Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA)

Ahlan Alexandria

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Course description

Egyptian Colloquial Arabic course, two hours of lessons, from Sunday to Thursday. + 5 hours of Arabic activities & seminars / week.
The course is organized using several methods of teaching, including grammar, multi-media, literature, poetry, songs and movies.
The teachers are professional, highly experienced, native speakers, specialized in teaching Arabic to foreigners.

In some cases, a student enrolled in one of our group courses may be the only one in their level. In this case, one-to-one classes will be arranged and the daily class hours listed below will be halved.

In addition to the classes, the course includes several extra activities such as evening seminars, week-end or one-day trips, language and culture exchanges with Egyptian students.
The course is also available to all students registered on MSA courses.

For those are planning to stay at least for 11 weeks program, can be available a training program in some NGO’s in Cairo.
SPECIAL for winter: Cairo and Alexandria run classes at the same time. If you choose more than a 6 weeks program, you can move ANYTIME from Alexandria to Cairo and viceversa.
This special offer allows you to change cities and sites, exploring new experiences while following your program of study!

In the case of a public holiday at any point during the course, the missed hours will be made up for through additional classes before or after the holiday, EXCEPT Eid el-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. These Eid days will be discounted from the overall course price and will not be made up for.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-52 weeks
Classes per week
10 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 55 min)
Class days
Monday - Thursday and Sunday

Class times

You can choose from the following class times:

Afternoon session
01:00 PM - 03:00 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Alexandria.

Class size

Average 3 students
Maximum 8 students

Student age

Age range 18 years old and older
Average 23 years old
(25 in the summer)

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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school
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Photos

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reviews

Reviews

93% recommend

based on 14 reviews
5 stars
12
4 stars
2
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Nice location, kind staff"

mori ryota, student from Afghanistan

the location is center of the city. my teacher was willing to teach what i wanted to know about arabic. free wifi isi very useful.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
11 Sep 2022 - 30 Sep 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Amazing Immerz Experience"

Mohammed W K, student from UK

Everything was great from start to finish.
The staff and administration are amazing. The Institute feels like one big family, so it's like being at home...

You are provided the support that you need and you can study at your own pace with highly qualified teachers who have deep knowledge of the Arabic language, alongside a good grasp of the English Language.

I would highly recommend Ahlan Institute to all learners of the Arabic language.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
9 Jan 2022 - 4 Feb 2022
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Great school, flexible to students and great teachers!"

EWA GHEERAERT, student from France

I took 5 weeks of MSA classes. Upon my arrival I could not take the workshop as I was the only student in this course. The school rapidly offered for me to take additional dialect classes to reach the 5 hours daily originally requested. This flexibility was great, I was also thinking of finishing the course early and again the school was helpful and said I could take the last classes as credit (either for another visit to Alex or online). This is a real strength of the school.

The teachers were great, supportive, creative and flexible and in 5 weeks I have seen a huge improvement on my ability to communicate, speak clearly and be able to read and write.

Thank you Ahlan!!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
4 weeks
Date of study
14 Nov 2021 - 17 Dec 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"I will study in this school again, this experience was amazing and the teachers unforgettable."

Méloée Fugain, student from Afghanistan

Wonderful classes, comfortable and full of colors. The director was really understanding. She were always listening, helping and friendly.
The school invited me to celebrate Aïd Day, together. It was a sweet moment with all the teachers and students.

My two teachers were both, with two different way of teaching, really interesting during the classes.

I never felt the time passed during the courses. All the lessons were attractive.

It was a really great experience and I already planned to be back there, to study in 3 months.

In a hurry to seat in that school again.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
2 May 2021 - 21 May 2021
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"The best experience I've had in a long time"

Hannah Fedder Williams, student from Denmark

I had a really good experience at Ahlan Alexandria, and it ended up exceeding my expectations. In very few days I felt like everyone at school and in the accommodation was my family.

When we arrived it was a bit chaotic because our flight got in late, so we got there in the middle of the night and we had classes the next day. The accommodation was right next to the school though, so it was easy to find the next morning. Living at the accommodation was great, mostly because of the people. Everyone was friendly and wanted to hang out, and it felt like we were our own little community. The rooms were fine too, although the kitchen was a bit small, and there always seemed to be something broken in the bathroom. However, these were just little details and in my daily life I didn't notice them much.

The classes were also very good, we were only three people in my class, which I think was a very good size. The teachers were also excellent, and I learned more than I had hoped to in 3 weeks. Furthermore, the school arranged activities and planned weekend trips to different locations in Egypt upon request. I felt very welcome at all times, and everyone always did their best to help no matter what the problem. I would recommend this school to anyone looking to spend time in Egypt, Alexandria also being a fresh breath of air compared to Cairo.

