Should you study Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or a dialect? When I started learning Arabic, I was recommended to study strictly Modern Standard Arabic and stay away from the dialects. Even though the advice is really good, it also turned out problematic. So, I would like to go through some points on the matter, and maybe give some advice on how you can make the best decision for your learning process!
What is Modern Standard Arabic?
MSA is the standard, preserved form of Arabic, which has developed from Classical Arabic. In Arabic language, MSA is called العربية الفصحى (al-ʻArabīyah al-Fuṣḥā), which refers to the adjective فصيح (faṣīḥ), meaning eloquent. For native Arabs, “fusha” usually refers to both Modern Standard Arabic and Classical Arabic, and they are categorized as فصحى العصر (Fuṣḥā al-ʻAṣr, modern fusha) and فصحى التراث (Fuṣḥā al-Turāth, historical or “heritage” fusha).
MSA is not a mother tongue for Arabs - usually the language they learn from their parents is the dialect of their country or area. Instead, MSA is used in professional, educational and journalistic purposes. During the past few decades, it has also become more common in social media, when Arabs increasingly communicate over national, communal and linguistic boundaries. MSA is not only a language of the educated and intellect (مثقفون, muthaqqafun) anymore.
Benefits of the dialects
As I have mentioned, MSA is nowadays more widely spoken and understood among Arabs, but it is not as natural as dialects, and some have trouble using it even though they fully can understand it (it is mainly a issue of orientating oneself to MSA, since it is extremely rare in informal conversation). Speaking with natives is definitely easier in their own dialects, and natives are always happy to help you with their own language :)
Another point to mention is that most of the culture is produced in dialects - movies, songs, TV series, Youtube channels are all usually using their respective dialects. There are series (especially cartoons) and songs in MSA, but sometimes it may be tricky to find them - the media and popular culture is much richer in the native dialects, and you will never suffer from lack of resources. But then, navigating within the materials can also cause trouble, since the used dialect is not always clearly indicated. It is easier to find material in preferred dialect, when you already have basic knowledge about them.
Benefits of MSA
Even though the dialects are very lively languages, MSA could be described as the heart of the language (at least when it comes to me!). Its precise and complicated grammatical system has been preserved for centuries. It may not be always the easiest to use, and not even easiest to study, but the grammatical structures are extremely regular, deliberately set up, and interesting. The dialects are not as much organized and regular, since they have been developing through centuries along native speakers.
If you are into Arabic literature, history or journalism, or you are planning to use Arabic for professional purposes, you definitely should study Modern Standard Arabic. However, I would recommend everyone to start with it, since it is the basis for all the dialects, and allows you to understand the language itself better. Also, it is possible to pick up any dialect after learning MSA, and it may be easier to distinguish the “fusha aspect” from the dialect. Usually, it is also easier to find good learning resources and materials for MSA directed towards language learners. The dialects tend be more informal and/or vary between communities and regions, and some of them may lack variety of teaching materials.
Studying MSA and a dialect at the same time
While it may sound a great idea to get the best of both aspects of Arabic language, I would personally recommend getting the basics of MSA first. I added Iraqi Arabic almost in the beginning, since I felt like I needed it to communicate with my spouse’s family. It was extremely useful in that sense, indeed, but it also added its own troubles into my MSA progress - it became harder to distinguish the features of the dialect, different grammatical structures and vocabulary. Informalities creeped into my MSA, and sometimes I got really confused.
It is not impossible to learn both at the same time, and if you have a dialect you are especially interested in, it is probably a good decision to add it in after studying some MSA and getting over the basics. But also, you will do well with MSA for some time, and many people start to learn dialect after they are already learned their MSA into conversational level. Starting both at the same time might be a little overwhelming, though, especially if you are not sure about the dialect you want to learn (but it is possible to learn multiple dialects at the same time, of course - it might just be quite confusing!).
Think about these questions
➊ What are your goals in Arabic language? Do you aim at using Arabic in your career or wish to speak more professionally? How about engaging in informal conversations with natives?
➋ Are you already interested in a dialect, or do you have friends from certain area? If you are uncertain about the dialect you’d like to study, it is a good idea to start with MSA and choose the dialect later, when you already have the basic information. However, if you already have a lot of Arab friends and you want to get to use the language immediately, you could think about starting with the dialect. They can probably help you navigate the learning resources, too!
➌ What kind of learner are you? If you are a grammar nerd like me and you love to study the basics thoroughly, you will probably love MSA. But someone who likes to engage more from the beginning, use the language immediately, listen to songs, speak with natives and watch movies, might benefit from the dialect more.
Also, I want to add that no matter which form of Arabic you choose, you will definitely succeed with just going for it and studying! My journey with Arabic wasn’t so straight-forward and I have had mixed feelings about dialects and MSA, but learning is never bad. And you must remember that many (or most?) Arabic learners will learn multiple dialects over time - you can start with one and proceed then to the next one :) When it comes to beginners, however, it is the simplest to start with MSA or one dialect. The important part is to enjoy the language!
If you have experiences of choosing between MSA and dialects, please share your stories! The ways people have started learning Arabic are always so interesting to hear :)
