Why Learn Arabic, Persian, or Turkish language?
Are you looking for some convincing reasons? Explore the Career Scope and Benefits of studying West Asian Languages in India.
There are many advantages to acquiring a new language.
Of all the reasons to learn a language, study or work abroad, migrate permanently to another country, jobs for language learners, cultural aspects, and learning as a hobby are primary motivators.
The west Asian languages, namely Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, are not always the first alternative for people looking to learn an International language in India.
Why not popular choices like French, Spanish, or German, or maybe more ambitious and challenging such as Mandarin, Japanese, or Korean? After all, these languages seem to be the most practical foreign languages to learn these days.
Why choose less taught languages like Turkish, Arabic, and Persian and not famous ones? Read along.
The Middle East and the countries that border it to the west—from Israel to Iran—and the entire gulf area have become one of the most strategic places on earth.
West Asia refers to the subregional part of Asia surrounded by seven seas and extremely rich in oil and mineral resources.
The region and the entire gulf account for 30% of the world’s global oil supply. That makes it a highly strategic place of interest for the different nations worldwide, particularly India.
The economic, investment and career opportunity in languages presented by Western Asia makes it appealing to learn one of the three major languages, i.e., Arabic, Persian, and Turkish, spoken in the region.
Why Learn Persian in India?
Persian is the official language of Iran, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, and it’s an extended subgroup of the Indo-European family tree of languages. It is also called “Farsi” in its native Iran.
It is widespread in Iran, but a variety of dialects also play an essential role in Tajikistan (where it is called “Tajik”) and Afghanistan (where it is called “Dari”).
Persian and Pashto are the most spoken Western and Eastern Iranic languages, respectively.
Persian as a language has more than 62 million native speakers.
Another 50 million more speaking it as a second language), and it’s among the world’s 25 most widely spoken languages.
Today, more than 150 million across the globe people speak Persian. This number includes people who speak Persian (Farsi or Dari or Tajik) as a mother tongue.
It also includes second or third language and students of all ages who do not live in Persian-speaking countries but have learned or learning.
“Arabic is a language, Persian is a sweetmeat, and Turkish is an art.”
— Persian proverb
4 Benefits of Learning Persian Language
Let’s have a closer look at what you stand to gain.
1. Historical Benefits
Persian is the second most widely spoken language in the Middle East and an expression of an ancient civilization.
The ability to read Persian can help you understand the concept of a particular historical narrative.
It relates to the political, economic, and socio-ideological order of Iran and the Middle East.
2. Beautiful Poetry, Literature, and cultural aspect
The Farsi language is known for its exquisite poetry, rich literature, and diverse culture.
The scholars and eminent historians from Iran, Afganistan, Central Asia, India, and the erstwhile Ottoman empire have produced countless valuable literature, historical manuscripts, and poetry in Persian.
Many historical contents and scholarly literature are printed in Persian and used across modern culture, particularly in the Islamic world.
The major Persian epic and Sufi poets such as Ferdowsi, Rumi, and Hafez have served as inspirations for creators and writers globally.
In addition to literature, Iran produces entertaining Persian movies, beautiful paintings, intricate mosaics, exquisite tile work, colorful rugs, and carpets, to name a few.
3. Career options After Learning Persian
Learning how to speak the Persian language in India gives the advantage to get employable positions with institutions or companies looking to hire Persian language experts.
Since Persian is one of the rare tongues, the ability to speak Persian is highly sought out by employers with interests in the region.
Since there are many Persian speakers, there is always a high demand for interpretation and translation job opportunities, especially in the freelance market.
With growing India-Iran relations, fluency in Persian is beneficial in the export and import business.
4. Business & Economic Opportunities
Iran is the second-largest economy in the Middle East. The country holds the fourth-largest reserves of oil and the second-largest of natural gas in the world.
More than a hundred million people spread into different countries speak Persian.
That means you can tap into a massive market of investments. Sectors like oil, gas, engineering, import and export, and tourism and tourism is an excellent way to monetize your proficiency in Farsi, Tajik, or Dari.
Whatever could be your reason to learn Persian, you will find that it is a worthwhile experience.
How Difficult Is Persian?
Persian is very melodic, aesthetically pleasing to the ear, and one of the world’s most beautiful languages.
The Persian alphabet is phonetic, and there are many innovative workarounds to learning Persian.
While by no means among the easiest languages, Persian is simple in terms of grammar.
The Persian language uses many prefixes and suffixes, and adding them creates new words out of thin air.
According to research by FSI, Persian is rated as a complex language to learn (4/5). It is due to some different pronunciations and writing structures.
The complication, however, fades once you see it as simple. We all learn differently, at a different pace, and follow distinct language learning methods.
Mastering any foreign language takes time, and Persian, like Arabic or Turkish, is no exception.
- Speaking: moderately tough
- Writing: somewhat hard
- Overall: somewhat difficult
Why Learn Turkish in India?
Turkish is the most popular Turkic language.
Turkish is a language spoken by more than 80 million people, most of whom reside in Turkey.
It also has a sizable speaking population in Germany, Greece, and other countries that borders Turkey.
A variant of the Turkic language (of the same family) is also beneficial in places like Afghanistan, Turkmenistan (Turkmen), Azerbaijan (Azeri), China (Uyghur), Uzbekistan (Uzbek), Kazakhstan (Kazakh), and Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz).
