Why Study the Arabic Levantine Dialect? The Arabic language makes the top of the list of most difficult languages to learn, especially for Westerners, but the benefits of choosing to study Arabic are proportionately powerful.
Study Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
All Western students studying in a formal educational setting will study Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), the equivalent to classical or Biblical English. There are pros and cons to this fact. Speakers of MSA will inevitably sound ‘silly’ when speaking in an informal setting, perhaps while traveling in the Middle East or conversing with a native Arabic speaker at home.
Just imagine a foreigner approaching you and saying, “Respectful greetings to you!” or parting with “Fare you well, gentleman!” It’s humorous, I know.
How Arabic speakers of different regions understand each other?
Another good piece of imagery to help grasp how Arabic speakers of different regions understand each other is to imagine someone from London, England communicating with someone from New York in English. While they’re speaking the same language and can figure out what the other is saying, they simply have different expressions for the same things.
Similarly, the Qur’an is written in Modern Standard Arabic, and is a point of pride in the Muslim world, as their Holy Book has been preserved in its original dialect and, therefore, untainted by translations. The predominant benefit of learning MSA is that, although you may get some funny looks, Arabic speakers will nonetheless understand you across the board.
Complexities of the Arabic Language Across the Middle East
With So Many Dialects To Choose From, Understanding How To Distinguish Among Them Is Crucial In Our Learning Journey and in Understanding of the Arab Culture.
You see, Arabic is a macro-language, with more than thirty dialects spread across the Arab world. Not only do dialects vary from country to country, but the accents within those countries also vary region to region and village to village.
To name a few, there are distinct dialects of Morocco, the Gulf region, Algeria, Tunisia, Sudan, the Levantine region, and many more. If the Arabic language had to be narrowed down to three “main” dialects, they’d be the Levantine, Egyptian, and Gulf dialects.
Which Arabic dialect do you focus on?
So the question becomes, once you’ve got the basics down, which dialect do you focus on? Which makes the most sense for you to invest your time and energy into learning? Is it the dialect spoken by the most people? Or the easiest to learn? What happens if I commit to a dialect that’s only understood in one region of the entire Middle East? How are we to know??
The most widely spoken dialect is Egyptian, although it is fairly specific to that region and often misunderstood in other countries. The Gulf dialect is spoken in countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but the slang within each country is vastly different and often misunderstood in other countries across the Arab world as well. One of the least recommended dialects is Moroccan, which is a beautiful combination of French and Arabic known officially as “Dharijah,” but is totally unrecognizable elsewhere.
My first dialect learned outside of MSA was the Gulf dialect because my circle of friends derived mainly from Gulf countries and, although I am fond of it for many reasons, it is a more unique, exclusive dialect. Because of this, I found myself frequently misunderstood when incorporating my newfound slang into the conversation and attempting to communicate with other Arabic speakers.
The Levantine Dialect
The Strategic Dialect of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Israel:
Strengthening Your Arabic Skills By Expanding Beyond MSA, and the Significance of the Levantine Dialect.
Through my studies and in my experience interacting with native speakers in my hometown of Chicago and while traveling abroad, I’ve concluded that the Levantine dialect is among the most beneficial to learn for a myriad of reasons.
The term the Levant?
The term the Levant is derived from Italian and literally means “rising;” the region’s nickname being Al-Mashriq or “The land where the sun rises.” Spoken in the countries surrounding the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Israel, this dialect’s conservative stress pattern is most closely related to MSA in comparison to other dialects and, with the exception of some slang in more remote regions, is most recognizable across the Middle East.
Additionally, it has been influenced by English and French in some ways, giving Westerners a glimmer of familiarity every now and again. Although this language is adopted throughout the Levant region, MSA is actually the official language in these countries and is used in schools, the media, government, and in the majority of written communication.
The Levant Arabic can further be divided into three major groups
It’s important to keep in mind that the accents of the Levant can further be divided into three major groups: the north (Syria and Lebanon), the south (Palestine and parts of Jordan), and then Bedouins (nomad people and those who live true to their historical culture, apart from the greater society). But don’t let this scare you! If you speak with the Levantine dialect, you’ll surely be understood throughout the entire region.
In fact, there’s a high chance people will understand you across the entire Middle East, which is incredibly important. There’s nothing more frustrating than confidently speaking a phrase in Arabic to an Arab, only to realize they have no idea what you’re saying because the phrase in your learned dialect isn’t transferrable to theirs.
So you’ve decided on the Levantine dialect… now the question becomes: on which accent do you focus? Decisions, decisions.
Choosing Your Experience Wisely
How Organizations Like The Excellence Center in Palestine Work To Meet Arabic Students Where They Are, Strengthening Ties Between Foreigners and Locals By Providing Authentic Learning Experiences.
If you’re looking to travel abroad and study Arabic, one vital factor in your decision-making process should be to choose an institution or organization that offers you language learning options in both MSA and the dialect. Being restricted to only learning one or the other is just that: restrictive.
Having the option to learn both is crucial in gaining a deeper understanding of communication in that specific region and the entire Arab world, and will be a catalyst to your success moving forward, regardless of the direction you pursue with your improved language skills.
Where I can Study the Arabic Levantine Dialect?
The Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine is an organization who works “to increase mutual understanding between the Palestinian people and people from other countries through means of educational and cultural exchange which assists in the development of peaceful relations” (Excellence Center).
They not only teach you the distinct differences between MSA and the Levantine dialect but will go so far as to distinguish between those and the Hebronite accent as well. Gaining this perspective in your learning journey is invaluable, as you begin to unpeel the layers that make up this multi-dimensional language.
This institute works with students of all ages and, conveniently, offers their classes and volunteer opportunities year-round, at a highly affordable rate, and flexibly caters each experience to the student’s preferences. “Through educational programs, workshops, activities, and initiatives, including participation by community members, we serve participants of varying ages, interests, educational levels, including primary and secondary school students, university students and community members” (Excellence Center).
Final Remarks
When delving into the Arabic language, or any language for that matter, seeking out an opportunity that allows you to engage with the community and get a true sense of what the language represents and how locals interact on a daily basis is key, as is the flexibility and variability that organizations like the Excellence Center provide. The Why Study the Arabic Levantine Dialect? the article was written by Brenda Hershey
Any questions?
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact at Rafat@excellencenter.org
Whatsapp:+972599479880
For more information, please visit our website: https://excellencenter.org
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