Ten reasons for studying Arabic
1.The 5thmost commonly spoken native language in the world:
Arabic is the official language in more than 20 countries and the native-tongue of more than 300 million mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, but also Arab minorities all over the world. Arabic is also the official language of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference and, the African Union.
2.It is the liturgical language of Islam.
Since Arabic is the language of the Qur’an and the language of prayer in Islam, millions of non-native Muslims understand and speak Arabic.
3.Financial incentives.
Many western governments, especially the US one, have considered Arabic as a strategically and critically important language, which engendered the initiation of numerous scholarships and supported learning opportunities.
4.High demand and low-supply of Arabic-speakers in the Western world.
The importance of the Middle East in international affairs is increasingly growing, but there is an extreme shortage of Western officials with a background in Arabic language and culture. Those who study Arabic and have knowledge of Arab culture can easily find jobs in various domains such as journalism, business and industry, education, finance and banking, translation and interpretation as well as foreign service and intelligence.
5.Arabs’ significant contributions to world’s civilization.
While the West was witnessing an intellectual stagnation in the Middle Ages, the Arab-Islamic civilization was in its heyday. Arabs and Muslims have highly contributed in the progression of science, medicine and philosophy and made important contributions in a variety of fields such as literature, mathematics, navigation, astrology, and architecture. Exploring these rich contributions in their original language will be a differentexperience.
6.The rich cultural heritage of the Arab world.
Arabs have their unique art, music, cuisine, literature and a way of life. You might have read 1001 nights or tasted some famous Arab dishes such as couscous, hummus or falafel, but westerners rarely have a direct exposure to the Arab way of life with its distinct cultural practices and values.
7.Promote mutual understanding with the Arab and Muslim world.
Most Western media excel in providing a one-dimensional stereotypical image of Arabs. Relying on such superficial and misleading images engenders mistrust and misunderstanding. Learning Arabic in an Arab country allows westerners to gain deeper insights into the cultural, political and religious values that fuel people in the Arab world.
8.The influence of Arabic in other languages.
Numerous Arabic contributions is discernable in many languages including English, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, Spanish, Swahili, Urdu and others. This is mainly attributed to the exports of Arab concepts, products and practices to other parts of the world. Examples include algebra, which was invented by Arab mathematicians in the medieval times, and henna, coffee, cotton, lemon, lute… etc.
9.The Arab communities all over the world.
There is an increasingly growing Arab community residing in the West. Since mutual understanding begins at home, a basic knowledge of Arab language and culture can bridge the gap with this often misunderstood and misrepresented minority group.
10. Commercial and business incentives.
The increasingly growing Arab population provides a colossal export market and great potential business opportunities. It helps a great deal to know the language and culture of the people with who one hopes to conduct business.
