Re: Arabic Teacher in Syria req.

Hello all,

I'm heading out to Damascus in the Middle of January and I'm looking for a private, native Arabic teacher. I am a beginner but I'd be happy to find a teacher who speaks only Arabic or minimal English - I've studied other languages in this way and found it to be effective for me. In any case, whoever the teacher, please could you forward any recommendations.
I'd also be potentially interested if the teacher was not in Damascus but another Syrian city.

Thanks very much for any help with this,

Marc

Check the website for Arabesk in Damascus -
They arrange all kinds of tuition.

There are several around the Bab Touma area. My friend who's an Arabic tutor there says there are around 700 foreign students living in Bab Touma at the moment!

I have copied the following 2 points from a mail list for Arabic teachers. (I hope they don't mind). Perhaps there are some useful points. Good luck!

1.

Many foreign students residing in Damascus stay in the Bab Touma area of the old city, where there are quite a few families willing to host students. Most people I know who've done this have gotten a lot of practice with their colloquial Arabic. Your program may be willing to set you up with a specific homestay, but again I don't think this is entirely necessary.

Price in the area vary from about 7-12 thousand Syrian pounds($US140-240)/mo, though one should always bargain. This can as much as halve the prices on some rooms.

In order to look for rooms, you can simply ask shopkeepers, etc. Internet cafes can be quite helpful as well, particularly since the staff often speak excellent English if that is an issue. It is quite rare for someone to look for a room more than a week or so in advance, and if you do you may be obligated to put down a deposit or begin paying rent early.

Be sure to inspect the kitchen and bathroom facilities for renters, which are often separate from those of the family, and make sure that there is a "khazaana", a storage device for water, as it generally cuts off in the afternoons.

2.
The two most popular destinations are:

1. University of Damascus
   Arabic Language Centre
   Language Institute
   Damascus
   Tel : +963 (0)11 2129494
   Fax : +963 (0)11 2120464
   e-mail : inquiries@arabicindamascus.edu.sy

2. Institut Français d'Etudes Arabes de Damas (IFEAD): http://wwww.ifporient.org

You may also wish to consult the Syrian Studies Association site which provides detailed information and reviews of the various places in Syria that offer Arabic classes: http://www.ou.edu/ssa/learn.htm <http://www.ou.edu/ssa/learn.htm>

Thanks to the three of you. I should have said that I've done a lot of the preliminary research and found info on all the web based stuff already. I was really hoping to find a specific recommendation of an actual person who someone studied with, or something like that.

Thanks again for having taken the time to reply. Any other ideas will be much appreciated.

Hello,

If you have contact information send it in private message here on thorntree. I have one in Damascus and several here in Hama, that could be assistance to you in teaching you arabic. Have a safe trip either way.

Take care

If you want to make the most of your and money, then I would suggest studying with Ghazwan Al Ahmed in Damascus. I have found him to be the best teacher by far anywhere in Syria, especially for foreigners. I studied Fusha with Ghazwan and can assure you that NO-ONE can come close to his level of expertise and ability to teach you arabic grammar. I have studied with many different teachers in Damascus, but none are equal to the quality of instruction I received from Ghazwan. You can more information about him at www.tolearnarabic.com. My wife and child also studied with Ghazwan and although we were all at different levels of ability and have different learning styles, he did a fabulous job of instructing all of us. I wish you all the best, and hope you enjoy your time in Damascus.