FAQs

Either you are a student of Arabic, or just a passionate learner, probably you have had a couple of questions regarding the language and the process of learning, here are some of the most common questions I have got asked as an Arabic teacher..

Who speaks Egyptian Arabic?

Egyptian Arabic is the first language of more than 100 million Egyptians. Due to the history and geography, Egypt is considered the most populous country in the Arabic world, thus, its colloquial dialect is the most widely spoken Arabic dialect.

If you already have a basic understanding of Arabic, learning a regional dialect may greatly help you, especially if you are traveling, doing business or will be living in a specific region or area where Egyptian Colloquial Arabic is the dominant language.

Why learn Egyptian Arabic?

Egyptian Arabic is spoken mainly in Egypt however, it is understood by almost all of the 500 million Arabic speakers in the world, thanks to the Egyptian cinema and media industry.

Modern standard Arabic (MSA) and Egyptian Arabic

Modern Standard Arabic is the form of Arabic which is used as the official language in Arabic countries today. It is referred to as “modern” because it is the modern development of classical Arabic. MSA is the written language of books, media, education and the spoken language in the news, official speeches and religious matters. However, MSA is not the language of communication in any of the Arabic countries, therefore finding a native to practice with or traveling to a specific country for the purpose of practicing isn’t that easy.

Learning MSA would be the right choice for two major groups, for those who are or will be working with the Arabic language, and for those aiming for Academic studies because that’s the official language which is found in books and published papers.

When it comes to Egyptian Arabic; it has many similar features to Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). However, it has been influenced by a number of other languages, including Coptic (the language of pre-Islamic Egypt), Turkish (as Egypt was a part of the Ottoman Empire for 500 years), French, and more recently English.

Therefore, learning MSA for the sake of communication is like learning Latin instead of Italian or Spanish. So, if your goal of learning Arabic is to communicate with people in a specific country in the Arab World, you should definitely go for a dialect not MSA.

And since Egyptian dialect is considered the most widely understood dialect in the whole Arab region, it should be your fastest and easiest gateway to entering not only the Egyptian culture but also the whole Arab world.

How long does it take to learn Arabic?

Based on my personal beliefs as well as my students’ opinions about Arabic, it is such a fascinating poetic language, therefore you will find yourself not focusing that much on the destination as your journey itself will be extremely entertaining, especially if you are in constant contact with natives.

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question simply because everyone has different learning styles, and everyone learns a new language at a different pace.

How long it takes to learn Arabic depends entirely on you – on how much time you put into it, on how seriously you take your coursework, and on how often you try to put the language to use.

If you make the decision right now to dedicate your time and effort to learning Arabic, the total time between the introductory courses and the ability to have a conversation with a native speaker will be greatly reduced.

How Can I Speed the Process?

There are, of course, several options you can explore to expedite the process.

1-on-1 Lessons with Native Speakers – A language is learned through speaking, and even simple conversation with a native Arabic speaker can help you progress faster.
Language Immersion – There are several simple things you can do to immerse yourself in the language. Whether you listen to shows, read books, or enjoy some music in the said language, you can immerse yourself in Arabic in your own home.
Set Measurable Goals – How do you measure how well you’re really doing with a language? You could set goals to memorize a certain number of words every week. You could set a goal to read a number of stories every week, or to complete all your coursework by a certain date.

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