5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Arabic
The fifth most spoken language in the world
With over 400 million speakers worldwide, Arabic is the official language of over 20 countries with roughly 375 million of them being native speakers. These speakers are largely concentrated in the Middle East, but there are minority groups of native speakers throughout the world. When you study this language, you will get to step into the mind of the native-speakers, understand their culture and communicate with them in their own tongue. It is also an official language of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, and the African Union.
Travel and be at home in the Arab World
Arabic is the native language in more than 20 countries with more than 300 million speakers. So, unlocking this language would make your travel to all these countries a richer and more colourful experience. Yes, the locals are more likely to converse in one of the several dialects. However, they still understand and can speak in Standard Arabic so you will be able to communicate with and be understood by the people around the region. Fortunately, Arabs are culturally a warm people. They are very friendly and welcoming, even to strangers. So, finding someone to practice with is not something you need to worry about.
Be part of the Growing Global Economy
The Arab region has an annual GDP of over 600 billion dollars. The growing Middle-East market is incentive enough if you are looking for new business opportunities. The rapidly growing population in the Arab region provides a huge export market for goods and services. Understanding the language and culture is critical to successfully navigate through the cultural nuances and different business practices of the locals. Also, The Arab business culture revolves largely around personal relationships. Knowing Arabic allows one to do business effectively and be at an advantage in the market.
All in all, there is a great demand for bilingual Arabic speakers. There are many excellent job opportunities out there in many fields such as, trade, education, finance and banking, journalism, translation and interpretation, foreign service and many other areas.
A gateway into the Islamic world
It is the language of the Quran and the liturgical language of Islam. Islamic academic texts are mostly written in Arabic too. Hence, the Arabic script has practically been learned by more than 1 billion Muslims all around the world. The language itself has been studied and became the second language of almost 100 million non-Arab Muslims. By learning this language, it will help both Muslims and non-Muslims to better understand Islam and Muslim culture. Additionally, without Arabic, one will not be able to understand and appreciate the stylistic beauty of Quran.
Good for your brain
Learning a new language also gives neurological benefits. People who speak more than one language have higher levels of cognitive brain function than their monolingual counterparts. Switching between languages exercises your brain making you better at planning, problem-solving, and multitasking. It also helps boost your memory as you are required to do more remembering. In short, it makes you smarter.
And many more
If you are already convinced, then take a deep breath and embark on a fascinating journey into the world of the Arabic language. May you have a fun and beneficial experience.