as Id like with others.

Still, I do try to go out in my free time. And

because Egypt is a fascinating country, I am

trying to make short excursions to different areas

on the weekends from time to time. The Center

is extremely flexible in taking a day or two off as

well as schedule changes.

Although I have improved tremendously in the

past six months, I havent reached all my goals

yet because I am still in the middle of the

program. However, I believe I am on the right

track and I also believe that living and studying

abroad is the best way for foreign languageacquisition.

Everett Hudson, USA


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My Arabic Experience

Studying overseas has been a very rich and

enjoyable experience. This is in spite of any

hardships that come with moving to a newcountry. But learning Arabic in an Arabic country

is a much more comprehensive way of learning

the language than if one is in a non-Arabic

speaking country since it immerses one in the

language and forces the person to speak, as wellas to read and write. The speaking, which is an

integral aspect of implementing what one has

learned, usually only comes when one has no

choice but to speak. Also, the fact that all the

classes are held in Arabic helps immensely with

the comprehension, even though the latter

process is initially extremely cumbersome and

often frustrating. But it removes the crutch for

the most part- of constantly relying on ones

native language and thereby not progressing as

fast as one would otherwise.

While living overseas if at all possible, I

recommend coming with a friend or a family

member. It helps the adjustment process


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immensely and eases the pain of homesickness.

Even better yet is to have someone with you who

is there for the same reason so you can

encourage each other specially in the times whenyou feel you are saturated with the language,

tired, homesick and want just someone with

familiar thinking in your life from back home.

Living close to the center where you are

studying is greatly recommended since a lot oftime can be wasted in traveling back and forth,

especially if plan to stay at your center for long

periods of time. Finding a living situation that is

best suited for your studying style is important

since bad or uncomfortable living situations can

cause a lot of interruptions in study and dont

really help with the homesickness. I highly

recommend an apartment within walking distance

of the center where you are studying. Many

centers know landlords in neighboring areas and

can help you find housing.

Also, as far is a center is concerned, I highly

recommend doing as much research as possible

before you move to the area. It helps greatly to


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request the center you are considering getting

you in touch with current students and old

students and to talk to them or e-mail them with

all your questions in order not to waste too muchtime in the decision process once you get to the

place.

And know that a lot of what you get out of your

study has to do with how many hours you study

outside of the classroom. Some students like tochange centers when they feel they are not

getting anywhere when the issue is not so much

the center but the effort they are putting in

outside of the classroom.

Every city will have its distractions, but know

that your goal is to learn the language, so limit

the sight-seeing as much as possible. Know that

you may not see the extent of your progress often

times until you go back, so dont despair if you

think that the learning is not at the pace you

would like it be. Everyone learns at different pace.Persistence is extremely important. So dont

give up when it gets tough.

Saira Thaira, California, USA


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A Strong Foundation for a Strong Structure

I came to the Arab Republic of Egypt in the year

2000 at the age of 13. The first goal I set formyself was learning the Arabic language because

it is the one key that opens the doors of Islamic

sciences.

I found the private centers for teaching Arabic as

a foreign language to be the best means for

realizing my goal, as they surpassed the official

institutes and schools in terms of seriousness and

establishment of programs appropriate for

foreigners.

Therefore, I entered one of these centers.

Knowing that every deed is difficult in the

beginning, my beginning was likewise difficult. I

could only comprehend 60% of the first level

material.

One of my teachers advised my to return to the

first level in order to master it so that my


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foundation would be strong for me to build upon it

what I desired.

So I followed the advice of my teacher and returnto the first level despite my strong reluctance in

doing so at this beginning stage. I thought that

repetition would waste my time. But I realized

that doing so was in my interest because after

that point I was able to succeed in the other

levels with soaring results.

Because of the fact that I came to Egypt at the

age of 13, I was made to learn the Arabic

language without realizing how I had learnt it.

One of the things that helped me was that I,

along with my elder brother, who learned Arabic

before me, and my two sisters who were studying

with me at the same time, agreed to speak Arabic

for one hour everyday, and after every a while wewould increase this period of time until we were

all speaking Arabic well.


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Another thing that helped me was that I began to

learn proper recitation of the Noble Quran, and I

would memorize what I could and read with a

scholar who helped me memorize some religioustexts.

This is a summary of the method in which I

learned the Arabic language.

Shaban Qudri Wathay, Albania

First Year, Secondary School

Al-Azhar Al-Shereef University, Egypt

a guide to learning arabic

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