One of the most important aspects of communicating in Arabic is learning to type in Arabic. But for many Americans, and indeed most people outside the Middle East, typing in Arabic is impeded by a lack of an Arabic-ready keyboard, formatting and word-processing problems, and generally not knowing how to type the language in the first place. Knowing how to overcome these obstacles is an important part of effectively communicating in Arabic.
Learning to speak Arabic is very difficult, but learning to write Arabic is perhaps the easier part of this challenge. The beauty of the Arabic script is the focus of much Islamic art and calligraphy, and is also apparent in the everyday written word. Developing Arabic handwriting can take years, but with regular practice and perseverance, grasping the basics will only take a few weeks.
Arabic keyboarding is a different skill set than learning to speak or read the language, much like in English. Patience and multiple learning and keyboarding methods will probably be necessary, in addition to a lot of practice. Take your time and be patient with yourself; remember that it takes time to learn to type in English, even if you are a native speaker.
