Arabic Language Programs in Beirut, Lebanon

I participated in the CAMES summer Arabic program (Modern Standard Arabic) in the summer of 2017. It was the best thing I could have done to drastically improve my Arabic speaking skills! The course was intensive, and I sat in the classroom from 8 am until 3 or 5 pm, 5 days a week. There was a significant workload, but it was manageable and incredibly helpful. There was always time for fun, especially on the weekends, and I had the chance to hang out with my cousins in Lebanon and explore new parts of the country with some friends too. The teachers are all incredibly nice and invested in making sure that you are giving 100% to learning Arabic. They are excited to be there. It can be intimidating to be in a new place where you don't speak the language fluently, but the people are kind and welcoming, and I would highly recommend exiting your comfort zone for the sake of learning. The quality of education was great, and I felt safe the entire time I was in the country. My recommendation would be to find a living situation off campus if you are comfortable doing so, so that you can live more comfortably, grocery shop, eat healthier food, etc. (I lived in the dorms on campus.) I chose to go on this program on my own initiative, as my school does not send students to Lebanon, which is a shame considering how fantastic the experience and education was--I would recommend others who are serious about improving their Arabic language knowledge to take advantage of this program.

I am so happy I was able to study at AUB over the summer. The campus is amazing, and the Arabic instruction I received has been unparalleled. Beirut is an incredible city with so much to do, and I cannot wait to return.

The AUB CAMES summer Arabic program is a holistic approach to the Arabic language and Lebanese culture. The leadership team has put in every effort to make the program not only intensive in language learning but also exposing students to the local culture. Importantly, they emphasize dialect learning, which I have found to be a neglected part of the us university Arabic instruction. They also organize plenty of field trips, allowing students to utilize the knowledge gained in the classroom while communicating with locals and seeing the amazing sights Lebanon has to offer. The program is built to not only expand your knowledge of the language, but your appreciation and understanding of the culture. I found myself bonding with both my classmates and teachers quickly, as we were all working towards a common goal of improving our Arabic skills while also wanting to enjoy our time in Lebanon together. I really loved this program, and I hope more people consider traveling to Lebanon to pursue their Arabic studies. The campus itself is a closed campus and is monitored by security, and even when out on field trips with the group I never felt unsafe.

I studied at AUB's Center for Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies (CAMES) Summer Intensive Arabic Program during the summer of 2017. The program was a great value; there was an opportunity to speak entirely in Arabic if one so chose, and the instruction was top-notch in my class (Advanced High). The best part of this program is that it is run by Dr. Mahmoud al-Batal, one of the authors of the al-Kitaab series, so at the advanced level you should get some invaluable instructional time with him at some point. The program is also great because it endeavors to use the city of Beirut as a pedagogical tool; lots of time is spent on excursions to interesting places in the city and around Lebanon, with the specific goal of activating new vocabulary learned during the course. The program is rigorous, and if you keep the language pledge, it can be grueling; after about three weeks after 30 hours of class, 5 hours of extracurricular activities, and 30 hours of homework each week, I was exhausted and ready to quit. Once I pushed through, though, I felt so competent in Arabic. If you're looking for a country where people only speak Arabic, Lebanon is not that country. Most people speak English better than you'll speak Arabic (and lots of them also speak French). However, the culture is cool, the atmosphere of Beirut is laid-back and exciting, and you'll have a lot of the comforts of home (namely alcohol). In terms of safety, AUB did a great job of providing means for accessing medical care (the hospital is right across the street) and explaining the security situation throughout the country. I (26-year-old male) never once felt unsafe in Lebanon, and I felt like AUB's warnings for where not to visit in Lebanon were useful. I understand that the U.S. State Department travel advisory can be intimidating if you're considering traveling to Lebanon, but in my experience, when you study at AUB, the risks of traveling to Lebanon are minimized. I have been to Lebanon three times now and have had nothing but excellent experiences there.

