Purchase an Arabic dictionary. There are a number of English-Arabic dictionary publishers to choose from, including "The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic" and Oxford, which publishes the "Concise Oxford English-Arabic Dictionary of Current Usage," as well as the "Oxford Picture Dictionary: English/Arabic." For the true beginner or for visual learners, a picture dictionary is an excellent tool.
Keep a vocabulary notebook. Purchase a shorthand or smaller-sized notebook dedicated to writing down new words and their meaning as you learn them. Keep the notebook with you, and jot down notes or review your lists during down time.
Sign up for and take a class in basic Arabic. If you are unfamiliar with the language, this is the best way to begin. A basic Arabic class should provide you with an overview of the language structure, grammar and some vocabulary. You will learn the alphabet and some pronunciation skills. This foundation will jump start your vocabulary acquisition.
Make a friend who speaks Arabic. An Arabic-speaking friend will propel your learning into high gear, if your friend is patient and a willing teacher. It is one of the best ways to learn a foreign language and is especially well-suited to improving vocabulary. Situations in which you can ask the meaning of words often present themselves when you are doing things with friends
Practice with a foreign language computer program. There are a number of foreign language computer programs on the market in a range of prices that are especially tailored to increasing vocabulary. Purchase an Arabic language program and practice at home or in the car.
Watch Arabic media. Videos, movies or TV programs in Arabic are an entertaining way to improve vocabulary. Arabic movies with subtitles in English are especially useful, as the subtitles assist you to interpret the words you don't know. Jot down the words you learn in your vocabulary notebook along with their meanings.
Travel to an Arabic-speaking nation. A trip to a country where Arabic is spoken is by far the best way to increase your vocabulary. As you travel and learn words that are at first unfamiliar to you, write them in your notebook. Keep a running list of vocabulary you learn on your trip. Organize them later into categories, or parts of speech, if this helps you remember them better. Some people find it helpful to make notes about the context in which you learned the word, for example, learning the word for "change" from the taxi driver who drove you from the airport.