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It's technically a preposition, but it's only used to denote that the following object is a person. Because it has a special classification, it is called the 'personal a'. It is also known as the 'personal preposition a'.
I just wanted to make sure our newest member recognized it as special.
Perhaps I should reword my statement to 'Remember, the personal 'a' may appear where a preposition is not normally used, and indicates that the following object is a person. In this position, it will appear like an extra word to an English speaker. There is no translation for it.' By the way, there are times when the personal 'a' is not used, even if the object is a person.
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