Why learn Arabic? How language fosters connection and new perspectives

Elise also sees this broad relevance reflected in her course participants, who come from all sorts of different backgrounds: “We have students, but also, for example, doctors, language teachers, civil servants, volunteers, social workers... And people who simply want to learn the language for fun or for travel.” 

Arabic in Dutch class

Many course participants have a clear motivation for learning Arabic. Amke Haak, for example, took the course to complement her training as a teacher of Dutch as a Second Language. Her placement class includes many Arabic-speaking participants with little educational experience, for whom learning Dutch is particularly challenging. “I think that when teaching such groups, speaking Arabic is an added bonus,” she explains. That knowledge helps her not only to explain words, but also to understand recurring mistakes. “For example, many students omit the auxiliary verb (‘opdracht moeilijk’). Now I know that Arabic doesn’t use auxiliary verbs, so I understand the mistakes better and can also explain how Dutch and Arabic differ from one another.”

Language as a bridge between people

As well as the practical benefits, Amke also notices that the effort she puts into learning Arabic is hugely appreciated by her students. “When I mention an Arabic word, for example ‘ممتاز’ (excellent) in response to a student’s assignment, I see my students’ eyes light up. And by telling them what I find difficult about Arabic, I can show them that it’s not strange that they struggle with learning Dutch.”

Imke Cleutjens also experiences in her work how her knowledge of Arabic fosters greater connection. Imke works mainly with Arabic-speaking asylum seekers whom she supports in their integration. “Although my level isn’t yet good enough to have proper conversations, I do notice that I can connect with people better by speaking a few words of Arabic with them,” she says. “Welcoming them in their own language and using Arabic words now and then helps create a more open atmosphere, because they visibly feel more at ease.”

Challenge and personal growth

Learning Arabic is not necessarily easy. A different script, right-to-left writing, and complex grammar make it a challenging language. Rien Breteler, who started learning Arabic as a pensioner, sees this challenge as welcome mental training.

“The Dalai Lama once gave the advice to do something totally new that you don’t know about yet. Learning Arabic certainly meets that criterion. Sometimes I’m enthusiastic (‘what fun!’), sometimes hopeless (‘I’ll never learn this’),” he says, but overall he feels that learning Arabic and learning about Arab culture enriches his life. “I can already see myself travelling around the Middle East in the long run.” And until then, the knowledge comes in handy in his voluntary work with Médecins du Monde.

A rich language and culture

Although learning Arabic can feel overwhelming at first, there are more similarities with other languages than you might think. Words such as cotton, alcohol, and mascara, for example, originate from Arabic.

Arabic is also often regarded as a rich, poetic language. “We have about twenty different words for ‘love’,” says Elise, “each with a slightly different meaning.” What’s more, Arabic has many different dialects. In In’to’s courses, you learn Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). MSA is the formal variant of Arabic used in the media, education, and official communications across the Arab world. In addition, there are many different Arabic dialects. “In our courses, you’ll also learn commonly used expressions from various dialects. This way, you learn to communicate and socialise effectively, so you can cope well in everyday situations. I think that practical approach, combined with the attention we pay to culture, is what makes our courses so popular.”