Hi! Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi! My name is Alina, and I’m a 31-year-old Russian/Norwegian. I currently work at Google as a Sales Representative for the local government, and previously handled sales at Microsoft. I speak Russian, English and Norwegian languages fluently. I used to speak Finnish too but I forgot it due to lack of practice.
Why did you decide to learn Arabic?
As I work with the public sector, the majority of business is done in the local language so it will be an advantage for me to be able to understand what is being discussed and take part in conversations. Many sales roles in the IT industry require a fluent knowledge of the Arabic language.
What made you choose a course at Eton Institute?
I like the intensity of the course: 2 hours 5 days a week – I believe you need to practice daily if you are serious about learning any language. Moreover, the course is taught in the morning before I start my job, which perfectly fits in my busy schedule. Additionally, Eton Institute specializes in languages and has a history of teaching languages so I believe that the teachers at Eton do know how to make you learn and speak a language. Eton also has its own methodology of teaching languages, which I really enjoy.
How was your experience studying at Eton Institute?
I really enjoy studying at Eton. I am enrolled in a group course for 2 hours 5 days a week. I can choose whether I want to be in a classroom or online so I like the flexibility. Online works perfectly fine, and I get to skip the morning traffic by taking the course from my home office. It’s a small group of 3-5 people. We started from level 0 and learned the language together which makes it fun as well. The teacher is amazing, he has been teaching Arabic for the past 17 years so he is always well prepared, very knowledgeable, and also makes learning enjoyable.
What’s your best tip for people who want to start learning Arabic?
Go learn for 2 hours, 5 days a week instead of 2 times a week 3 hours each time. You do need to practice the language daily in order to learn it. Spend time every evening doing homework and revising what you have learnt that day – you will learn the language faster when you spend time revising the concepts and doing the homework.
What did you find challenging and how did you overcome it?
There are many dialects in Arabic: Egyptian, Levantine, Moroccan, and so on and so forth. We are learning Modern Standard Arabic (fusha), which is spoken only on TV and in written newspapers/magazines. Fusha does differ from other dialects so I find it challenging to choose a dialect to learn as there are so many dialects out there and they use different words to express the same thing.
Are there any other languages on your bucket list?
Arabic is one of the most difficult languages on the planet. If I manage to learn this language, I think I will be sorted for life hahaha.
“…you will learn the language faster when you spend time revising the concepts and doing the homework”
Are you passionate about learning Arabic? Consider enrolling in an Arabic course with Eton Institute.