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Arabic and its many variations
Even for native speakers, Arabic is a complex language. The intricate and extensive grammar and pronunciation can be daunting for beginners, but all Arabic speakers also face the difficult task of understanding someone who speaks a different regional dialect. Basically, there are two varieties of Arabic: Modern Standard (also known as fusha) and colloquial ('ammiyya). Fusha refers to literary Arabic; the language used in newspapers, textbooks, classical literature, etc. The colloquial language, or the language used in everyday, informal conversation, differs from region to region in the Middle East and other Arabic-speaking parts of the world. Dialects of the colloquial language are often so vastly different that someone from an Arabic-speaking country (Yemen, for example) might have difficulty understanding another country's regional dialect. Therefore, to facilitate communication, Modern Standard is used as a lingua franca among Arabs of different nationalities. This sociolinguistic phenomenon is known as diglossia, where the different varieties of a language are each used in specific social contexts, such as formal situations and functions as opposed to informal ones. Language courses will most often teach fusha. Our Complete Arabic: the Basics course, for example, teaches Modern Standard. However, it certainly doesn't hurt to familiarize yourself with regional dialects. Since most Arabs grow up learning both fusha and 'ammiyya, they'll often switch between the two while conversing. So if you have a trip planned to an Arabic-speaking country, make sure to learn and review the basics of that specific regional dialect! Check out our Ultimate Arabic Beginner-Intermediate course to learn more about colloquial Arabic. The program teaches both fusha and the basics of the Egyptian, Iraqi, Lebanese, and Saudi dialects. Tags: Arabic, colloquial, dialects, language, Modern Standard, newsletter
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