Why all expats should learn Arabic language
Learning the basics of the Arabic language is important for expats living and working in the UAE, as it will immensely help them in their daily lives and careers, experts advise.
Mahmoud Bay, academic supervisor, The Mother Tongue Center, told Khaleej Times why it is crucial for expats who do not speak the Arabic language, to put in the effort and learn the language.
He explained that the Arabic language, which is in the top five most spoken languages in the world, goes back thousands of years and is linked to incredible culture, religion, tradition, heritage and history.
"Chinese, English, Hindi, Arabic and Spanish are the most languages spoken in the world and it is very important to learn Arabic if you are living in an Arabic country."
He said the best way for expats to learn Arabic is to start with classical Arabic. "The classical Arabic is the language of knowledge for more than 1500 years, and if one learns the classical Arabic language then they can go back to books that were written in the pre Islamic period and still understand what was written, because the language never changed."
"It was written in the same language back then as it is written today, whereas other languages have changed throughout history."
"At the center, we teach classical Arabic, which is the dialect or the formal language that is used in media, newspapers, books and in governments." "To speak Arabic fluently, students will need to complete 650 hours and eight books." "The majority of the expats are learning Arabic because it helps them a lot with their careers." "70 per cent of the students learn Arabic for work, 30 per cent for interest in culture and the language," he added.
Mahmoud Bay said the Arabic language has more dialects than one can imagine, which is why it is important to learn the standard classical Arabic first. "We have many dialects in the Arabic language, some are very famous and understood by most Arab people, including Egyptian and Syrian dialect."
Learning the Arabic language may not be a-walk-in-the-park for all expats, however, with a little time, effort and patience, the beautiful language can be learned and understood.
The basic and important words and greetings, which expats may encounter on a daily basis - whether at work, popping to a grocery store, ordering at a restaurant, or simply bumping into an Arab stranger - should be learnt after spending some time living in an Arab country.
> Al Salam o alaikum - Peace be upon you > Marhabaa - Hello > Ahlan - Welcome > Sabah al khair - Good morning > Masa' al khair - Good evening > Tusbih ala' khair - Good night > Wada'an - Goodbye > Kaif halik - How are you > Jayid - Good > Tamam - Fine > Siyaa' - Bad > Tawaquf - Stop > Istamir - Continue > Sa'ada - Happiness > Huzn - Sadness > Sahih - True > Khata' - Wrong > La' - No > Na'am - Yes > Anthur / Anthuri - Look > Al'an - Now > Al'youm - Today > Jamal - Beauty > Sayidi - Sir > Sayidati - Madam > Ahsant / Ahsanti - Well-done > In sha' Allah - God willing > Ma sha' Allah - God willed it > Al-hamdulillah - Praise be to God > Shukran - Thank you
