Online Resources for Arabic Language Learners

Whether you are learning to speak Arabic in a formal or informal setting, it is always useful to accumulate a diverse set of resources to improve individual skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Here is a list of instructional materials and online tools for beginning to advanced learners:

Beginners Listening and Reading Material

• Arabic Quick!: This is an excellent source for beginning Arabic learners. It offers an introduction to the alphabet with well-enunciated sound bites for each letter as well as essential words and phrases pronounced with the appropriate intonation. This website also comes in apps for both iPhone and Android.

• أصوات عربية or “Arabic Voices”: This website created by The University of Texas at Austin provides audio/visual materials pulled from an array of authentic materials to suit any level of Arabic learner. Each listening or video clip can be played at three speeds: slowest, slow, and normal. Students may check their comprehension using the post-listening questions provided.
• English-Arabic Vocabulary Quizzes: This website is full of quizzes with Arabic words for beginners. The site has different categories and you take multiple choice quizzes for memorization of vocab.
• Speak7: Speak7 is a website for working on speaking and listening. The website contains a lot of different types of phrases: introductions, directions, wishes, or personal information. In addition to the audio recordings, it also has the English, transliteration, and Arabic script of the phrases.
• National Capital Language Resource Center – Arabic Webcasts: This website contains different audio recording of news videos in simplified MSA. For each clip, there is also a exercise worksheet asking questions about the clip to test your understanding. In addition to the audio, it also has the scripts so you can work on your reading skills.

Dictionaries and Glossaries

• Mo3jam: This is a user-generated monolingual dictionary of colloquial Arabic. It includes a total of 18 dialects, with words and phrases that are both distinct to specific dialects and common to across various dialects.
• Al-Maany: An expansive online monolingual dictionary, which is useful especially if you are looking to learn how to explain words and their meanings in Arabic and grapple with synonyms.
• Aratools: This website is great for translation. You can enter a word into the search bar and it will show you all the forms (verb forms) and the meanings depending on the form of the word. You can search from Arabic to English and vice versa.
• Online Hans-Wehr Arabic-English dictionary: If you do not own a paper copy of this dictionary, don’t worry! This online source provides a PDF scan of the dictionary. What is nice about the online version is that it has a search tab where you can type in the Arabic root and it will search the document. It will then take you to the section of the root word you are looking for. It can be found here: ejtaal.net
• Living Arabic Project: This site is an effort to show Arabic as a living language by allowing users to search in both a Classical Arabic dictionary and a dialect dictionary (Egyptian and Levantine). It also includes some audio materials in Egyptian dialect. 

Grammar

• Arabic desert sky: This website gives a more in depth look at Arabic grammar. It also provides good examples!
• www.letstalkarabic.com: This website provides basic grammar lessons. Although it does not get very advanced, it does give good examples (with full vowelization which can be very helpful when first learning certain grammar concepts).

Interactive vocabulary practice

• Memrise is a free user-generated learning platform which uses flashcards as memory aids. The site includes a ton of courses in Arabic at a variety of levels and in various dialects. The platform is designed to encourage visual and mnemonic learning.
• Mango, similar to other language learning platforms like duolingo, interactively prepares learners for everyday conversations. Mango offers lessons in Modern Standard Arabic, in addition to Levantine, Iraqi, and Egyptian dialects.  It is possible to access the course for free via your local public library.
• Quizlet:This website allows you to create you own flashcards for vocabulary practice. What is cool about it is that there are certain features that allow you to add in voice recordings, pictures, and it even allows you to type in Arabic.
• Anki: This is an interactive website/app that allows you to practice vocabulary. This particular app uses spatial repetition software, which is designed to help you memorize more vocabulary words.

Lessons, curriculum, and tutorials for independent learners

• Khallina is an open-source tool for independent learners and teachers of Arabic to engage with the language through Arab culture, including music, food, dress, politics and comedy. The site includes lessons for students at novice, intermediate, and advanced levels. The modules themselves are supplemented with additionally activities for the learner do independently, or possibly with the support of a mentor.
• Mango, similar to other language learning platforms like duolingo, interactively prepares learners for everyday conversations. Mango offers lessons in Modern Standard Arabic, in addition to Levantine, Iraqi, and Egyptian dialects.  It is possible to access the course for free via your local public library.
• Al-Jazeera Arabic language interface: If you are interested in Arabic language of the media, this site is an incredible resource for independent learners. It provides lessons for beginners all the way to upper intermediate and advanced learners. The interface includes reading and listening activities with a number of activities on grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension. The site also includes an “ask the teacher” resource, which allows you to ask any questions you might have about the materials.
• BBC Arabic: The Arabic version of BBC news is a great way to stay current with your vocabulary and ability to discuss relevant issues in world news such as politics, the Middle East, economics, health, technology, the arts, and sports. The site consists of clear concise written articles as well as television and radio clips.