Our eager Arabic language learner Shahista Anarmetova is an aspiring journalist. Read on to find out why she’s learning Arabic, where she’ll use her language skills and how it’ll benefit her in the future.

P.S. She wants to finish all 16 levels and she already loves speaking in Arabic! (How awesome is that?!)

My Arabic language learning journey

Marhaba! (Hello!) My name is Shahista, I’m 19 years old and I’m from Kazakhstan. I moved to Dubai two years ago to finish my university studies. I’m currently doing a BA in Journalism and Mass Media. I love writing and cooking. I aspire to be a journalist or TV anchor in the future.

I speak 4 languages fluently: Russian, Kazakh, Uzbek, English, and now I’m learning Arabic.

The reason why I want to learn Arabic is because I’m going to settle down in Dubai after I graduate from University. I also think that knowing Arabic will benefit me if I become a journalist in the future. I also have a lot of Arab friends and I find it cool to speak in Arabic with them!

I’m doing the A2.2 level right now and I want to reach and complete the advanced level, which means I have to complete all 16 levels. I think it will take me another year to finish my Arabic learning.

What I really enjoy the most during class is speaking – I love speaking in Arabic and we get to learn about Arab culture too which is really amazing! Yet, what I find challenging is the Arabic writing – I find it quite complicated; I tend to make spelling errors. But, I can say that my writing skills have really improved compared to when I first started.

Since I plan on becoming a journalist in the future, I know that Arabic language skills will be useful in my career. It also feels amazing to casually speak it with Arabs on the streets, at restaurants and anywhere!

“Since I plan on becoming a journalist in the future, I know that Arabic language skills will be useful in my career.”

Why did you choose Eton Institute?

I love Eton Institute and the staff there because learning a language has never been so easy for me! My teacher makes it so easy and interesting to learn Arabic. The atmosphere is just so lovely in here!

Do you have any Arab friends?

Yes, I actually have a lot of Arab friends! I try to speak with them in fus-ha (Modern Standard Arabic – MSA), but they find it funny and so they teach me dialects instead.

Do you have a language learning bucket list?

Yes! I’d like to join Spanish courses next year at Eton Institute. But for now… I just want to finish all Arabic levels.

What advice do you have for other Arabic language learners?

I believe practice makes your learning easier and faster. You can practice Arabic by watching movies, reading books or even listening to Arabic songs.

It’s a plus if you have some Arab friends! Also, you have to love what you’re learning and do it with passion and interest. It sometimes might be hard and challenging, but that only means you are improving. It’s all worth it in the end.

Make an impact with your fluency in Arabic! Check our Arabic courses.