For those who speak Arabic, how can I improve my Arabic?

Q: Well, I know a bit. The thing is, I'm not strong in the dialect parts, you know. The Egyptian is different from the Moroccan, the Algerian is different from the Saudi and so on. I don't mean like mastering EVERY dialect but is there a way I can communicate easier with Arabs regardless of where they're from? I know I have to master the fusha' Arabic first :) Please help :) looool....shuu mushkillah? :P ma agdar 3araby lakin ana baheb this nickname!! :P

A: People tend to choose to study a certain dialect of Arabic, but studying Modern Standard Arabic (proper) Arabic first might benefit you a whole lot more. The most important thing to learn before anything is pronunciation. So start of with the actual alphabet, but you have to keep pronunciation in mind. I wouldn't suggest the majority of websites that teach Arabic and the sounds, many of them are incorrect and downright confusing. The best way to learn Arabic is by immersion, and taking classes from a native speaker at a college or university. You won't have a problem pronouncing 18 of the 28 Arabic letters, since they are included in the English language. However, you'll have a pretty hard time getting down 10 of the alphabets with difficult to pronounce sounds. One of these sounds is like the Hebrew and German "ch", one like the French ''r'', one like the Italian ''t'', and one you might be able to get since it does exist in the English speech, but not alphabets. It is referred to as a "glottal stop". It's the sound midway through the phrase "uh-oh" and some people will pronounce 'mou-ain' instead of mountain, that would be the glottal stop in the middle. It's basically the 'a' in "apple", but you have to stop at the 'a' and close your throat off. That's what makes the glottal stop sound. Now, that leaves you with six sounds that are not in any other language. You'll have to get used to the sounds and make sure you can tell the difference, two Arabic sounds will sound the same and be pronounced the same by a non-native speaker, but changing those sounds in a word ends up changing the meaning of it as well. Arabic has 28 letters, each changes form about 4 times depending whether the letter is alone, at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. Grammar is very complex but very systematic. What you hear is what you spell, in English, what sounds as 'naybur' is spelled 'neighbor'. That doesn't exist in Arabic, every word is pronounced, except when speaking. Modern Standard Arabic is the basis and foundation of Arabic and is the one spoken on the news on TV, written in newspapers, resumes, etc. Basically official things will be written in MSA. As for dialectical differences, Egyptian Arabic is far different than those of the Gulf when it comes to tones, pronunciation, idioms, etc. But all dialects are based on MSA. When you learn MSA, and then study the different ways each country changes their pronunciation and tone of speaking, you'll be able to pick up easily and freely switch between dialects. It takes a lot of practice. Make lots of Arab friends, connect to Arabic speakers on Y!A, and get used to talking to them. It's basically immersion at home. So listen to Arabic speakers, watch movies, the news, TV shows in Arabic. Stick to Egyptian Arabic if you like, most television shows and movies are in the Egyptian dialect, thus the most commonly understood dialect in the Middle East. That's the best way to start picking up on sounds. Learn common idioms, words for color, directions, and common phrases. And if you have any questions post them on here, there are a few native-Arabic speaking regulars on this section. We'll gladly help with any questions you have. If you are given any websites, be sure to post them up and ask if they are reliable, because most aren't. If you want a list of the Arabic letters that do not exist in the English language, let me know and I'll post them here. The best thing to do is figure out which part of the throat and mouth these sounds come from to clearly notice the differences. And I made a list already, so you can practice them. Practicing for an hour, 5 days a week is great if you can do that. The more practice the better. I don't know what state/country you live in, but there are some areas that are more Arab populated (California, Michigan, Texas, New York, Ohio, etc). You might want to go to a college/university and check out the ESL classes, many Middle Eastern students are now traveling to other countries to get an education. Have a conversation partner, they can learn English from you while you learn Arabic from them. Meet with other students by stopping by at an Arabic class and try to practice with first year students and work your way up to fourth year students. Mosques are a great place to meet native Arabic speakers. They are very welcoming, the best time to go is a about 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm on Friday afternoons. Find out when the most people show up for prayer and try to meet up with them. Don't hesitate, Arabs are very hospitable and love meeting people who are interested in their culture. By putting in 5-6 hours a week, you should be able to have a good grip of basics (greetings, numbers, colors, getting around, and meeting people) and grammar/sentence structures, and reading and writing in about a year (less than a year if you pick up a steady pace). Arabic is a very complicated language but with practice you will be able to communicate a good bit in Arabic in about a year. If you have a good memory and practice regularly, it'll take a lot less time. Casual conversations shouldn't take more than 6 months. Hope this helps! By the way, i see your Arabic is already pretty good! If you have other questions, let me know =]

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