Learn a new language in 2019!

It's that time of year! It's time to choose a new language to learn and get to it!

So, I know, you have all been wondering what language I've chosen to learn this year. First, I'll tell you that the #1 choice from my readers was...  Italian.

So am I learning Italian this year?...     Well... No. I know it is a fun language and a great place to visit, and I may learn it eventually, but with knowing French and Spanish, I can already guess a lot of Italian words, especially in reading. This is the same with Portuguese. I obviously can't speak either of these languages, so this might be something I try to fill in later on. But it is not what I want to focus my time on this year.

The language I am learning is one that I wanted to add to my repertoire in order to gain more understanding of a different part of the world. I wanted to add a language that is somewhat different from my current languages, so that it can open the doors to understanding even more related languages. The language I am learning is also one that I have been exposed to before, through a family that I babysat for several years ago. The language is beautiful and very interesting in written form. This language is also spoken in many different countries and is one of the top 10 most spoken languages in the world.

So what is this language that I've chosen to learn?

ARABIC!

I have decided to go with the Modern Standard dialect, because I have no foundation in Arabic and I need to learn from the very beginning. I will be starting with the alphabet (or I've already started), because the language is largely phonetic, which means the letters are matched to the sounds that are spoken. I've also started with learning some basic social greetings using Mango Languages that I have access to through the local library. This system lets me work on pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and provides information about cultural aspects as well. I will tell you that even if you finish the course, you won't be fluent or bilingual. You will need to supplement with other activities, such as reading, writing, listening, etc and some other vocabulary sources. But it is a great start to get a solid foundation in the language.

Well, wish me luck! I hope that some of you are also considering learning a new language this year. It can seem daunting from the outset, but you will see it is so easy to do once you get started! Just start with one word, then maybe 5 words, then maybe 10 words, then at that point, you'll be able to have a very simple conversation. Try it! And let me know how it goes!

Happy learning!