You’ll hear it most of the time. You’ll speak it most of the time. You may even be able to think, immerse and dream in it some of the time. After a while, your new language comes to you as smoothly and naturally as if you were born in Amman. This is because you live there now as part of your total language immersion into learning Arabic.
You may be asking the question, “Is immersion the best way to learn a language?”. However, even if it is the best way to learn Arabic, you may not have the chance take advantage of it. So, what can you do if you can’t fly off to Cairo or Beirut?
Well, actually there’s plenty you can do through language immersion at home. Furthermore, Arabic immersion at home is also one of the greatest ways to practice a language. So, if you’ve always wondered how to immerse yourself in Arabic, read on. Today, Kaleela shows you simple things to get you started diving into Arabic a little more every day.
Okay, so it’s not really television, but it’s pretty close. Nevertheless, there are literally thousands of videos that have been created and uploaded to video streaming sites like YouTube and Dailymotion. Plus, whether it’s dramas, music or cooking shows you’re sure to find something you’ll actually enjoy watching. They don’t have to be epic four-hour films, either. Even videos that are only a few minutes long can take you a long way in your Arabic immersion. Also, be sure to save videos you enjoy enough to watch over and over again later. You’ll find that you’ll be picking up more Arabic words and phrases and they’ll be ones you can actually use in your day-to-day life.
Grabbing a pen and a piece of paper and writing things down by hand is a great way to trick your mind into remembering more Arabic words. This is because writing things down engages your brain’s mental powers helping you to remember words longer. So, when you hear new words or phrases in Arabic, write them down, even if it’s on a café napkin. Later you can add them to a notebook that you can go back and revisit often.
You know all of those post notes you bought to keep track of where to find all of that important information in your Arabic textbook? Well, put them to use in your immersion into Arabic by labeling all you can with their Arabic counterparts. For example, that’s not a lamp, that’s a مصباح /misbah. Where do you keep your حليب / halib (milk)? Why, of course it’s in the ثلاجة / thalajah (fridge). This way, just walking around your house and going about your daily life, you’ll pick up Arabic words without even having to think about it.
As with videos, you can stream regional news from YouTube. Then again, many Arab news networks may also stream their news live via their website. (Which, by the way, also gives you a chance to practice your Arabic reading skills before you hit that “English” button”?) Maybe it won’t always be exciting or positive, much like everyday life, but it’s great for practicing your Arabic listening skills. However, if you’re learning an Arabic dialect, be forewarned: Arabic media uses Modern Standard Arabic. As a result, the vocabulary and grammar may be a little different from what you’re used to hearing in the dialect you’re learning.
One final way on how to learn a language outside of school and immerse yourself in Arabic at the same time is through an online language app. One of the best learning apps out there today is, of course, the Kaleela Arabic Learning App. Whether its MSA or an Arabic dialect, Kaleela teaches the Arabic language, while also learning about Arab culture. Yes, sure, World of Warcraft and Mobile Legends might be more fun, and therefore more tempting to download. However, if you really want to immerse yourself in Arabic, put these wastes of time away and start speaking Arabic from the very first day. Go to kaleela.com for more information on how you can start learning Arabic and immersing yourself in the language today. Download it today!
Kaleela – Learn Arabic the Right Way!