Arabic takes a long time to learn, but that shouldn’t discourage you from trying to improve, even if you’re working long hours, taking care of kids, making friends, and planning trips back home. 

If you’re trying to learn Arabic from scratch while holding a full-time job—if you haven’t got a base in Arabic—chances are you’ll probably struggle to gain proficiency unless you have a lot of discipline. It doesn’t mean there isn’t hope! It just means that you’ll have to have a lot more discipline and make more time in order to improve.  

However, if you have a base and are trying to improve your Arabic while holding a full-time job, there are lots of ways to do it! Here are some ideas to squeeze in Arabic: 

1. Make a plan and schedule.
It’s easy to put language-learning off… If you want to succeed, it will help to give yourself some realistic (SMART) goals and schedule them into your week and your life. 

2. Listen to Arabic on your commute.
Redeem the commute and listen to podcasts or audiobooks. Even though it’s “passive,” listening can really help your vocabulary, pronunciation, and ability to say things like a native. You can also listen while doing chores or exercising—any down time you have can be used well! 

3. Make Arabic visible.
If there’s something you’re trying to learn (maybe a new grammar point or some vocab or phrases), write it in a place you’ll see often. It could be on an index card taped in your car, on a post-it note on the counter, on a sheet of paper on/behind your desk, stuck in a plastic envelope, or set as your phone background.  

4. Make time for tutoring.
Even if you don’t feel like you have time to prep in-between tutoring sessions, try to get a tutor. An online tutor has its drawbacks, but it’s really beneficial for those tight on time. 

5. Prioritize what you learn.
There are a million topics to talk about, but think through which topics come up most or you’d most like to be able to talk about, and put more effort into them. 

6. Do things you’d do anyways, but in Arabic.
When you watch a show, put subtitles or dubbing in Arabic. If you were already planning on messaging a friend, take the extra few moments to compose the message in Arabic instead of English. Jot a reminder to yourself in Arabic instead of English. Make your shopping list in Arabic. Put something in your calendar in Arabic. These are all things you’d already be doing, but now you’re improving your Arabic while doing it! If you are listening to any kind of talk that you could take notes on, try taking the notes in Arabic. This has dual benefits—for one, it’s good Arabic practice. However, as you jot things down, you’ll realize there are words and phrases you want but don’t know. Jot those down in English, then later look them up! (i.e. هذا الشيء أسهل لل  extroverts)