learn the arabic alphabet

I re-rented the Arabic book from our library and I think I’m understanding it better now. I still don’t feel it’s a very good book, but I can understand it better anyway.

Tommy and I were watching A Mighty Heart the other day and I surprised myself by recognizing most of the letters that they showed on the news station.

I won’t bother putting the letters that I know down, as last time I did that they just went into messed up alt codes, but I AM learning, and getting better – slowly!!! – at printing the letters. If only there was a little jingle to sing to learn the alphabet… :P

It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. I knew how to pronounce the alphabet properly because I went to arabic school for a few weeks when I was about 5 or 6 and it just stuck with me, so I just needed to learn how to write them.

For pronunciation, there are quite a few websites that will allow to you click on each letter and hear the sounding.

www.shariahprogram.ca/Arabic-alphabet.shtml << my friend is using that to learn the alphabet and it seems very helpful but I can’t be too sure about the pronunciation as they won’t load on my computer as I’m using an iMac.

Also, funwitharabic.com is pretty helpful for the basics.

I really don’t know HOW to pronounce the letters… :S

As I progress, I’m finding it really isn’t a very good book. It reminds me of the poorly made French book my mom made us do when my sister and I were homeschooled. Pronunciation isn’t clear, it’s very bland and methodical, and it’s like a dull work book.

It is due to return to the library on the 19th, so shortly I’ll return and try to find another, better one.

I find the absolute hardest part about learning my letters is not having a concrete name to put to each letter. My friend from Egypt is busy with exams until the end of June, so I don’t want to bother her with questions. Once I see her on msn, I know this will be all cleared up and it won’t take long for me to “get” this. She is a fabulous teacher!

An interesting story about doing this, though, is that I bring my book to work with me and practice on breaks. One coworker, J, sits across from me and is a very social person. She asked me why I would want to learn Arabic, and had some… things to say about Arabic and Muslims. We got into a discussion, and although I’m not a follower of Islam, and won’t be, whatever I said must have made her reconsider, because by the next night she was very interested in what the letters were, how to say them, how did they translate, etc, and amended her statement from the night before.

• There are 28 letters in the Arabic alphabet

• There are NO capital letters

• Written right to left

• All letters join to the letter before in a word, and all but six join to the letter after also.

Letters I have learned so far:

the letter ba

ب

The letter ta

ت

And the letter tha

Ø«

From my book, it appears that the letters are pronounced with a long a sound, like bay, tay, and thay.

I should have learned the Arabic alphabet a LONG, LONG time ago but so many events occured in my life that I wasn’t able to find enough time to master it. I was learning quite well and learned half of the alphabet, but now I need to review it again and start over.

My cousins know it so I am waiting till they vist so they can teach it to me.