The CAMES program is an excellent way to rapidly improve your Arabic, and overall, an experience I would strongly recommend. Three elements of the program are most significant: Firstly, the quality of teaching exceptional. Not only is Program Director (Dr. Mahmoud Al-Batal) a world authority on teaching Arabic as a second language, but each of the teachers and tutors has extensive experience in teaching the language and are consistently supportive. Shout-out to Yomna, Safaa, and Khodr. I came into the program with an intermediate level of spoken Lebanese Arabic and no FusHa, and in two months my level of both Lebanese Arabic and FusHa had increased significantly. Secondly, the cultural program. I had visited Lebanon numerous times before undertaking this course, and nonetheless I was constantly learning new things about the country and its history. There is a weekly lecture in Arabic on a political, historical, or cultural topic, as well as a weekly film screening. These events are a fantastic opportunity for students to substantially expand their vocabulary and their cultural knowledge of not just Lebanon but also the Arab world more generally. It's one thing reading a textbook about US Foreign Policy in the Middle East, and another thing entirely to immerse yourself in Arab culture and history as Arabs understand it, and for that reason I found this aspect of the program extremely rewarding. In addition, most weeks there is a group excursion, which allows you to see the most important touristic and cultural sites in Lebanon, in a comfortable and safe fashion. On these trips you travel all together in a big bus, stopping for food and big lunches etc. Yes, these days are touristy, but they are a stress-free way to see Lebanon. If that isn't your style - no problem - you can organise a separate trip for yourself either alone or in a small group, which many students did. Finally, the AUB is a wonderful university with all the facilities you could want, including a new gym, running track, pool, and the Jafet library which is a perfect spot to study after class. There's also a cafeteria on campus serving lunch for approximately 10,000L.L. ($8 US), and countless restaurants and cafes in the surrounding area of Ras Beirut/Hamra. Overall, the campus experience is fantastic if a little intense (such is the nature of Beirut!). In terms of safety, the campus is a closed one with guards at all entrances and patrols 24/7 so you'll feel (and be) very safe. Dorms are separated male/female, and escorts are available from the gates to dorms at night so there's never a need to walk to your dorm alone. A few recommendations: First, be aware that the course is very intensive. In my experience, most students didn't notice how hard the course was until about the fourth week, so keep this in mind, and pace yourself. That said, the communal nature of the course and the cultural / leisure elements mean that despite its intensity the course is still a whole lot of fun. Second, the more your practice before your Arabic arriving in Lebanon, the more you will get out of the program! (Not obligatory, however. You can turn up with any level, as long as you're ready for the workload). Third, make the most of your time in Lebanon - go on the trips, discover the area surrounding the university, and if possible, try and travel around in your spare time. The University can give you recommended taxi companies, and sometimes these companies will drive you around Lebanon for a whole Sunday at a reasonable cost. Don't wait until late in the program to discover Lebanon.

The AUB Summer Program was amazing. The instructors are excellent teachers, they focus on each student's needs and accomodate instruction in a way that benefits everyone. You have a crazy amount of homework but your Arabic skills skyrocket. You also have full freedom to enjoy Lebanon, Beirut is a very fun city and the country has a lot to offer. The program may seem a little expensive but the weekend excursions it covers and the length of the program makes it worth it. This is also the only program I could find that offered full instruction in colloquial Arabic, plus you still learn colloquial Arabic in the formal Arabic classes.

Lebanon is one of the best places to learn Arabic, and the AUB is the perfect environment to do so. The classes are very challenging, the professors and administration are very qualified, and it is very culturally immersive.

Like with any program, the people make the experience. The people who were attracted to the AUB program were all extremely hard working, motivated and interested in learning/pursuing Arabic. I don't think you would find this caliber of student at any other University other than the "Harvard of the Middle East". The classes were very rigorous and the teachers were phenomenal - one of my teachers had written her own Arabic textbook. My spoken Arabic improved tremendously and my vocabulary base is much wider. There were a fee classes that had 12 students which is a little bigger than I would have hoped, but overall an amazing experience. Beirut and Lebanon are amazing, too, and AUB is a great way to meet locals who actually know the country. The common language was obviously English so I didn't speak much Arabic outside of the classroom, but if you are determined enough this shouldn't stop you from speaking it 24/7. Amazing amazing experience, 10/10 would recommend!!

