Wondering how to learn Arabic fast? Or what the best app to learn Arabic is? In just 3 months I learned to speak Arabic in just 20 minutes a day. Hear about my challenges, successes, and how you can learn Arabic too!
I’ve decided to bite the bullet and learn a dream language of mine Arabic! Considered one of the oldest languages in the world alongside Greek and Hebrew, I’m going to share with you how to learn Arabic fast with the aid of the best app to learn Arabic, Spoiler alert. It’s Rosetta Stone! The best part? You can get started for free! But more on that later.
I’ve also included a bunch of useful Egyptian Arabic phrases for you to use in your travels. Keep reading!
I’m a perfectionist and my harshest critic. I’m constantly challenging and pushing myself to do better and excel in whatever I set my mind too. Plus, I’m as stubborn as hell. When I set my mind to something I have to give 110%.
I guess that’s the Italian testa dura in me.
I don’t think I’ve ever set myself a bolder personal challenge than I have with learning Arabic.
Earlier this year I booked a trip to the land of the pharaohs. That’s right, I’m off to Egypt! The land of one of the most advanced civilisations, hieroglyphics, the Nile, and teenage pharaoh King Tut.
So, why the obsession with Arabic?
Every since I was 9 years old I dreamed of going to Egypt to see the Great Pyramids of Giza. I dreamed of tracing the history of so many historical figures I’d seen immortalised in Hollywood’s golden era of blockbusters like Cleopatra and The Ten Commandments, and more recently The Mummy.
Even though I’ve been travelling the world for the past 12 years, for whatever reason, I’ve never fulfilled my childhood dream. Now this dream has turned into a passion project.
If you’re a regular follower of The Intrepid Guide, you’ll know that I’m a firm believer in learning the local lingo before travelling to a foreign land. Even learning a few basic phrases can dramatically alter how you see and experience a place.
There’s nothing like sharing those moments where you bond with locals over as you apologetically fumble through their language with a smile on face. There’s a special kind of connection that forms when the other person knows you’ve taken the time to try and communicate with them in their language, albeit mispronounced.
The Challenge
With this in mind, I’ve set myself the challenge of learning one of the most foreign languages to a native English speaker. I’m going to learn Arabic! …or at least try my very hardest. My odds are pretty good since I’m teamed up one of the best apps to learn Arabic with, Rosetta Stone. (Click here and get $150 OFF Rosetta Stone and experience what full immersion feels like.)
Psst, I’ve already started sharing my progress with three vlogs. Keep scrolling ;)
With three months up my sleeve before I jet off, I’ve set my sights on learning as much as I can so I can carry out basic tasks like ordering a falafel (obviously!), introducing myself, and asking how someone is, and exchange general pleasantries.
Whilst there are various spoken forms of Arabic, I’m somewhat lucky in that the most common and widely understood is Egyptian Arabic.
How will I learn Arabic?
I’ve chosen Rosetta Stone because it’s well-suited to learning a language like Arabic. Arabic is a language that is very unfamiliar to English natives and harder to get started with using traditional learning techniques. Rosetta Stone is also the father of language learning apps so I’m confident it will be able to guide me through this linguist feat.
I’ll be booting up the Rosetta Stone app each day to complete a few exercises and work my way through their unit. I know it will be a steep learning curve as I acquaint my ear with the tones and sounds of Arabic. I might even find some cool Arabic music to break things up a bit. Got any suggestions?
I’ll be documenting my journey through a series of video updates on which I’ll be posting to my YouTube channel plus sharing more updates here on my blog, my Instagram account, Twitter, and Facebook.
Be sure to bookmark this page as I will constantly update it with new videos.
Want to learn a language?
Want to take on a language challenge of your own? Click here and get $150 OFF Rosetta Stone and experience what full immersion feels like.
Rosetta Stone really is the best app to learn Arabic with. So, if you decide to join in on the language challenge, I’d love to hear how you progress.
Want to have fun whilst learning Arabic? Struggling to find decent Arabic language resources available? I also recommend getting uTalk. Available as a desktop site and app, uTalk is awesome for learning key words and phrases in Arabic, especially if you want to use it for travel purposes. It’s great for beginners getting started in a language and invaluable for intermediates looking to fill in gaps in their vocabulary and pronunciation.
What I love most about uTalk is that you can jump around their extensive library of topics and choose what you want to learn, when you want, and at your own pace. Because I believe in uTalk so much, I reached out to them and we’ve teamed up to offer you an exclusive 30% OFF reader discount across all of uTalk’s 140 languages! This offer isn’t available anywhere else! Click here to claim your exclusive 30% discount.
Here is Part One!
Want more?
Here’s Part Two!
Watch as I order lunch in Arabic and visit the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.
Here’s Part Three!
Watch as I haggle in Arabic!
Be sure to follow along and share your language learning journey with me. I’d love to hear how you learn languages. And if you’re just curious, leave a comment on my video asking me anything from language learning, Rosetta Stone, learning Arabic or travel.
Going to Egypt? Here are 24 things you should know before you go to Egypt.
Basic Arabic Words for Beginners
Just to make things even easier for you, I’ve collated a bunch of basic Arabic words for beginners so you can hit the ground running. These Egyptian Arabic phrases even come with a pronunciation guide because that’s just the kind of girl I am.
Happy Learning!
Want the infographic to take with you? Scroll to the bottom of the page.
Greetings
Essentials
Introductions
Speaking Arabic
Questions
Numbers
Days
Directions
Like it? Pin it for later!
Want to know more about learning languages? Start here!
- How to Learn Your First Foreign Language in 8 Simple Steps: A Beginner’s Guide
- Language learning tips: 11 Polyglots Reveal The Secrets of Their Success
- Top Language Learning Resources You Should Use
- 11 Life-Changing Reasons Why You Should Learn a Language
- 42 beautiful Inspirational Quotes for Language Learners
- Top 10 Best Ways to Learn a Language Better and Faster
Travelling to Egypt? Get my Egypt Travel Tips guide
Want more language inspiration? Visit my handy language resource guide.
Plus, if you want to know how the experts learn languages, I asked 11 top polyglots to share their language learning secrets. Find out how they start learning a new language, overcome plateaus, and maintain multiple languages.
Over to you!
Do you have a question about how to learn Arabic fast? Ask me below!
Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.
Like what you see? Subscribe using the form below to have all of my posts delivered directly to your email.