Arabic
Because there are strong regional variations in Arabic, the notes below will not necessarily apply to all Arabic speakers.
Pronunciation
- /p/ and /b/
Because in spoken Arabic /p/ does not exist, many Arabic speakers have difficulty hearing the difference between and pronouncing the bilabial plosives /p/ and /b/ (see the link for a video on how to explain this problem to your students and practice it with them as well).
- /r/
Arabic tends to "roll" the /r/ sound so producing the English /r/.
Other problems in pronciation occur because Arabic does not have the same distinction in sounds between the following:
- /f/ and /v/
- /k/ and /g/
- ɔː and əʊ (e.g. wrote wrought)
- ʌ and ɒ (e.g. cut cot)
Style
Arabic often begins sentences with the definite article and explanation should be offered here.
- and - comma
In lists, Arabic will not use the comma and instead use and, e.g.
Punctuation will need to be practiced as written Arabic differs greatly from English!
Often Arabic speakers will make no difference between descriptive and creative writing so there are cases where, for example, scientific writing will include purple prose which would be out of place in English.
Grammar
The tenses in Arabic have different usage. The perfect tenses will need practice. Arabic does not have the present perfect and uses the past simple instead.
- to be
In Arabic this verb is omitted; thus an Arabic speaker may well say in English:
In addition, Arabic uses has with age:
- which and who
Arabic makes no disctinction between these two relative pronouns and so you may well see a sentence like this:
