15 Tips to Help Your Child Learn Arabic

The first step to get your child to speak Arabic may seem hard. However, you can be surprised at how easily kids can pick up new languages. All it takes is some determination from your side. The following tips can help:

1- Start a journal to document your child's learning development. Begin the journal by jotting down the reasons you would like your child to learn Arabic. In my case for example, it was to get my daughter to connect more with her culture and roots, and to to be able to communicate in Arabic with her grandparents. This will help keep you motivated and on track.

2- Remember that kids have the capacity to learn new languages at a tender age, and as researchers claim, the earlier you start, the better. Don't worry though if your child is past the "cut off age" of seven years. Older kids can still learn with some effort and dedication.

3- Start with the Arabic alphabet, the basic building block. For a simple plan on how to teach your child the Arabic alphabet in just 15 days, watch my short YouTube video .

4- Make use of free available resources, such as Arabic Kids channels on YouTube and Arabic learning material on Pinterest for example. Tracing sheets are easily found on any search engine. You can download some for free here: Arabic Alphabet Tracing Worksheets or on Collection of free 30+ Arabic Letters Worksheets. You can also download and print Arabic flashcards here: studystack.com/arabic

5- Listen to songs in Arabic. Kids can catch tunes easily and repeat them. Play Arabic nursery rhymes for them as well. Our personal favorite Arabic alphabet song is: Arabic alphabet song 3 - Alphabet arabe chanson 3 - 3 أنشودة الحروف العربية.

6- Speak to them more in Arabic. Don't be afraid that they might not understand or that they may get confused. You can repeat the same sentence in both languages for example, until you get to a stage where you can just say it in Arabic. Also use more Arabic nouns when referring to objects.

7- Try to arrange play dates with Arabic speaking children if possible or socialize with people who speak the same language.

8- Take a trip to an Arabic country. Many people believe that this is the best way to learn a language.

9- Read stories in Arabic to them. Yes, read in Arabic! Don't be afraid to. Perhaps start with simple picture books and then move on to harder levels.

10- Play games in Arabic. For example, purchase some Arabic language flashcards or print some from the web. Play "Find the Letter" game or the corresponding animal. You can be creative with the kinds of games.

11- Repeat, repeat, repeat. Play the alphabet songs daily and sing along with your child.

12- Practice makes perfect. Get them to practice tracing and writing the letters as often as possible.

13- Reward them with small prizes or stickers. Encourage them every time.

14- Don't be too hard on them when they make mistakes. Be patient and persistent.

15- Finally, have fun as much as possible. This will make learning enjoyable.

Please comment and share your thoughts on the subject. Do you have any useful tips for other parents and carers about teaching Arabic language to a child? What has worked well for you in teaching your child Arabic?

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