Maybe your majoring in Journalism now because you’ve always had a passion for the truth, or have a naturalcuriosity about the world and have always been a great storyteller. Maybe you had dreams of traveling the world, reporting events and becoming a part of history as they unravel in front of you.
Whatever your reason, the core of journalism is reporting the news, and as you advance in your career, you may be given more opportunities to work overseas. Therefore, learning a language while your studying at university will be of great benefit later on in your career.
“Okay,” you might be wondering, “what language should I study then? I want to stand out, not blend in with a hundred other graduates and career journalists who’ve studied French or Spanish.” And you’d have a very valid point, so let me make a suggestion.
Arabic.
That’s right, I said Arabic.
With over 375 million native Arabic speakers in 20 countries where it’s the official language, it is the fifth most widely-spoken language in the world. And with few Westerners wanting to learn to speak Arabic or study Arab culture, the need for Arabic speakers in the international arena has grown. This is especially true in journalism, as the Middle East faces an increasing shortage of journalists from the West who speak Arabic and understand the growing importance of the Middle East on the global stage.
Being able to interview in Arabic without an interpreter gives you the opportunity to build trust and respect among the people of Arabic speaking countries because, in turn, they will see you have a great respect and admiration for their culture. This will lead you to getting a broader, more clear picture of the people, places and events happening around you.
Imagine how much more you’ll gain and further both your career and journalism experience if you dig a little deeper into Arabic dialects and learn Egyptian Arabic or Levantine Arabic. Imagine also how that will provide you better access to personal, first-hand accounts that help you report the news at its most true and clear. You will be able to this because, as a journalist, being proficient in Arabic allows youto see the bigger picture of what you’re investigating. Therefore, knowingArabic can help a journalist gain insights he or she otherwise may not glean.
Through all of this, learning Arabic can help you stand out in the field by filling in the need for Western journalists who understand Arabic in countries of the Middle East and North Africa. By doing so, you’ll also gain a keener insight to the language and culture of the people, earning their trust and respect, and allowing you to accurately report on the news of the region. Arabic is the language that will help you do all of that and more.
If I’ve convinced you to learn Arabic and build your journalism career in the Middle East, I invite you to join me and my colleagues over at our website and get more information on the best way to learn Arabic today – through the Kaleela Arabic language learning app. Available for download to your IOS or Android device, it’s the leading resource for all the Arabic you’ll ever need (and as a journalist, it’s convenient enough for you to learn Arabic while you’re on the go) Get it now from kaleela.com.
