"Five Tips for Arabic Growth While Studying Abroad" by Verena Im
Tip #1: Talk to as many locals as possible.
One of the best things I’ve done here is simply start conversations. Taxi drivers, in-drivers, café servers, restaurant staff; so many local Moroccans are genuinely enthusiastic and happy to chat. The moment they realize I’m not Moroccan, their curiosity lights up. I get questions about where I’m from, why I’m here, what I think of Morocco; and just like that, a simple ride or meal turns into a cultural exchange. It’s also been my favorite way to practice everyday Arabic. Many Moroccans will kindly switch to whatever language you’re most comfortable with if they can (French, English, Spanish) but making the effort to respond in Arabic, even imperfectly, goes a long way. It’s a small gesture that shows respect, curiosity, and a desire to connect with the place you’re visiting. And honestly? Those spontaneous conversations have become some of my favorite moments here.
Tip #2: Say yes to local events even if you don’t understand everything.
One of the biggest gifts of this experience has been exposure. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have a language partner who’s eager to bring me along to local university events. At first, she hesitated with some events, worried about the language barrier and whether I’d actually enjoy myself. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to understand every word to benefit from being in the room. These events have been such a fun way to meet other college-aged students and get a glimpse into campus life here. Even when I have no idea what’s going on, my brain is still working, catching familiar vocabulary, recognizing repeated phrases, piecing together meaning through context and tone. And beyond the language benefits, they’re just genuinely fun. Music, laughter, animated conversations, you start to feel the rhythm of the culture in a way you simply can’t from a classroom. Understanding will come, but the exposure itself is priceless.
Tip #3: Talk to yourself (yes, really).
This one might sound a little unhinged but trust me, it works. Whenever I’m alone and my mind starts wandering, I try to switch my internal monologue into Arabic. Instead of thinking, “I need to go to the store later,” I challenge myself to think it in Arabic. It turns everyday thoughts into low-pressure practice. The shower has become my unofficial language lab. So have long walks. Or those quiet in-between moments during the day when no one’s around. When you’re alone, there’s zero judgment and no pressure to respond quickly. Just you, your thoughts, and the freedom to experiment. It’s in those private moments that vocabulary starts to stick, sentences start to form more naturally, and confidence builds quietly. So yes — talk to yourself. Narrate your day. Argue with yourself. Plan your grocery list out loud. It might feel silly at first, but it’s one of the safest and most effective ways to build fluency from the inside out.
Tip #4: Immerse yourself in music and media.
Music, TV shows, films, the news, random YouTube interviews playing in the background– it all counts. Surrounding yourself with the language outside of formal study is one of the most natural ways to improve your listening skills. At first, it might feel like noise. Then you start recognizing phrases, then whole sentences, then jokes. Shows and movies help with rhythm, tone, slang, and how people actually speak. And beyond the language itself, media is a window into culture. You start picking up on humor, social norms, generational differences, even political conversations. It gives context to interactions you’ll have in daily life and helps you navigate certain dynamics with more awareness. Language isn’t just vocabulary lists, it’s lived experience.
Tip #5: Get comfortable making mistakes.
If you’re even a little bit of a perfectionist (hi, it’s me), this will probably be the hardest and most transformative tip. There is something incredibly vulnerable about being in a new country and not speaking the language fluently. At first, it made me shy. I hesitated before ordering food and rehearsed sentences in my head before speaking. I avoided conversations because I didn’t feel competent to have them. But here’s what I’ve learned: fluency doesn’t grow in silence. The moment I started speaking even awkwardly and imperfectly, everything shifted. My confidence improved. My listening sharpened. My vocabulary expanded. In my experience, Moroccans have deeply appreciated the effort. I’ve never been judged for mispronouncing a word or mixing up grammar. If anything, mistakes usually lead to laughter, corrections, and more conversation, which is exactly what you need. Growth requires humility. It requires sounding a little silly sometimes. It requires letting yourself be human. And honestly, there is no better place to learn Arabic than in an Arabic-speaking country. You’re surrounded by opportunity every single day. The only real obstacle is fear– and once you move past that, everything opens up.
Verena is a student at University of Southern California, and studying abroad in Spring 2026 on Amideast’s Area and Arabic Language Study Program in Rabat, Morocco.