If it weren't for the pandemic outbreak, I definitely would have considered staying longer than 3 weeks.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
16 Feb 2020 - 6 Mar 2020
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"All in all it was a successful and enriching stay in Alexandria and at Ahlan school."

Elisa P., student from Austria

I really enjoyed my classes with two different teachers; both of them were professional and very friendly. I had the feeling that I could ask them everything at any time. The school itself is perfectly located (downtown, close to the sea) and just a two minutes walk from the housing. The school offered several activities, which I greatly appreciated. You had the feeling that you could Always reach someone if there were any problems. Regarding the housing I would like to see more pictures on the website, so that one can get a better impression.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
1 Sep 2019 - 26 Sep 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Nice school and people in Alexandria"

Kei Saido, student from Japan

As the class was small, I felt free to ask questions and teachers are knowledgeable. Students studying there are highly motivated so I got a lot of stimulation. Since the school is in the city near the Alexandria station and a tram station, it was easy for us to go to another place. Buses are also available on the street, which is really useful and cheap. The best thing in Alexandria is about people there. They are so friendly that I talked a lot with them and it was a good practice of speaking Arabic.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
2 Sep 2019 - 13 Sep 2019
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Great teachers, adorable team"

Cléo Eva Tshiekela Tshimuambuyi, student from France

The teachers are great - special thanks to my teacher Sallam. The school is well located, near the sea (2 minutes away).
I stayed at Locanda New Hotel which is located at a ~3-minute walk from the school.

Activities were organized throughout the week by the teachers (e.g. Sallam invited a Sufi singer who performed at the school, and Mohamed organised small tours in noticeable places of Alexandria).

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
18 Aug 2019 - 30 Aug 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"My experience in Alexandria improved my Arabic and also widened my worldview."

Özlem Akatay, student from Germany

At the beginning I had one to one classes because there weren't many students although I didn't pay for it. But since one to one classes are very intensive I was happy when I had lesson together with other students. I had two classes with two different teachers. My level was between intermediate and advanced I. I studied with two books of modern Standard Arabic. The books contained reading, grammar, listening comprehension and free discussions. My teachers tried to train me in every of those disciplines. One of my teacher could speak a good English while the other one explained everything to me in Arabic which was very helpful because I had no chance to speak English at all. The grammar book contained English explanations which was also a help. My school was only 2 minutes from the hotel that I had booked together with the package. The name of the hotel was "New Hotel Locanda" and it was a very nice place where I met a lot of nice people from Europe and North America. The hotel only hosted foreign students. The school has 6 rooms and one kitchen and two toilets. There is air condition and also tea and sometimes coffee for the students and teachers. The hotel didn't have air condition but even though the weather was hot, the temperature in the hotel wasn't that hot. And there was also a fan. The school offered different types of activities like lectures about culture and religion but also trips to other places as Siwa or Fayyum. But we also went to restaurants together. The only thing that didn't work out very well all the time, was that the internet was weak sometimes. Especially at the end of the month. But that was ok to me since we were so many people at the hotel. The hotel has a nice kitchen with a cooking place, fridge and washing machine. I Was very happy about the location of the hotel since it was only a few meters away from the sea and school. So we always had fresh air from the sea. The Management of the school used to ask weather we have wishes and weather we are happy with the lessons. The teachers were very friendly and welcoming. Of course there were also some things that were different as in Europe, but the procedures at school were all in all satisfying in my point of view. At the end I got my certificate and I returned to Germany with a lot of experience and new impressions.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
12 weeks
Date of study
12 May 2019 - 9 Aug 2019
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Excellent atmosphere and excellent pedagogy"

David Leclercq, student from Belgium

Everything was fine. The location of the school is perfect, just in the middle of the city and close to the corniche (shore). The staff is always looking for the best service for you.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
29 Jul 2018 - 9 Aug 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Easy, Helpful and really king staff."

Honor Douglas Miller, student from UK

The staff and everyone are very welcoming and the school have great teachers. I took one on one classes in Aamiya and I found that the lessons were really relaxed and helpful. The location is great as it's right next to where I live so everything was convenient. I am already a student in Alexandria and just needed extra help for speaking lessons as I needed more practice. Really good school in a lovely location with very helpful staff who are all young and fun!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Date of study
18 Feb 2018 - 22 Feb 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Interesting"

