WordReference.com is an online multilingual dictionary site which is supplemented by an impressive set of language learning resources. It is geared towards translating between languages and provides dictionaries for English to fifteen other languages, including Arabic. The site itself supports the scripts of other languages including Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Greek as well as Russian and Arabic.
There is a dictionary of English meaning as well, and there are incorporated versions of commercial dictionaries to supplement translation efforts. The Oxford dictionaries for Spanish, French, Italian, German and Russian each contribute over 100,000 words and there are subscription versions available for the serious translator.
In addition, the site includes a verb conjugator which is fast and clear, and you can even install a shortcut into Firefox to enable you to get fast access by typing in "conj hablar" in your address bar. As if to demonstrate their commitment to language learning, WordReference.com has also made available a mini-dictionary which can be embedded in other websites, so that other developing language resources can take advantage of this resource.
For anyone involved in regularly reading, writing, or translating the languages, one of the most valuable aspects of this site is the Forum area. Here you will find one of the best collections of language resources anywhere on the web. There are forums covering specialist terminology, dialects and regional languages, the history of languages, sections on Indo-Iranian languages, cultural discussion and much much more.
I have used the forum many times to pin down a word that simply does not appear in any dictionaries, even exhaustive offical dictionaries of Spanish such as that maintained by the Real Academia Española. Often a phrase will have gone out of common usage but someone on the forum will either know it, or will have asked an elderly relative, and within minutes you will get a response. Such a language resource is invaluable.
It is easy to think of a dictionary as something rather stuffy, something rather static and fixed. Printed dictionaries of course cannot respond to changes in the language except by revision and reprinting, but an online dictionary supported by a vibrant community of members reflect changes in language use, neologisms, new idiomatic expressions, new meanings for old words.
For anyone learning one of the many languages listed on WordReference.com, they will quickly find they make regular and extensive use of the resources available. Most of the language forums have sections offering additional resources outside of the site, useful links, recommended audio resources, exercises and drills, and other forums.
And those using the forums will be struck by the overwhelmingly supportive comments and advice offered by the members. I have never seen any sniping or disparaging comments but I have seen a multitude of helpful suggestions and offers of further help. You can contribute to the forums only once you have registered but anyone can read the contributions.
For anyone interested in learning a foreign language, and especially those who are progressing beyond the beginner stages, this site is an essential resource. And not only, that. It's interesting and very informative, reflecting the changes and development of languages in a living cultural context.