Ambassador wrote:desertdudeshj wrote:I'm not Arab
sorry must have missed where you stated that you speak Arabic. It is just that everyone - who does not speak Arabic - keeps posting how it is "different" (yet without speaking the language one would not know). Every language is difficult (so is calculus)... (am joining the "obvious statement club"
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Where you born in the UAE and speak it from childhood?
Well almost was six months old when I came here, and no I never spoke it from childhood. In fact didn't speak it at all until my late teens
I really picked it up was when I started to hang almost every evening at a friends shop which dealt in car accesories and 90% of their customers were Arabs or Emaratis and he spoke Arabic aswell. I basically just observed his conversations and transactions. Making mental translations and picking up new words along the way, and asking a few question once in a while to tie up some loose ends ( BTW I still do this to this day ) Wasn't or is a conscience effort but it justs the way my mind works I guess.
Slowly, slowly I was almost able to understand complete converations, then I also started speak whenever I could and then started to actually make an effort to get good at it. Trying to speak it at every oppurtunity I could get. And making a good effort not to get skewered by weird accents like Egyptian etc etc. And in this region you need to speak Khaleeji ( Gulf )
I have a friend, American born pure made in the USA, adopted Islam in his 20's and later went to study Arabic and Islamic studies at places like the Azhar University in Cairo and then some place in Syria has spent around 15 years studying and working in such places. And is true blue certified academic and scholar. But he has more trouble being understood speaking his pure Arabic ( although does reek of American ! Ever heard an American speak arabic and you'll know what I am talking about ) out in the streets here than I do with my broken up self taught Arabic.