As I went back to concentrate on studying Modern Standard Arabic last month to take the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) certification, I could experience again some of the difficulties as well as the rewards which arise in the process of learning this incredibly rich language. To prepare in a short time for the exams testing the four competences of proficiency in the Arabic language, including speaking, writing, listening and reading, I have tried different strategies, while finding new insights.
I am happy to share in this short blog article three Arabic expressions, which, in my view, can well express guiding aspects to keep in mind in the journey of learning the Arabic language. These are Patience, Enjoyment, Intuition.
Patience
الصبر
“Calm brings peace, while haste leads to regret”
في التأني السلامة وفي العجلة الندامة
Rushing as if we were in a race to just cross the finish line in the shortest possible time would certainly be a counterproductive attitude to learn Arabic.
Not only will this bring us nowhere, as each step at any level requires time and patience in order to solidify the knowledge, but it will also be against the own nature of the process of learning Arabic, as there will never be a finish line. In fact, if we are serious in learning this language, we should acknowledge that learning Arabic will be a journey for a lifetime. Evidently, even at the more advanced levels, there will be many other layers to discover, especially in the use of the language with appropriate cultural, historic and societal understanding resulting into an everlasting process. If it can be motivating to set ambitious goals and see clearly where we want to get, it is equally helpful to remember how we get to that either goal or set destination. The more we are patient and build the knowledge step by step, the more we will arrive at a high proficiency in the language which, even after years without practicing , will easily come back. From my own experience and thanks to the guidance of the highly talented and knowledgeable professors at the TAFL center, University of Alexandria of Egypt, I could understand how patience in learning Arabic is greatly effective for cognitive purposes, as well as for emotional ones, making the process less stressful and, thus, more enjoyable.
Therefore, as in any other language, patiently recording the small progresses and rejoice for them, while being focused on integrating any new information in the castle of knowledge under construction, will be very effective both for the achievement of durable results and for a true enjoyment of this extraordinary journey.
Enjoyment
المتعة
“Smile to life and it will smile (back) to you”
اضحك للدنيا تضحكلك
If you are an Arabic learner, you might often feel frustrated, sometimes even in despair, because of the complexity of a language which presents objective challenges at many levels. Indeed, Arabic requires great effort, from learning a different alphabet, adapting to a different linguistic system based on three-letter roots, practicing the pronunciation of letters, which are not present in our native language, like the famous letter ḍād (ض),from which the appellative to Arabic as the language of ḍād (لغة ال ض), until the more complex tasks of conjugating verbs, rightly vocalizing words and the list could go on. However, approaching the language with only seriousness and discipline would end up in living a nightmare if we are not able to add a bit of enjoyment and humour. I remember in the first stages of learning Arabic, I would push myself to try speak in the target language, while being aware of being ridiculous most times, and this is still valid until now. Therefore, I learnt how to take myself less seriously, remembering that I am learning and, therefore, mistakes are essential for progress. In addition, inserting enjoyable activities to deepen the knowledge of the language can add motivation and build positive emotions in association with Arabic. On this topic of building positive emotions, I will further expand in future post blogs, as it represents an essential educational aspect. As for inserting funny acitivities, I will also expand in depth on sepaate blog articles, suggesting resources such as watching some of the memorable Egyptian comedies, TV seiries and programmes.
In short, smiling, laughing and enjoying could add so much colours in this journey; this might expand to other spheres of life, contributing to the overall well-being of our persons.
Intuition
الحدس
“Your heart is your guide”. Meaning: trust your gut.
قلبك دليلك
A further Arabic expression, which has recently become a guiding principle for my life in general, could appropriately be applied in the process of learning Arabic. As I have been reflecting of the very beginning of this journey, sparked by a simple intuition, when my heart told me to be willing to learn this language, inspired by the beauty of its letters, I could discover that listening to our heart can open the doors for incredible journeys. I found it very helpful to remember the first intuitions leading me to engage in this process, especially in moments of discouragement and stress before the exams.Going back to those first intuitive feelings towards the language often results in finding renewed motivation and sense in continuing studying Arabic. Moreover, intuition is at the core of the process of understanding Arabic, as the words of this language are built from three letters, the root (الجذر), from which many words are created. The good news is that once we get familiar with the basic words and their roots, we might easily understand the meaning of more complex words, whose significance is closely related to the original root, with specific nuances.
Thus, we can conclude that intuition, combined with analogy and association, stands at the center of learning Arabic, contirbuting to further activate our brain and, once again, creating an overall feeling of enjoyment.
Patience, Enjoyment and Intuition have clearly helped me harmoniously study Arabic, especially last month, but are definitely not enough. Many other principles can guide us in the process and I believe each of us can progressively discover the most suitable approaches for their own personalities.
Hoping that these simple insights deriving from my own personal experience can spark fresh reflections on your own journey with the Arabic language and, in case you have not started yet, could inspire some interest in taking off this journey, I would be happy to hear your own personal insights related to handling the study of such a beautiful, rich and deep language! Feel free to comment or send me a private massage to my email:
