Why I Want To Learn The Arabic Language

For almost 6 years, I have been living in Abu Dhabi. I know how to speak in English and my native language, but I can't carry a conversation in Arabic.

A few years back, before I had my daughter, I went to Mother Tongue Arabic Language Center. I studied for 2 introductory levels. I learned how to read Arabic (a little) and some words and grammar rules that I already forgot by this time.

I have never worked in the UAE, I am a Stay-at-Home-Mom and I don't really have a lot of opportunities to meet and talk to a lot of different people. I wasn't able to practice my Arabic because, well, there wasn't really any one to talk to.

A few weeks ago, I was approached by my neighbor as I was chatting away with a friend while my daughter was playing with some kids from within the villa. She was an Arab woman, a Syrian, who knew English as much as I know Arabic.

We usually exchanged polite smiles whenever we see each other but never really talked except for the occasional Marhaba's and Hi's. Through body language we were able to understand that she wanted us to sit (she took out chairs from her house). For a few minutes we sat in silence, then she spoke in Arabic mixed with a few English words, while my friend and I reply in English, by that time, the 3 of us were already frustrated and confused. Luckily our 9-year old neighbor passed by, she knows English, Arabic, Sinhalese, and Malayalam (Yes, she is awesome) and she was able to translate for us. My neighbor asked if I can teach her kids English. Without any hesitation, I said yes.

It's a win-win situation for us, my daughter will have someone to play with (4 girls to be exact), I can learn Arabic, my neighbor will learn English, and I will be able to help her kids fare better in the future because they know how to speak in English.

In the afternoons when we both have free time, I teach her and her kids English while she teaches me Arabic. It isn't the formal school-type lessons and we usually talk with the help of Google translate. The first few days were frustrating. I am no teacher and my patience isn't very long, it's a good thing that the mother was a teacher back in Syria (I think) and she is able to explain to her kids what I was saying.

After a few days of lessons, I decided to teach the Mother first so she can teach her kids. I know she's as chatty as I am but the communication barrier really suck.



Here are a few reasons I can think of why I want to learn the Arabic Language



Reason Number 1 I want to be able to teach the kids better. I want to be able to explain and translate. I want to be able to answer their questions. I want to be able to speak to them and understand what they're telling me. Sometimes I feel they're already making fun of me, and I have no clue what they're saying. It makes me feel stupid.


Reason Number 2  I want to understand what the naughty kids in the streets are saying. These are the kids who will stop in front of you, with smirks on their faces, tell you something in Arabic, and run as they laugh leaving me perplexed as to what has just been said to me. I know it can't be something good judging by their smirks, or can it? I don't know and I hate not knowing.


Reason Number 3 Because I want to start a conversation with random friendly-looking strangers who I think also want to talk but doesn't have a whole lot of English words with them. This would be handy especially when asking for directions.


Reason Number 4 I want to be able to watch news, TV series, and commentaries in sports and actually understand what I'm watching. There was a time I was watching a basketball game on TV and the commentator was so enthusiastic I just wished I knew what he was saying.


Reason Number 5 If I ever look for work here in the UAE, it's an added point in my CV that I can converse in Arabic.


Reason Number 6 It makes me feel good that I (will soon) know how to write and speak in Arabic. I will no longer be bilingual, but multi-lingual! Yey! It definitely a boost in one's confidence to be able to speak more that one language.



According to Wikipedia, there are 295 million Arabic speakers in the world. Living in an Arab country, what are the chances that I'll get to meet an Arabic speaker? Hopefully in a few months, I will be able to greet Arabs with more than just Hi! and proceed to talk about anything under the sun, in Arabic of course.

Shukran! :)



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