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Wanting to learn Arabic is a great initiative, but you have to know where to start.
Of course there's the possibility--and it's even recommended--to study Arabic in a foreign language class as early as high school, or study it later in college.
You could also attend group classes at a language institute, have a tutor come to your home, or learn Arabic online.
Learning Arabic is often not an easy process. Even learning basic Arabic in an Arabic for beginners class so that you have a conversational level can prove tricky.
It is therefore imperative that when studying Arabic, whether it is an Arabic online course or in Arabic lessons, that you take advantage of all the tools for learning Arabic.
The most principle of these is to always have one thing by your side to help you learn; an Arabic book.
Do you know which books are essential when taking an Arabic language course?
Superprof has all the answers.
Why Learn Arabic with Books?
It's a legitimate question.
Now that we have the internet, social media, and YouTube, why go and buy a book when everything seems to only be a click of the mouse away.
In the modern digital era, the questions stands: what are the best ways to learn Arabic?
Phonetics
When you're learning Arabic, and are a native anglophone, it's very important to learn to identify and recognize Arabic sounds.
You have to listen to the language over and over again in order to allow it to seep in.
For this you can use CDs or watch DVDs in order to hear how Arabic sounds, and to see tons videos on the internet and learn Arabic online.
Whatever your choice may be, it's important to let these Arabic sounds soak in, and to listen to Arabic conversation, laughing, and singing.
Your brain and ears must get used to these new sounds in order to then speak Arabic yourself.
In order to study the sounds, you are not only asked to listen to them and copy them, but you have to be able to identify them as they are written, know where to put the accents, understand why certain words do not contain vowels and how to pronounce them.
That's what the book is for: it's an excellent companion in order to learn accents and the alphabet, in order to then practice in the comfort of your home.
It will also help you demystify the Arabic language's negative image.
Vocabulary
Another crucial element in order to learn Arabic is vocabulary.
It's impossible to speak the language and know how to express yourself well without having the minimum amount of vocabulary handy. Vocabulary is the base for learning any foreign language.
With books you'll be able to learn lists of words organized thematically (daily life, editorial words, travel vocab, asking the time, eating, etc...) but also expressions that will allow you to communicate in Arabic.
One of the main errors that beginners make when they decide to learn a foreign language is to learn dozens of word lists randomly which are out of context.
Certain books dedicated to Arabic language learning allow you to learn words that you can then use immediately in your daily life.
Books are an interesting part of the teaching method of one-on-one tutoring in Arabic.
It's also by attaching words to their context and repeating them over and over that you are able to memorize them.
In Arabic, much like in any other language, there are 5000 words allowing you to speak about whatever subject you want, but with just 1000 words you are able to understand 80% of what people are saying during a conversation, and you will therefore be able to get by without a problem.
Use books and dictionaries in order to learn thematic vocabulary lists in an intelligent manner. Learn them in their context and practice pronouncing them out loud within a sentence.
Grammar
Finally, the last essential point when learning a foreign language such as Arabic, and which also requires the use of a book, is grammar.
This may remind you of painful memories at school, but it is a compulsory step you must take in order to learn to read and speak the Arabic language.
Grammar can't be learned on the fly, or by watching a TV series, through the Arabic language Internet, or listening to podcast or news reports.
Master Arabic writing!
Grammar requires practice. On the one hand, it is recommended to speak with as many Arabic speakers as possible so that they correct you and you imitate them.
On the other hand, grammar is well explained in grammar books; these books are useful because the logic and structure of the Arabic language has absolutely nothing to do with English grammar.
Some words change places, others lose a vowel, etc.
If you are wondering where to learn Arabic, then use what you have. A good grammar book will help you to become aware of the differences between Arabic and your mother tongue.
While doing so you will also be introduced to Arabic culture, new words, and Arabic phrases!
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Arabic Books for Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced
There is an incredible amount of books dedicated to learning foreign languages, and there are many different techniques and methods to learn Arabic, as well as language guides to learn to speak and read.
