One of the most important elements of the Arab Academy program is offering the chance to do some one-on-one work with expert teachers and native speakers.
This is a great opportunity for anyone at any level of language proficiency.
It’s important to remember, though, that these interactions are more than just simple Skype conversations. If you know how to get the most out of these lessons, your Arabic language skills and retention can improve faster and you’ll really be able to see how you are progressing.
Why It Matters
Putting your language skills to the test as soon as you can is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you really start to make the language yours as you learn to speak Arabic online. These conversations help you turn your language learning journey from abstract knowledge to usable skill.
So, it matters because you will improve your listening, your comprehension, your vocabulary, and your accent. It is important because interacting with someone in real time means that they will be able to provide feedback in the moment, allowing you to make immediate corrections.
It matters because you will start to feel more comfortable using the language, which means you will start using Arabic more confidently – and as much as possible.
So, let’s take a look at a few simple ways that you can make the most out of your 1-on-1 Arabic speaking classes.
Come to Each Session with Questions
If you come to every one-on-one session with a few questions for your instructor, you can really get a lot more out of your meetings.
The whole point of these sessions is to make sure that you are getting the personal attention you need and that we are helping you progress in a way that matches your individual learning style.
So, if you come to the session prepared with questions about the last session or something that you’ve learned in your personal studies throughout the week, we can zero in on the best way to help you learn.
This also shows that you are actively thinking about your Arabic lessons on your own, and that kind of proactivity will help you with the language more than you know.
Write Down Anything New
Did your coach just use a word you didn’t understand?
Write it down.
Did your teacher just spin a phrase in a way you’ve never heard before?
Write it down.
Don’t get bogged down in looking up the meaning right now. Just write it down and continue with the conversation.
If you can pull out a number of words this way in every session, you will start to build up a list of words that are used regularly in normal conversations.
You can look these up on your own and start memorizing them or you can ask about them in your next session to make sure you fully understand the context and meaning of each word.
(This is particularly important when you use colloquialisms in your conversations – the things that are hard to understand just by looking them up in a dictionary.)
Use Your Most Recently Learned Vocabulary
Make a point, every session, to use the words you just learned and the phrases you just memorized throughout the week. It’s one thing to memorize a lot of new vocabulary words, but it’s something else to put them into action.
You learn a language through the usage of it. That means the sooner you can put those words to use in a practical, everyday conversation, the more likely they’ll stick with you and come at your command the next time you speak with your one-on-one Arabic language coach.
Take a Moment
It’s easy to get frustrated and flustered as you’re speaking with someone and not able to get the sentence out as you intended.
You know exactly what you want to say, and you’re almost sure that you have all the vocabulary and grammar you need to say it… and yet… it just doesn’t come out the way you wanted.
So, you stumble over one word, and then another. And then it seems like all your Arabic studies have fled your memory.
It’s okay. It happens to everyone.
Just take a moment. Stop speaking, and take a deep breath.
Your coach is more than happy to wait for you to reorganize your thoughts and come at it again. They’re here to help, and they’re not judging your ability to get it all out on the first try.
They’re here to encourage you keep trying as often as it takes.
Listen to Yourself
We all sound strange to ourselves when we hear a recording of our voices played back to us. However, this can be an extremely effective tool for language improvement, and since this conversation is taking place over Skype, it’s easy to record the call and play it back later.
This is a simple and effective way for you to hear how you sound, how your accent is improving, and which sounds and syllables still need some work.
You can also re-listen to the conversation as a whole and focus on those parts of the conversation where you had a difficult time hearing exactly what your instructor was saying.
Try It Yourself
You can book a FREE Arabic lesson so you can see exactly how this works and how engaging and effective it really is. Our coaches are ready to help you get started, so don’t wait another day.
