Hello, I’m beginning to learn Moroccan Darija. Does anyone have a method or use a program or app that works for them? I really need something very structured with audio to learn especially because I have limited time. But I want to learn a little every day. How is everyone doing learning? Good luck! 
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Hi there, Just curious if you’ve had some success in your journey? I have taken a couple different private tutors and made some friends that use Whatsapp to text and send audio. I started off with Tachelhit… but after a couple months… and some stagnation- Moved to Darija… I feel it’s a bit more ‘hands on’ so to speak… especially with help offered.
Hoping you are having good luck.
Hi there.
I’ve been learning Darija for about two years now. I’ve done a few different things along the way, but here are the things I found the most useful:
- Learn the Arabic Script
Teach yourself to read, write and pronounce the Arabic letters. Often, Moroccan is written with Latin characters. However, I cannot tell you how much it helped me to actually learn to read and pronounce the Arabic letters! It gave me a much better understanding of how the words are built, and, in turn, unlocked a much larger vocabulary, since the so-called root consonants are much easier to identify using the Arabic letters.
You can use the first several levels of the Duolingo Standard Arabic course in order to learn how to read and pronounce the Arabic letters.
- Study the Grammar:
Moroccan grammar is vastly different from any European language I know of. In order to construct sentences more easily, it really helped me to understand how Moroccans build sentences from the bottom up. Therefore, I suggest you actually study some grammar as opposed to only learning phrases by heart. For example: “I am twenty-nine years old” in Moroccan is actually “with-me: nine and twenty year” (3endi ts3ud w 3chrin 3am).
Use the Peace Corps’ free Moroccan textbook available online including audio clips. It is a very well-explained grammar book for beginners.
- Actually Use the Language
The most important thing to practice is, in my experience, actually talking with people. This is the whole reason why you’re studying Darija (I assume). So get over that beginner’s shyness that has haunted us all, and get a tutor, phone a friend, find people online - anything to get you speaking and listening on a regular basis. Optimal for me has been talking with a tutor 2-3 times a week, sometimes one-on-one, sometimes in small groups. In my experience from learning other languages, you need to do this at least 2 times a week to maintain your progress and not just stagnate.
Look for small language schools in your local area or use online services. This part is rarely free, but 110 times worth the money!!!
- Structuring Your Studies
In my experience, FREQUENCY is key. If I practice 4 hours once a week, I progress much slower, than if I practice 20-30 minutes EVERY day. So that’s my advice to you: Do e.g. five minutes of each discipline every day (reading, writing, listening, speaking) and some grammar. You need to develop a routine which keeps you motivated. Personally, I like change, so once a month I’ll substitute one week of multi-disciplinary practice for e.g. an entire week learning the lyrics to a song, or watching a whole movie 20 minutes at a time, or similar.
I hope that what I’ve learnt can help you too!
Allah y3awnek!
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I’m finding learning Arabic script to be very helpful, even if it is taking me longer than I expected to do it.
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Hi
You learn a lot form chat with friends on social media
and videos on YouTube
If you need anything we are happy to help