5 Standard Arabic and dialects
The first thing that new learners often wonder about is the difference between Standard Arabic and its dialects: Where should the learner begin? What are the differences between the standard language and the dialects?
Arabic dialects are as old as the language itself. After the spread of the Arabs to different geographical regions, the dialects also developed further. The dialect of each society that emerged was affected by the languages spoken by their neighbours and from groups who already lived in the area, for example. Don’t forget, the distance between each of these groups was vast – it stretched from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and across the Asian continent.
The most important difference between standard Arabic and local dialects is that the dialects are flexible and not bound by the strict rules found in Standard Arabic. Standard Arabic is the language of writing, literature and journalism and has grammar that has not changed for centuries. This makes the Arabic language distinct from other languages, as those who know Arabic can understand the Arabic texts written more than a thousand years ago. If you would like to find out more about this, click on the links to these resources:
- Shou, shinou, ey: Five major Arabic dialects and what makes them unique [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
- Did you know?: The Evolution of the Arabic language in the Silk Roads
- 18 Ways to Say Thank You in Arabic – Sound Like a Local
The reasons that drive people to learn Arabic are varied, as it is a language with a long scientific, literary, and cultural history, and it is spoken by more than 300 million people as their mother tongue. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.
You have reached this point of the course because you have a reason why you would like to learn the language. There will be ‘lightbulb’ moments as a learner where you are especially passionate about the language, but there will also be times when you will consider giving up on this challenging endeavour. When that day comes, it might be good to remind yourself of why Arabic is a great language to learn. Here are two resources that might be helpful:
- Why should you learn Arabic? An American perspective
- Why should you learn Arabic? A British perspective.
Activity 5
As a last step in this first part of the course, take a few minutes to think about your expectations and motivations for learning a new language.
Why would you like to learn Arabic? How proficient would you like to be?
Answer
There is no right or wrong here, of course. It can be fun to get a basic understanding of how a language works that is very different (or also similar!) to languages you already speak, or if you have holidays booked, it is nice to demonstrate an interest in the local culture by speaking in the local language where possible. If you would like to become fluent enough to hold a conversation, it’s important that you manage your expectations. Studying alone can only get you so far, but finding a tandem learning partner, listening to music and watching films or shows with subtitles can be very helpful, too.
How much time would you like to spend on learning Arabic each week?
Answer
There is actually a magic number that the US Foreign Service Institute came up with that tells you how many hours English native speakers need to study in order to become fluent in Arabic: 2200. This means that if you studied the language for 4 hours per week, you could be fluent in 10 years – more dedicated periods or intensive courses would shorten this time, of course. As a comparison, the same institute estimates that if a native speaker of English learned French instead, they could do so in “only” 580 hours, so a quarter of the time. These are of course not reliable numbers, but they do indicate that Arabic is one of the hardest languages to learn. This should not discourage you at all, as it’s highly rewarding!
This course is a pre-course for the short course Introduction to Arabic Language and Culture. Based on these reasons, why do you think culture as a subject to teach is included this early on?
Answer
Language and culture cannot be seen as separate entities. Language reflects beliefs, values and worldviews of its speakership. Learning a language while considering why certain phrases and communication styles are preferred in particular contexts allows you to understand people and their ways of being better than by simply learning grammar.