Arabic has long been the domain of scholars and specialists in Islam, Arab cultures, and the Middle East. Since September 11th, 2001, the need for Arabic speakers in the government has exploded. But even before then, many international companies such as Kodak, Coca Cola and Radio Shack have looked at the Middle East's rising economies and seen business opportunities that extend far beyond the exportation of oil.
Children pick up language at an incredible rate; their retention of words, phrases, and nuances is unmatched in older children. Children in bilingual homes, or in homes that are learning a language together, are adept at switching between the two naturally and without thought.
Teaching a child Arabic, particularly a young child, is very easy since the very same materials and techniques that are used to teach English are used to teach Arabic. There are some programs for instruction, such as a vocabulary builder (see Resources below), which are useful in teaching a very young child Arabic. Children's books with familiar characters, particularly Disney characters, are available in Arabic language as are comic books and other non-school teaching materials.
Older children, such as pre-teen and teenagers, may be frustrated at the "baby talk" associated with younger learning programs. For these students, the books and CDs used for higher-level learning may be useful. Self-teaching books with multimedia components are available in any book store. A child learning Arabic this way should use a comprehensive system for learning Arabic such as the "Alif Baa/Al-Kitaab" series by Brustad, al-Tonsi and al-Batal (see Resources below). This will provide consistent guidance as they learn Arabic.
Some cities offer instruction in Arabic to children and are dependent upon the demand for such education. Schools in Manhattan, Cincinnati, Ohio and Dearborn, Michigan, for example, offer Arabic language instruction for children as early as Kindergarten. Some programs are run by private schools which charge a tuition, but others are part of a charter or "magnet" public school system meant to afford greater opportunities to children in that city. A city's local board of education website will have more information on specific programs, including Arabic, offered by the school system.
Some families who are interested in teaching their child Arabic might also consider contacting a tutor through a local university, college or even mosque. Some students might be aspiring teachers and relish the chance to practice the theories they have learned in class on actual children. Others may be professional tutors, such as those who teach converts to Islam at a mosque, who are experienced teachers of the Arabic language to all types of students.
Before retaining the services of these tutors, the parent should go over the material, objectives and learning style of the tutor to match it with the intentions of the family and learning style that best suits the child.