Students who want to learn how to speak Hebrew often start by learning the history of the Hebrew language.
Hebrew is thought of as the language of the Jews and was used by early Jews dating as far back as the 11th century B.C. Aramaic began to replace Hebrew, but it became popular again in the 19th century and was used by Jews and Samaritans as their spoken language. In fact, part of what makes Hebrew such a unique language is that at one point during Late Antiquity it almost completely disappeared other than use in written religious texts. It began to be widely used again in the 19th century.
Today, Hebrew and Arabic are both official languages of Israel, a country with a large Jewish population. In addition, it is spoken by Jewish immigrants in many other parts of the world. Both Modern Hebrew and classical Hebrew are spoken, but classical Hebrew is mainly reserved for reading from religious texts.
The reasons why people want to learn how to speak Hebrew range from wanting to study ancient Hebrew texts to ethnic Jews who want to learn the language of their people.
The Hebrew language is not generally categorized as one of the hardest languages to learn. In fact, many people who learn Hebrew are amazed at how quickly they are able to pick it up once they begin.
Whether you choose to learn Hebrew from a book, a podcast, or by attending Hebrew lessons there are a few ways you can add to your language learning experience and learn more quickly too.
1. Take advantage of the language aids that can be found online nowadays. From learning pods to an online Hebrew dictionary online tools can make your vocabulary more well-rounded and help you learn any language faster. You can literally look up anything online.
2. Even if you’re learning Modern Hebrew, why not try learning an ancient Hebrew text for fun? It can help you further grasp some of the nuances of the Hebrew language and you will gain a deeper appreciation for the ease of Modern Hebrew compared to its ancient language.
3. Invest in a good Hebrew dictionary. A good dictionary can be your lifeline when you are stuck wondering how to spell or pronounce a word. You can look up meaning, Hebrew accents, syllable stress, and even how to properly use a word. A good dictionary will be able to answer all the questions you have after each Hebrew lesson you take.
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