This program is great, you will learn Arabic, but it comes at a cost. This isn't an easy summer, you are in class from 8:30-5 and have homework on top of that and weekly tests. They try to get us immersed in the culture around us with programs, and some are more successful than others! Overall, if your main goal is to learn Arabic- you should come here!! If your main goal is to explore the Middle East, just be prepared you will only be able to explore such small parts of the world going to this program.

The CAMES program was, as all the reviews have stressed, a very very intensive program. There was a huge amount of homework every day, and while this was difficult at times, it also accomplished its goal. I came away from the program statisfied that I had significantly improved my ability to communicate in Arabic. The teachers and tutors were amazing; they challenged us and were entirely dedicated to helping us succeed. The small student-teacher ratio allowed for lots of one-on-one support. I especially appreciated the program's integration of colloquial and modern standard Arabic. The program also offered a variety of cultural activities and trips. The campus itself was beautiful and very safe. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in a highly intensive Arabic program that will dramatically improve their Arabic skills.

The CAMES Summer Arabic program was rigorous and provided an intensive learning experience. The CAMES team was very responsive to all student needs. The teaching staff was professional and available for any extra help and were dedicated to teaching Arabic. Would highly recommend the program.

Great program in a great setting at AUB! Good mix of students from US and around the world. The teachers I had were excellent and very committed. The program mixed in a lot of cultural and fun events and trips throughout to complement the language learning, which I appreciated. Above all, had a lot of fun and improved my language skills!

I wanted a really intense course as i only had a limited time to improve my Arabic. The course was perfect for this because the classes pushed me to the limit every day and each night I had lots of homework, which was always marked properly. One of my two main teachers was good, the other was outstanding.

When the description said it would be 6h a day of class plus about 4-5h of homework it did not lie. It was a helpful program with very good teachers. However, not all my classmates were as serious about the course and hampered our progress as a class. I also was torn about the class every morning in the dialect since it did not help me with my personal goals at all and I would have benefitted more from using this time for another class in MSA.

The CAMES program at AUB is truly a great opportunity to study Arabic in a beautiful country. The instructors were the best Arabic instructors I have ever had and were devoted to student learning. Though the homework load was on the heavy side (it's an intense program after all), it's a perfect program for those who want to immerse themselves in the Arabic language and meet some cool people along the way.

Hello there, I participated in the 2016 Summer CAMES program at the American University of Beirut. I started at the most basic level and I can tell you the work load is quite heavy. The deal with this course though is that you get out of it what you put into it. If one is serious about learning to read, write, and speak this language, then this is the best start you can get. The faculty work with all students and tutoring is daily after class (this is a must). However within the first week you will be writing in Arabic and building basic sentences. I have lived in Lebanon for the last 2.5 years and I thought I had a pretty good grasp on Arabic ( at least the spoken), but after this course my confidence with Arabic increased and i do not have any anxiety talking with people in the language now. I now have a solid base and vocabulary that allows me to talk with people from many different places to a decent degree. Long story short I have nothing but positive things to say about this program and feel that it is a must for those interested in actually learning about Arab ( Lebanese ) culture. Just to make it clear though there is a very very heavy workload. Wesley Murphy

I participated in the CAMES program in the summer of 2015 and would recommend it to anyone up for the challenge! In addition to the gorgeous AUB campus, I was impressed by the curriculum (it was even more intensive than I expected!), the optional supplementary tutoring offered daily, and the extra activities and field trips. When I first arrived in Beirut I had a basic knowledge of Arabic, but found that I was barely able to order a meal without switching to English. The program's intensity and emphasis on conversation helped me to become confident in speaking with anyone in everyday life in Beirut.

This is a very intensive language program with excellent instructors, a diverse group of participants, well organized structure, a beautiful campus, and is in one of the most interesting cities on the planet. I entered this program with no prior knowledge of Arabic and left with a true grasp of the language. This is not a program for people who just need a reason to go to Beirut, or those who are just looking for an interesting thing to do over the summer. You will be totally immersed in course work throughout the duration of the program, and will need to be truly dedicated the entire time. The staff is committed to helping you achieve the most out of the program, and is always there for support and guidance. I would recommend this program to anyone who is serious about learning Arabic or improving their current skill set.