In one’s own language, mastering the craft of writing refers to composition and a certain ease with which the writer is able to capture their experiences on the page. It is more about word choice and sentence structure than it is the spelling of words correctly and the literal act of writing. Mastering writing in a foreign language, however, is a significant step towards building wider fluency in that language. It grows your toolkit and broadens the way in which you an interact with language, people who speak the language, and linguistic artefacts such as books and magazines.
Learning to write in Arabic can be a particularly intimidating challenge for those whose mother tongue is written in the Latin alphabet. It is read (and therefore written) from right to left. There are 28 core letters, instead of 26. These letters can vary shape depending on their position in the word: initial, medial, final or isolated. There are long vowel letters, but also short vowel indicators placed above or below the core letters. Overarchingly, the different range of spoken sounds, and the different verb and noun placement in sentences can mean that even once a student is familiar with the elements of Arabic writing, reaching written fluency can still feel frustratingly difficult.
Writing will often be neglected as part of the learning process as, understandably, most teachers will initially prioritise speaking and listening which most directly underpin communication. It is true that complete newbies will require a foundation in vocabulary but practicing writing early in the learning journey can help to bring things together in one’s head – particularly for those who memorise best through written notes. Furthermore, it opens up new routes for building the learner’s vocabulary through reading exercises, and new means for learners to embed their vocabulary through paragraphs on given subjects.
Building Skill
Each student must learn at their own pace, but it can be helpful to set realistic learning goals to drive forward each lesson or course of study. These goals should be agreed between the teacher and the student and should be referred back to, then amended, as progress is made.
Separately, it can be inspiring which might therefore provide a learning imperitus for students, to see some distinguished forms of practice. Though the student’s focus must be on being able to clearly and accurately express themselves, at pace, in the written word. Arabic writing has a more historic and artistic peak form – calligraphy.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy, known as خط – khatt in Arabic, is a stylised form of writing that uses the combination of letter forms in words and sentences to create a visually striking image. Calligraphy is most commonly produced in the Kufic script, which has its origins in early Islamic Iraq, or the Naskh script, rooted from within the first century of the Islamic calendar.
As one might expect then, there is a strong overlap between Islamic religious practice and calligraphy as a devotional form of art. There are spectacularly ornamental Qurans with each word handwritten throughout. However, not all calligraphy is religiously-oriented. Modern artists create pieces in which the letters of a word are stylised so that the written word represents the object, animal or symbol the word describes. At the more fashionable end there are even tattoo artists who will design beautiful stencils or use calligraphic signatures.
For the new learner these examples are intended to inspire, rather than overwhelm/ For now, starting by working on short sentences then paragraphs, then pages, offers a path towards mastery!