Here is a small selection of books and e-books that you can sometimes find on the web for free, or if not on websites such as Amazon or in your favorite bookstore.
Whether you are a beginner or already have an intermediate level and want to deepen your knowledge, there is something for everyone.
Time to make your choice!
Kallimni ‘Arabi Bishweesh: A Beginners Course in Spoken Egyptian Arabic 1
This is a very good book for beginners who are interested in Egypt. It also comes with an audio CD if you’d like to listen to it in your car on your way to work or the gym.
It is also available for intermediate and advanced levels, so you can stick with the same author and method along your language learning adventure!
Each lesson is numbered so you can easily refer back to it.
'Arabi Liblib: Egyptian Colloquial Arabic for the Advanced Learner: Adjectives and Descriptions
Another Egyptian dialect favorite, this time for advanced learners and with a very colloquial approach to vocabulary, which makes it fun to learn!
The aim is to enable everyone to access modern Arabic terminology and to learn Arabic quickly.
The phonetic transcriptions of Arabic words in Latin characters make this dictionary accessible to English speakers.
Living Language Arabic, Complete Edition: Beginner through advanced course
This book includes 3 coursebooks, 9 audio CDs, an Arabic script guide, and free online learning, another language book with very effective learning, and a CD to guide you through some of its most fundamental language lessons
This book is for everyone, but perhaps especially beginners.
You will learn to write each letter of the alphabet by reconciling the rules of Arabic writing with the perfect writing movement.
You will also have an introduction to Arabic calligraphy.
Transform your Arabic knowledge!
By repeating several of the same letters, you will naturally memorize them.
Arabic-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Visual Dictionaries)
If you are a visual person, this book is for you.
The pictures will make it easy to memorize words.
This book has an excellent method for learning the Arabic language. It is aimed at young people, but also adult beginners.
This method allows you to discover the standard Arabic with its vocabulary and the alphabet.
Arabic for Dummies: A Beginner’s Guide to Arabic
Here is a book for those students who would like to get a move on with their language skills.
For beginners and self-taught learners, this book is very well designed.
Divided into chapters and themes, it ends with a series of exercises at the end of the volume for each of the Arabic lessons.
Let’s Talk Arabic: Second edition (Arabic Edition)
This book has a simple and effective method to learn to read in Arabic as well as speak the language.
As you will by now be aware, each country from across the Arab world has its own Arabic dialect. And each form of Arabic pronunciation is very different to the European languages such as Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
Whether it is a Syrian, Iraqi or Saudi Arabian dialect, time needs to be dedicated to perfecting how to speak Arabic, with a focus on pronunciation.
The study of this method begins with the identification and pronunciation of each letter on its own, which is followed by pronouncing the nouns and their different spellings according to the letter's position in the word.
This book also contains a short introduction to Arabic grammar to familiarize yourself with the most common notions.
Alif Baa: Introduction to Arabic Letters and Sounds [With DVD]
This book is for everyone, and has a learning DVD that comes with it in order to deepen your knowledge.
Many little playful exercises will help you to familiarize yourself with the Arabic language which can put you on the path to becoming a fluent speaker!
Arabic for Nerds: 270 Questions on Arabic Grammar
This book will help you to quiz your Arabic grammar knowledge. Because its format is a fun pop quiz, you won't see it as a burden and will be happy to dig deeper into the Arabic language!
More for beginners, this language teaching method is supposed to be fun all while remaining super effective.
Don't wait a second longer to set off on your Arabic language adventure! Whether you start with Arabic verbs, Arabic vocabulary, or Arabic grammar, with these books you will have no problem raising your proficiency!
As has been shown in this article, they provide a very effective method of learning Arabic, and they work even better as a complement for Arabic classes in the city or online.
Soon you could be speaking to people in Arab countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Syria, or Saudi Arabia! And who knows, they could mistake you for a native speaker speaking in their mother tongue...It really depends on the number of words and phrases you have memorized!
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Hi Jon, thanks for this list!