Re: Speaking Arabic
 

I wouldn't bother. I've been trying to pick up some phrases, but when I use them, I tend to get laughed at. Anyway, you'd be better off learning Urdu round here.

Re: Speaking Arabic
 

I'd say that reading and writing are easier than speaking!

The younger you are, the easier it is to learn another language, but it's never too late. It's just a matter of giving it enough time and practice.

Arabic contains a number of sounds that just don't exist in spoken English, which can be a challenge at first as you have to stop and think about how you're physically going to make the sound before you make it!

Re: Speaking Arabic
 

How's your Arabic accent? If you try and use an Arabic phrase without giving it the full-on accent, then yes, you'll probably get laughed at (or just stared at blankly), because the way you say the words is just as important as the words themselves. Try and speak Arabic with the wrong accent and it's quite likely that Arabic speakers won't understand you.

Re: Speaking Arabic
 

A Lebanese chap was giving me some pointers on the harsh K sound when I said "Sabaa al khair" to him.

It's a bit like Mandarin Chinese in the way you have to make sure you use the right inflexion, otherwise the word can mean something completely different. The word "ma" has 3 or 4 different meanings depending on the tone of the A.

Re: Speaking Arabic
 

So would you suggest I learn to read and write and write down what I want to say? Julie

Re: Speaking Arabic
 

No, that would be daft :) If you learned enough to be able to write down what you wanted to say in correct Arabic, you'd be able to say it with your voice anyway!

I was just making the point that learning to read Arabic script, in the sense of knowing what the letters are and the sounds they make, and being able to read sentences aloud, is actually surprisingly easy. In all seriousness, just a few weeks is all you need to learn enough to be able to read and pronounce almost any written Arabic. Yes, you'll have problems at first with vocalising some of the sounds, but everyone has to go through that, and it doesn't take long before it becomes second-nature.

The problem is, of course, that there's a rather large difference between reading and understanding ;) As I said, I can read Arabic, but I only understand about 1% of what I read.