Tafaddal – Arab politeness

Posted on: Sunday, May 26th, 2013 10 comments

The Arabic word تفضّل tafaDDal is a commonly-used and highly-versatile expression. Depending on context, it: 1. Expresses an invitation to do something: تفضل اجلس واشرب شاي tafaDDal idjlis wa shrab shay – please, sit down and drink some tea. تفضل إلى الدكان tafaDDal ila d-dukkaan – please, take a look … Continue reading

Arabic Class – for and against

Posted on: Wednesday, May 15th, 2013 2 comments

One question I get asked frequently is about the optimal way to learn Arabic. Some people insist that you can’t really become fluent in the language if you don’t attend classes at some university or institute, while others say they don’t need any formal instruction at all.   The initial … Continue reading

Channel 4 Hidden Talent – Arabic

Posted on: Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 1 comments

Yesterday I watched a show called “Hidden Talent” on Channel 4 that used a “Modern Language Aptitude” test on 100 randomly selected individuals who had no prior language learning experience other than at school. The five individuals who scored highest on this test were then given a second test: they … Continue reading

Learn Arabic For Free

Posted on: Saturday, February 26th, 2011 5 comments

Learning Arabic for free is certainly possible, though I would always recommend buying a book or a course that can be used as the main tool of instruction. There are plenty of free resources online that can help you with studying Arabic at all levels, whether you are a beginner … Continue reading

Arabic Dictionaries

Posted on: Sunday, July 25th, 2010 0 comments

Updated: 14 July 2013 Arabic dictionaries are crucial for learners of the Arabic language. Using the right dictionary can save you hours of frustration searching for that elusive Arabic word. I’ll show you some of the best Arabic dictionaries I’ve used – both hardcopies and online. Physical Arabic Dictionaries Al-Mawrid … Continue reading

How To Learn Persian From Arabic

Posted on: Sunday, June 27th, 2010 3 comments

When you learn one romance language like Spanish, it becomes much easier to learn a related language such as Italian. The same is true for Arabic and Persian (Farsi), even though they are not related linguistically – i.e. they don’t have a common origin. The reason why it is much … Continue reading

Free Arabic Language Learning Resources

Posted on: Thursday, October 8th, 2009 1 comments

The Free Arabic  Resources section of my website is now open and already has some useful content that you can apply today to speak better Arabic. There are sections on Arabic grammar, Arabic dialects, Arabic proverbs, Arabic phrases and Arabic Words. Be sure to check back frequently, because I’ll add … Continue reading

Free Report Shows You How To Learn Over 200 Arabic Words Effortlessly

Posted on: Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 0 comments

From today on you’ll be able to download my free report on Arabic words that you already “know” from English. These are words such as “cave”, “television”, “kebab” and “tomatoes” – in Arabic: “kahf”, “taleefizyoon”, “kabaab” and “TamaaTim”. These are an easy 200 Arabic words that you can add to … Continue reading