A simple way for everyone to learn Arabic 

I’ve been applying for different government jobs for several years now and was recently offered an overseas position with a contractor in the Middle East. After completing my initial training, I was informed that I would be traveling on various assignments in the continental United States, both for work, and in some cases, to participate in additional training. Most of my training assignments will be stateside, with the exception of a couple short-term assignments in U.S. territories abroad. 

Download Arabic English Word Game 1

Recently, I was informed that my position would require that I have a basic grasp of the Arabic language as well as a limited familiarization of several Middle Eastern cultures. Additionally, I found out that I’ll have to acquire this education, independently, without help from the U.S. Military or the government. In essence, I will have to teach myself basic Arabic and my assignment doesn’t deem me essential enough to require a stint at the language school in Monterey, California. So, I’ll have to find an alternative means for learning the language independently. 

 My Friends recommended Arabic English Word Game 1

 I made a few calls to some of my buddies and one of them recommended me to speak to someone at the HADI organization (Human Assistance and Development International). A Non-profit foundation founded in 1991, whose mission it is to promote education, information, outreach and development with regards to Islam. One of the other missions of the foundation, which pertains to me most, is to “enhance the fluency in important world languages to meet the needs of diverse communities.” Perfect! 

The HADI Organization Saved me

I gave them a call and explained my predicament and they said they were glad to help and recommended that I try their app, Arabic English Word Game 1, that is now available on the Apple store for a free, immediate download. This app is a dual-language learning app that is geared towards children and their parents for simultaneous and interactive learning, but also can be used by beginners like me who have never been exposed to the language or culture. This is not only a speaking app but also a writing and image recognition app. It includes audio in a repetitive format to help the user work on pronunciation and memorization as well as basic word recognition.

Download Arabic English Word Game 1

Shocking results in minutes

It differs from many of the other language learning programs because it also helps the person teaching the language to gain mastery in the other language. For instance, if I am an Arabic speaker, it will help me learn English, but if I am an English speaker, it will help me learn Arabic. In effect, it provides dual translation while two people are working together. 

 Make a game of Learning Arabic

It’s meant to be fun and to present the material in an attention grabbing, easy to master lesson disguised as a game. Although it’s not State Department approved yet, I know several people who have used this application with success and have saved vast amounts of time attempting to absorb the entire language. They’ve told me that the app is intended for kids so its presented in an easy format that makes learning easy. The game aspect encourages you to learn faster by competing with yourself for time. the best part is that its free to download and is inexpensive for each of the additional lessons that you purchase in-app.

 So far, I have learned all of the basic words for fruits, vegetables and animals. I was able to recognize 20 basic images and their associated word pronunciations in 20 minutes! I am now working on improving my pronunciation and my ability to write the accompanying letters and words. this is taking me a little longer because I am not used to writing from right to left and learning how to write each of the characters is proving challenging. I’m going to use two iBooks that are also offered from HADI through the Apple store for both iPhones and the iPad:

• Let’s Explore Arabic Alphabet
• Let’s Explore Arabic Numbers

(Available on all iOS devices – iPhone and iPad)

Thus far, I am extremely happy with this learning app. It is easy to use and I can run through lessons in my spare time and on-the-go using just my phone and a headset. I’ve got about 30 days left before I leave and I believe I will have mastered a basic level of the language before then. Thanks, HADI

Download Arabic English Word Game 1

Download Let’s Explore Arabic Alphabet iBook

Download Let’s Explore Arabic Numbers iBook