Arabic is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, but it is also one of the most critical languages to learn in American society. The need for Arabic translators has never been higher and in 2006, President Bush increased the government funding subsidizing the learning of Arabic by 40 percent.     History Arabic is one of a family of Semitic languages that also includes Hebrew and the almost-dead language Aramaic. Arabic was a regional language for most of its history until the Muslim conquests of the 7th century CE. Because Arabic is the language of the Holy Qur'an, Muslims began to teach the language to the conquered people of modern-day Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia and other countries along the southern coast of the Mediterranean. Today, versions of Arabic are spoken by almost a billion people world-wide from Morocco in the west to Indonesia in the East. Arabic is also the official language of over a dozen countries. Significance For most of the modern era, Arabic had been a language studied mostly by scholars and diplomats as they sought to understand and negotiate with Arab countries. Since September 11th, 2001, however, Arabic has become a critically important language in the areas of counter-terrorism, espionage and military operations. Since the beginning of the war with Iraq in 2003, the need for Arabic translators has been felt keenly by the Army and Marines as they struggled to interact with the local populace and tribal leaders. Beyond the fronts in Iraq, however, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement and intelligence organizations have increased their pool of Arabic translators. Additionally, learning Arabic is considered an asset by the State Department and by many international companies who see the Middle East as the next big economic boom region. Function There are several ways to learn Arabic and choosing one is as simple as understanding what you want from the language and how you will be applying it. The most prevalent way of learning Arabic is by enrolling in a college or university course. This is the preferred method for those who are looking to become a scholar, focused on some aspect of the Arabic language, history or the Muslim religion. Those specializing in foreign relations, political science and religious studies also find a college or university setting helpful (data from acewriters.org writing service). Types For those who wish to learn the Arabic language relatively quickly but do not want to, or are unable to, enroll in a college level course can find very helpful language programs. Rosetta Stone, for instance, is a language learning course that also has a three-tier course for learning Arabic. The results from these courses are as good as the college level courses and tend to be used by the State Department and some military intelligence branches. Time Frame No matter which way a student decides to learn the Arabic language, they are embarking on years of training to become fluent in the language. Because it is such a subtle and nuanced language, there is a need to understand the culture behind the language to communicate effectively. Part of this cultural learning occurs rather quickly as similarities between English and Arabic are learned; jokes, sarcasm and so forth are universal. Other aspects, however, take time and experience to learn. While this may not be a concern to those wishing to visit an Arab country, it is important for those wanting to employ the language professionally. Features There are other, less formal ways to learn Arabic for those interested in more organic learning; asking for help in learning the language at a mosque or local university usually yields good results, especially if a prospective student offers to pay the tutor. Some people have learned the language by watching television shows and movies from the Middle East, which also offers an insight on Arab culture as well.