Turkey’s geostrategic position connects Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
Modern Standard Turkish is based on the dialect of Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.
Turkey is the 17th largest economy in the world and growing at a steady pace. Turkish is getting more influential and advantageous in international business, trade, and political affairs.
4 Advantages of Studying Turkish
Let’s have a look at the various benefits associated with Turkish.
1. Business & Investment Opportunity
Turkey has a robust, newly industrialized economy with one of the fastest-growing private sectors in the world. Turkey and India’s bilateral trade volume crossed $8 billion in 2018.
Many companies are moving into Turkey for business and investment purposes.
Since very few non-Turks speak Turkish in India, a proficiency in the language will make you an in-demand specialist possessing a rare skill.
2. Travel/Tourism
Turkey has exotic cities and gorgeous coastlines that offer a perfect getaway vacation for travelers seeking a private sanctuary.
Beautiful sunny beaches, mystical natural landscapes, calm and serene looking seas, compelling ancient ruins are something worth visiting.
Besides, Incredible mountains, ancient castles, transcontinental cities, breathtaking architecture, and booming markets that attract millions of people to the country make Turkish an excellent choice for you to learn.
It’s a fascinating history, and the stunning landscape has enough to impress anyone.
3. Transcontinental Cultural Excellence
Unlike the other Arab nations and middle-east countries, Turkey is a strange mix of the East and the West. It is the only nation worldwide whose capital (Istanbul) lies in Europe and Asia.
The country offers a hybrid culture that gives you the best Turkish Asia’s psychedelic folk song, belly dance, and more of its western culture.
It will also give you unfiltered access to rich Turkish literature, delicious cuisine, and world-class Turkish cinema if you know the language.
4. Job Opportunities After Learning Turkish
Turkish proficiency can be hugely beneficial for anyone doing business with Turkish-based companies or planning to work in Turkey.
Many Turkish business groups are exploring opportunities in India.
Speaking, writing, and reading Turkish in India can open a wide door to employment opportunities. It can make you an in-demand language specialist in BPO, Translators and interpreters, Turkish language teachers, and many more.
Difficulty Level of Turkish
Turkish has no direct relationship with English in the areas of grammar and vocabulary. It is more difficult to learn compared to German and French.
Its structure is subject-object-verb (SOV), like Japanese, German, Spanish, or French.
However, the language uses similar Latin alphabets like English, making it an excellent place for people to learn a new language.
Turkish is also a phonetic language, and learning the alphabet is enough to pronounce words correctly with very few exceptions.
- Learning: slightly difficult
- Speaking: somewhat difficult
- Writing: moderately difficult
- Overall: somewhat difficult
Why Learn Arabic in India?
Arabic is one of the world’s most popularly spoken languages, and the number of Indians learning the language is increasing.
Arabic is expressed by more than 430 million native and non-native speakers spread across more than 20 countries, with the most population in the Middle East and North Africa.
Arabic is known as the language of the holy Koran.
Arabic is the official language of Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, UAE, Yemen, and more.
4 Benefits of Learning Arabic Language
Let’s have a look at the advantages.
1. Cultural link
Speaking a foreign language gives you insights into the cultures where that language is spoken.
If you know Arabic, you will also learn about the Arab world, the Muslim religion, and some enjoyable Arabic films.
One of the most positive aspects of learning Arabic in India is the cultural link with many Indian languages.
Many Arabic words and idioms form are part of Urdu and Hindi languages in India, which will come in handy for you.
You will explore a variety of things that linked Arabic and India culturally.
2. career scope After Learning Arabic
Arabic is a perfect opportunity for Indians to get jobs in the Middle East and other parts of the world where Arabic is useful.
Indians who can speak Arabic and English are bound to succeed in their job pursuit in any company operating in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Careers you can pursue in Arabic include Translation, Interpretation, Editor, Researcher, Transcription, and more.
3. Strategic Importance
Arabic allows you to understand the vital importance of the Middle East, its large concentration of natural and mineral resources, and its means to the global economy.
The US, China, Russia, France, and other nations are collectively active in the region, with India showing fundamental interest.
It makes it possible for learners to have a job in foreign embassies or the Indian immigration service.
Is Arabic Difficult To Learn?
Contrary to popular belief, Arabic is not a difficult language to learn.
There are only three Arabic sounds not present in English, which can be practiced through constant imitation.
Nevertheless, Arabic has an immense vocabulary, and it’s challenging only to the extent of what you think it is.
- Learning: somewhat difficult
- Speaking: difficult
- Writing: difficult
- Overall: difficult
Final thought
West Asian languages offer input into the Middle East’s life, culture, and economic importance and the Arab world.
Suppose you wish to learn a new language or have a reason to pick Arabic, Persian, or Turkish. It can be a gratifying experience, and you could surely enjoy the process of learning it.
There are many universities and colleges in India offering Persian, Arabic, and Turkish courses.
You can also hire a private teacher or through a language institution to become prolific in these languages. I can assist you if you have any questions to ask.
Good and great explanation. I know English, Hindi, Bengali, Sanskrit, and a lit bit of French and Urdu. I can learn Arabic and Persian since the script of Urdu shares similarities with them.
Very good reading and highly informative.
Very good detailed information also inspiring for people like me (polyglot)!
I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Thanks 🙂