To become an Arabic interpreter, one must be fluent in Arabic and English. There are three types of Arabic to learn: Classical, Modern Standard, and Colloquial. Modern Standard Arabic is necessary for formal speeches, while Colloquial Arabic is most widely spoken. Arabic has its own alphabet and is read from right to left.
The most important criterion for becoming an Arabic interpreter is speaking the language. If you are a native speaker – and you are also fluent in English – you will have no difficulties and you can start looking for a job to become an Arabic interpreter. If you haven’t had exposure to Arabic and want to learn the language, there are many steps you can take to become fluent.
The first step in learning Arabic to become an Arabic interpreter is deciding what type of Arabic to learn. There are three types: Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and Colloquial Arabic. Classical Arabic, also known as Quranic Arabic, was spoken from the 7th to 9th centuries and can still be found in the Quran. Classical Arabic is only used to interpret prayer services.
Modern Standard Arabic is the modern version of Classical Arabic. There are some differences in writing style and lexis, but Arabic-speaking countries rarely distinguish between the two. If you’re thinking of becoming an Arabic interpreter, you’ll need to learn Modern Standard Arabic, even though nobody actually speaks it.
Modern Standard Arabic is primarily used as a common language for newspaper and news publications throughout the Arabic-speaking world. Occasionally it will be spoken during a formal speech or radio broadcast. If you speak Modern Standard Arabic, it might get a confusing look because it sounds so free. If you choose to become an Arabic interpreter for a government agency or corporation where you are interpreting formal speeches, you will need to learn modern standards. Also, Modern Standard Arabic is considered “proper” Arabic, so you must learn it to learn grammar.
To communicate effectively verbally in Arabic, you must learn colloquial Arabic. Colloquial Arabic is most widely spoken throughout the Arab world. Each region has its own dialect, with colloquial Egyptian being the oldest and most widely understood. There are more than two dozen colloquial dialects throughout the Arabic-speaking world. In reality, the modern pattern and the colloquial overlap quite often; therefore, it is necessary to learn both types of Arabic in order to become an Arabic interpreter.
Once you’ve decided which colloquial Arabic dialect to learn, the other requirements English speakers need to learn Arabic begin to present themselves. Arabic interpreters must not only speak Arabic at native proficiency level, but must also be able to read and write the language. Again, this reinforces the need to learn Modern Standard Arabic. Arabic has its own alphabet, which is completely different from the Roman alphabet used in English. Arabic is vocalized text, which means that each letter must have a diacritical mark above or below it. Finally, Arabic script is written and read from right to left, which is the opposite direction to English.
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