for parents للوالدين
Ways to help your child succeed
طرق لنجاح أولادكم
Many parents find themselves in the situation where they want to help their children with their Arabic homework, but they do not themselves speak Arabic. No problem! The most important way you can help your child succeed is to make sure they do the homework regularly. New information is often offered in homework, then activated in class, so completing the homework is of utmost importance.
Additionally, languages are not learned in a vacuum! Feel free to take your child to an Arabic restaurant or festival. Encourage them to seek out Arabic resources online (Check out the useful links section for places to start).
Additionally, languages are not learned in a vacuum! Feel free to take your child to an Arabic restaurant or festival. Encourage them to seek out Arabic resources online (Check out the useful links section for places to start).
Background info المعلومات الخلفية عن اللغة
Where is Arabic spoken? Arabic is the official language of the 22 countries which form the Arab League: It’s the native language of over 200m people residing in this geographical region, which stretches from Southwest Asia to Northwest Africa and is also known as the Arab World. Arabic is also the liturgical language of over a billion Muslims around the world, as it’s the language in which the القرآن, Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, was revealed.
The "formal" Arabic language, known as Classical Arabic or الفصحى, Fus-ha, is the language in which the Qur’an is written and is considered to be the base of the syntactic and grammatical norms of the Arabic language. This Classical form of Arabic remains widely used by religious scholars and is taught in schools around the world. However, it is considered today more of a written language than a spoken one.
Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, is similar but easier than Classical Arabic. It's understood across the Arab world and used by television presenters and politicians, for example, as well as to teach Arabic as a foreign language. You'll also find it in newspapers and works of modern Arabic literature.
In terms of "spoken" Arabic, there are many different dialects. An Arabic speaker from Iraq, for example, can find it almost impossible to understand a local Algerian, and vice versa - even though both individuals are speaking a particular form of Arabic dialect. However, both will be able to communicate in Modern Standard Arabic.
Arabic has contributed numerous words to the English language like:
قطن [koton], cotton, سكر [succar], sugar,
غزال [ghazal], gazelle, قيثارة [qithara], guitar,
الكحول [alcoo’hool], alcohol, صحراء [sahra’a], sahara,
قيراط [qeerat], carat, and ليمون [laymoon], lemon.
Know any good Arabic jokes?
Arabic jokes usually revolve around social issues, such as nagging wives, nosy in-laws, stingy neighbours, etc. Political jokes are also very common following big political events, such as elections. A famous target of jokes throughout the Middle East is the President, King, Prince or Sheikh of the country who doesn’t want to leave office, even though he’s becoming too old to rule. One of the jokes goes:
قالوا للريّس: من حتودّع الشعب؟
ردّ الريّس: الله! هو الشعب رايح فين؟
[Aaloo lel rayyes: mosh hatwadda’a esha’ab?
Radd el rayess: Allah! Howwa el sha’ab rayeh feen?]
They asked the President: aren’t you going to bid farewell to the people?
The President replied: God! I didn’t know the people were going away!
Source: BBC
A Guide to Arabic - 10 facts about the Arabic language
The "formal" Arabic language, known as Classical Arabic or الفصحى, Fus-ha, is the language in which the Qur’an is written and is considered to be the base of the syntactic and grammatical norms of the Arabic language. This Classical form of Arabic remains widely used by religious scholars and is taught in schools around the world. However, it is considered today more of a written language than a spoken one.
Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA, is similar but easier than Classical Arabic. It's understood across the Arab world and used by television presenters and politicians, for example, as well as to teach Arabic as a foreign language. You'll also find it in newspapers and works of modern Arabic literature.
In terms of "spoken" Arabic, there are many different dialects. An Arabic speaker from Iraq, for example, can find it almost impossible to understand a local Algerian, and vice versa - even though both individuals are speaking a particular form of Arabic dialect. However, both will be able to communicate in Modern Standard Arabic.
Arabic has contributed numerous words to the English language like:
قطن [koton], cotton, سكر [succar], sugar,
غزال [ghazal], gazelle, قيثارة [qithara], guitar,
الكحول [alcoo’hool], alcohol, صحراء [sahra’a], sahara,
قيراط [qeerat], carat, and ليمون [laymoon], lemon.
Know any good Arabic jokes?
Arabic jokes usually revolve around social issues, such as nagging wives, nosy in-laws, stingy neighbours, etc. Political jokes are also very common following big political events, such as elections. A famous target of jokes throughout the Middle East is the President, King, Prince or Sheikh of the country who doesn’t want to leave office, even though he’s becoming too old to rule. One of the jokes goes:
قالوا للريّس: من حتودّع الشعب؟
ردّ الريّس: الله! هو الشعب رايح فين؟
[Aaloo lel rayyes: mosh hatwadda’a esha’ab?
Radd el rayess: Allah! Howwa el sha’ab rayeh feen?]
They asked the President: aren’t you going to bid farewell to the people?
The President replied: God! I didn’t know the people were going away!
Source: BBC
A Guide to Arabic - 10 facts about the Arabic language