Arabic is one of the richest, most beautiful, and eloquent languages in the world; it is the language of poets and Islamic scholars. It is the language of the of the Holy Qur'an, the language that can express volumes in only a few words. It is also one of the most difficult languages to learn. Scores of expatriates live and work in the Kingdom, some of them for decades, yet they fail to learn the Arabic language. The inability of foreigners to learn the language is partly a fault of the native Arabic speakers, as they don't motivate non-Arabic speakers to learn the language. Other problems include lack of schools that teach Arabic as a second language, rigid working hours for most expats, and the complexity of the language itself. These reasons may pose as obstacles in the way of learning the language, but now there is a solution. A team of young Arabic teachers who have deep pride and love for the language took it upon themselves to do something about it and to make the Arabic language easy, accessible, and affordable for all. They have founded an Arabic School in Jeddah and the best service that this school imparts to its learners is that a teacher who is certified and trained in teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers comes to you wherever you are –– at your own convenience. “Although Arabic is the language of the country, many expats working here do not feel the urgent need to learn it because almost everyone here speaks English. Those who want to learn Arabic usually do so out of love of different languages, curiosity, and interest, or for religious reasons. Nonetheless, a large number of Europeans, Americans, and Asians I have met express the desire to learn Arabic but due to long working hours, lack of time, physical exhaustion from work, and unavailability of language schools, they rarely get around to picking up and mastering the Arabic language,” said Muhammad Hassan Firgany, who describes himself as a servant of the Arabic language. Finding the location and having no means of transportation, especially for women, is no obstacle in this case because the Arabic teacher will meet you at the place of your choice: your home, office, a conference room, or coffee shop near you. The private tutors charge a surprisingly low rate, which is even lower for group classes rather than a one on one lesson.
“We offer private Arabic lessons starting from Level 0 and gradually move upwards. All courses encompass listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with an emphasis on conversation. The school also has a separate and specialized curriculum tailored to the exact needs of the different students to teach them specific terminology depending on their careers, for example Arabic for Banking, Arabic for Travel, Arabic for the Medical Field, and Arabic for da'wah (Islamic guidance) purposes,” said Firgany.
One of Firgany's American Muslim students, Sopeh, learned Arabic to understand the Qur'an and the traditional authentic books because a part of the true essence and the spirituality of these books is often lost in translation. Sopeh intends to expand his knowledge about Islam and become proficient in the Arabic language. His ambition is to teach Arabic and Islamic Studies to new Muslims when he returns to the United States. Hannah, an American woman married to a Saudi, studied Arabic with the Arabic School in Jeddah for several months in the comfort of her home. She said that the classes were great. “My husband is Saudi and we will be living here indefinitely, so I figured that I had better learn to understand and speak the language of the country. It facilitates communicating with my in-laws as well. Learning Arabic is tricky because it is so different from the American language. “First of all, I had to get used to reading from right to left instead of left to right. The grammar is also challenging and unlike in English, when you speak you have to change the words depending on who you are speaking to – male or female. Now I can understand more than 80 percent of a conversation in Arabic and my speaking skills has also improved,” said Hannah. Over the course of his work with expats, many of Firgany's students have become friends and he has made lasting and rewarding relationships. He has met people from all regions of the world: Britain, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Greece, Azerbaijan, the Philippines, and the United States, and in return they have each taught him something new as well. Kevin Dean, an American who first learned Arabic with Firgany's help at a local Teayana, traveled to Egypt last year to immerse himself in the language and the culture. “Every time I go back home to Cairo in holidays to visit my family, I meet Kevin and we go to a conference, or museum, or an Arabic play,” reminisced Firgany. “In our Arabic courses for newcomers we also try to introduce students to the traditions and customs of the country in order to help avoid the common culture shock. For example, we may explain that it is absolutely normal for a man to handshake, hug, and kiss another man's cheek when they greet one another. Most Europeans find this habit very peculiar,” said Firgany. Whether you want to enroll in an Arabic class or just find out more about the group, you can “Like” their Facebook page “Arabic School in Jeddah.” You can also read some tips on learning the Arabic language, funny comics, translation of important words with pronunciation assistance.
