24-07-2025
Lingo bingo
If you are an expatriate living in Oman who cannot yet speak basic Arabic, it might be high time to sign up for an easy language learning course. Luckily, Arabic learning centres across Muscat are more than willing to help, to enable expatriates avoid making conversations a 'game of chance'
………………….
A heated argument between a local cabbie and an Indian expatriate at Ruwi recently proved quite amusing for a group of onlookers – while the cabbie humbly demanded his legal fare, the expatriate was vocal about being duped and kept insisting on paying him more!
Conversations between Omanis and non-Arabic speaking expatriates in Muscat as well as other parts of the sultanate often take a hilarious tone as language barriers pose many a dilemma. While learning Arabic is not mandatory, most expatriates rely on English and Hindi to express themselves – thankfully enough, Omanis willingly oblige without a qualm.
The moot issue here is about expatriates not learning to converse in Arabic, though many have stayed on for decades on end. On the other hand, there are one too many language learning centres that offer classes at convenient hours, but witness only a trickle of students.
Expatriates like Kaylee Jones, an English translator and student of Noor Majan institute's summer programme, says, 'When I moved to Muscat, many suggested that I learn Arabic if I intended staying for a long time. Now, as I often struggle to strike up conversations with a friendly Omani cop who doesn't speak English, I realise that I should've listened to them a long time ago.'
There are scores of expatriates of varied nationalities, like Kaylee, who want to learn the language in a slightly more formal learning environment. Eagerly enrolling themselves to institutions like Noor Majan's Muscat campus, they seek to gain a deeper understanding of the Arabic language.
A former alumnus of Noor Majan Arabic Institute, Robert Rodriguez said, 'I learnt Arabic here several years ago to speak the language fluently enough with locals in Oman. As an intelligence officer in the US Army that visits Muscat occasionally, I find it easier to navigate around the city and have managed to gain and maintain close friendships with the people here because of my knowledge of the language and my adoration of the Omani culture.'
Shreya Gupta, a current student in the institute's summer programme, said, 'Since I have recently graduated from Georgetown university with a minor in Arabic and Islamic studies, I fell in love with Islamic and Muslim cultures and wanted to expand on this knowledge I have received by learning the language thoroughly this time.'
Why expatriates don't learn Arabic
This excitement to learn the language, however, doesn't seem to be conveyed by non-Arab locals within the area. As a (part-time) instructor at Noor Majan Arabic Institute, Ahmed al Balushi elaborates, 'We typically get a lot of foreign students who come to Muscat for an internship or a graduate job. For our summer programmes that go on till August, we typically get at least six to ten students per class. I guess a reason for this slow intake is partially because most non-arab speakers do not have the time to commit to our lectures, and partially because most of them simply believe that they can learn bits of it on their own as some words are similar to other languages they speak, like Hindi.'
Arabic tutor Fatima al Wahaibi, who conducts Arabic classes online and in-person in the Saud Bhawan Residency 1 building at Al-Khuwair, explains, 'As I'm a private instructor who only charges RO1 per class and conducts classes at timings and venues convenient for people who don't speak Arabic, I tend to get a lot more residents within the area to attend my online and offline classes. So, in my perspective, I think, the biggest factor that affects those who learn to speak Arabic is cost and convenience.'
Mahi Chaudhary, a student at Fatima's sessions, confirms this suggestion saying, 'As a housewife who lives next to the Saud Bhawan Residency buildings, I find it easier to attend Ms Fatima's evening classes because of its location. Typically, these classes would comprise me and three other students, all of whom have jobs that prevent them from taking upoing for longer classes that go on throughout the day. But I personally don't mind the smaller structure because of how much more time I get to spend with everyone else as we learn the language together. For me, it's easier for me to learn Arabic here rather than in a bigger and noisier classroom.'
Another student of Fatima's in-person session, Omar Sheikh explains the key differences between both the learning formats. 'I used to attend classes offered by the Sultan Qaboos Institute for non-native speakers. However, I found that the classes were too expensive for me and it became too stressful to balance coursework with my office work throughout the day. That's why I prefer learning here. But, I also understand that if I had properly applied myself to those classes, I would have learnt more Arabic than the typical conversational phrases we learn in Ms Fatima's classes.'
Despite these differences in class structures and core curriculum, students and staff from both organisations highlight the importance of learning Arabic in a class environment. As a student of Noor Majan Arabic Institute, Nikhil Sharma puts it, 'Everyone has their own style of learning a new language. However, expecting most non-Arabic speakers to learn the language entirely on their own is a bit unrealistic. I think it is important for people planning to work and live here for many years to learn the language. It is equally important to make learning accessible to the general public because it helps us learn and adapt to a new and distinct culture.'
(Contributed by: Ishita Shetty)