Barbara Claes, student from Belgium

The school was very nice because it was not a "real serious school" but more a comfortable area where we could learn and spend time. My teacher (Dr. Saber) was very good and I learned a lot.
About the accommodation, I was in the Saint Catherine convent. The rooms were nice and big, but it was very cold. Another little annoying thing was breakfast: we had everyday the exact same breakfast. It was good at the beginning but at the end we could not eat it anymore. The last negative point about the convent was the curfew. We had to be back at 11 pm every night, which is not cool when you want to see friends, knowing that life in Egypt starts later in the day than here, in Belgium. Otherwise, the people working in the convent were friendly and we were secured. The location of the convent was also perfect because it was extremely close to the school. The school was also well situated because the sea is very close to it.
I attended three activities organised by the school: we went in a Berber restaurant, we had a calligraphy class and we had an international lunch. I was a bit disappointed by the calligraphy class because we did not really learn how to make the calligraphy. However, the international lunch and the Berber restaurant were perfect.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
4 weeks
Date of study
28 Dec 2016 - 29 Jan 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Great teachers and hospitality"

Karo, student from Austria

I had only booked the school, my accommodation was privately chosen.

Ahlan Egypt school in Alexandria offered great and experienced teachers, who have a wide range in experiences and teaching tools. The lectures had been adjusted to my needs. The atmosphere was open-minded and international. It was great also to meet other students. The cultural program and the hospitality were impressive. The team of Ahlan Egypt took a lot of care of their students. The cultural tours had offered a lot of theories and information. We had been also been asked and contacted daily whether we are interested in activities and what we want to see or to do.

Altogether a great school with very professional teachers and amazing hospitality.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
4 Jan 2015 - 16 Jan 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Great experience with amazing people"

Olga Czujak, student from Poland

Ahlan School is a great place where everybody can practice Arabic. Teachers are really highly qualified. All the people who work in Ahlan School are very nice and always helpful in every situation. I didn't use the housing offered by the school. If I could take the course again, I would.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
1 Sep 2014 - 12 Sep 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

Ahlan Alexandria offers the following housing types:
student-residence

Ahlan Students House (LOCANDA) - double shared room - No meals

C$ 63
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Alexandria
Housing type: Student residence (off-campus)
Room type: 2-person shared room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, free internet, and 24/7 supervision
Distance to school: 2 - 5 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, anytime
Check-out: Friday, anytime
C$ 63
Ahlan Students House is only 5 minutes walking from the school.
It is a furnished and equipped flat with kitchen facilities oven, dishes, cutlery, refrigerator, TV,
washing machine, shared bathroom, etc.
This accommodation is mixed-gender but rooms are allocated on a male/female basis.
It has 2 single, 3 double and 1 triple room. We provide only bed sheets, not towels, so you will need
to supply them yourself.
Students, local Ahlan staff and sometimes tourists live together in this accommodation, which is supervised 24/7.

Ahlan Students House (LOCANDA) Single-person room

C$ 126
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Alexandria
Housing type: Student residence (off-campus)
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, free internet, carpet, and 24/7 supervision
Distance to school: 2 - 5 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, anytime
Check-out: Friday, anytime
C$ 126
Ahlan Students House is only 5 minutes walking from the school.
It is a furnished and equipped flat with kitchen facilities oven, dishes, cutlery, refrigerator, TV,
washing machine, shared bathroom, etc.
This accommodation is mixed-gender but rooms are allocated on a male/female basis.
It has 2 single, 3 double and 1 triple room. We provide only bed sheets, not towels, so you will need
to supply them yourself.
Students, local Ahlan staff and sometimes tourists live together in this accommodation, which is supervised 24/7.
apartment

Shared apartment - Single-person room - No meals

C$ 134
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Location: In the city center of Alexandria
Housing type: Shared apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, and free internet
Distance to school: 10 - 25 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, after 05:00 PM
Check-out: Friday, before 12:00 PM
C$ 134
Apartments are the most convenient solution that we can offer for stays of one month or more. All the apartments that we use are within 20 minutes from the institute by taxi or public transportation.
Apartments are generally assigned ten days before your departure date.
The apartments are "good Egyptian standard”, which would translate roughly to middle / middle-low class quality by western standards.
The apartments are usually mixed-gender but rooms are allocated on a male/female basis.
All apartments are furnished and equipped with kitchen facilities (oven, dishes, cutlery, refrigerator…).
Apartments do not include AC but they have fans.
Apartments do not include sheets or towels so you will need to supply them yourself.
If something is broken or missing when you arrive, you must inform the Ahlan Egypt’s apartment manager immediately.
On the last day of your stay the apartment manager will inspect your accommodation to make sure that nothing is broken or missing. Any broken or missing items will have to be paid for before your security deposit is returned.
For those who are not staying for a full month there is no reduction in the cost of this kind of accommodation.
The flat will be available starting on Saturday evening before the beginning of the course and check out will be on Friday evening. If you need to stay on more, you should book an alternative accommodation (usually a hotel or a room in a convent) for any additional day.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Alexandria based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from Ahlan Alexandria staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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