Find an Arabic tutor near me in Bristol

How to Find the Perfect Arabic Tutor

The Arabic language is a complex beast and there are such large differences between regional variants that rather than being classed as a language, Arabic is classed as a macro language - a language of languages. On this language continuum, there are 310 million native speakers of some form of Arabic. Most speakers of Arabic can be found in the Arab world which includes many North African countries and the nations on the Arabian Peninsula.

In addition to all the regional and national variants we alluded to, there is also Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic. Classical Arabic is the original and early form of the language which later evolved into Modern Standard Arabic, the version of the language commonly used as an official language for Arab states and the language commonly found in the Quran and Islamic religious texts.

The Arabic language, like other languages, can act as a gateway to history, culture, and religion and is a great way to communicate with millions of people and better understand them.

If you're interested in learning Arabic, that's great! Learning to speak Arabic can be hugely beneficial but it can also be challenging. Let's have a look at the pros and cons of learning Arabic, what students learn about the language if they choose to study it in school, and how to find private Arabic tuition in Bristol.

The Benefits of Studying the Arabic Language

With so many native speakers and its function as the official language for many countries, knowing how to speak the language will allow you to communicate with millions of people around the world. In addition to speaking to them, it'll also give you a better understanding of them, their culture, and their beliefs.

Learning a foreign language is good for your brain, too. It's proven that learning foreign languages can improve your reasoning skills, focus, and memory as well as lead to an increase of grey matter in certain parts of the brain. Foreign language learning can also reduce the risks of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in later life.

You'll also learn a lot more about English. While English and Arabic don't have too much in common, they are both languages and by studying one, you'll inevitably learn more about the other. When we study English in school, we don't look too much at linguistics but by studying Arabic, you'll learn more about languages in general.

Whether you're studying Arabic at primary or secondary school or university level, every lesson will indirectly teach you a little more about the English language!

The Difficulties of Learning Arabic

Learning a foreign language isn't easy and Arabic is no exception. It's generally agreed that learning a foreign language similar to your own is easier but Arabic doesn't even belong to the same language family. European languages like French, Spanish, and German tend to be easier for English speakers than Arabic but that doesn't mean that learning Arabic is impossible.

Learning the writing system will probably take up a lot of your time, though. The aforementioned European languages all make use of the Latin alphabet like English but the Arabic language has a different writing system known as the Arabic abjad.

The Arabic abjad reads from right to left, is often written in cursive (joined up), and doesn't have characters to display vowels but rather uses diacritic marks on consonants to indicate them.

The Arabic writing system will probably be the first challenge you face and while it can be disheartening having to learn an entirely new writing system before you can even start tackling the written form of the language, it can be incredibly rewarding once you've learnt it.

Arabic students don't have it as easy as other language students when it comes to resources, either. While there are plenty of digital and physical resources for Arabic language students, there are plenty more for Spanish, French, and German language learners simply because of how many more English speakers tend to study these languages.

A good teacher will point you in the direction of resources for your course but just look in any library and you'll see how there's much less space dedicated to Arabic resources than some other languages.

Studying Arabic at School

Students reaching the end of secondary school in the UK can choose to study Arabic at GCSE. We've mentioned that European languages tend to be more popular with English-speaking students so not every school will offer an Arabic GCSE. That doesn't mean that studying Arabic at GCSE is impossible, but there are easier language options to choose.

Aside from being less commonly taught and chosen by students, the Arabic GCSE has a format very similar to other language GCSEs. Students are expected to study the four core language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Depending on your exam board, the weighting for each of these skills will be different but generally, each core language skill has a similar weighting. With four main exams, most exams will be weighted at around 25% of your overall grade.

The Arabic GCSE also tends to cover similar themes to other modern foreign language GCSEs such as you and your family, everyday life, culture, travel and holidays, school, work, careers, and global issues.

Private Arabic Tutorials

We mentioned that Arabic isn't the most common foreign language GCSE chosen by students and nor is it a language with as many resources for English-language speakers as common European languages. This is why private tutorials and lessons are some of the best ways for you to learn how to speak Arabic.

Private tutors will plan their entire lesson around you, the learner. Before you start working with a private tutor, you'll probably discuss your experience, motives, and level and they'll use this information to tailor the lessons to you.

It can take several years to gain fluency in a foreign language, even with regular tutorials. Whether you're learning Arabic to find jobs or do business with Arabic speakers, get better exam results on a university course, or just to speak to the locals while on holiday, private tutoring is arguably the most cost-effective way to improve your level.

Private Arabic Tuition in Bristol

If you'd like to find a private tutor for Arabic language lessons in Bristol, you just have to search for them on Superprof. Check out a few tutors' profiles and see if they offer the first hour for free. Make the most of these free tutorials to see which tutors are best for you. You should also view each tutor's profile and check out the reviews from previous students before you decide on who'll provide you with private Arabic tuition.

There are also online tutors available from all over the world if you can't find anyone to your liking in Bristol. There are plenty of tutors with a wealth of experience offering online tuition and if you need classes at awkward times of the day, there are teachers in different time zones who can help!

Whether you're looking to study Arabic at university, for fun, or work, private Arabic tutorials can be hugely beneficial!