The Lebanese Arabic Institute (LAI) was founded in 2016 in Beirut, Lebanon by Samar Awada and Brian Dobell in order to meet a growing demand for high-quality Arabic instruction among non-native speakers. Although new on the scene in its present form, the Institute with its program in Lebanese Arabic is the product of Samar’s many years of experience in teaching and curriculum development.
| Samar Awada | |
| Samar is Lead Instructor at LAI, and has been teaching Arabic (MSA and Lebanese) to non-native speakers since 2001. She is known for her clear and systematic teaching, as well as her flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of her students. Samar is also a translator and interpreter (English-Arabic and Arabic-English), and has a B.A. in Translation and Interpretation from the Lebanese International University. |
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| Mirna Hammoud | |
| Mirna is an Arabic Language Instructor at LAI, and has earned a reputation as a patient, organized, and motivating teacher. She speaks three languages (English, French, and Spanish) as well as her native Arabic. She has degrees in Intercultural Communication (M.A.) and Applied Foreign Languages (B.A.) from the Lebanese University, and a M.A. in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija. |
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| Joelle Achkouty | |
| Joelle is an Arabic Language Instructor at LAI. An experienced and dedicated language teacher, she has previously taught French and Spanish to children and adults. She has a B.A. in Applied Living Languages – Spanish Language and a Research Master in Intercultural Communication, Lebanese – Spanish Studies from the Lebanese University. |  |
| Brian Dobell | |
| Brian is Program Administrator at LAI. A Canadian national who has lived and worked in Lebanon for the better part of a decade, he holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto. He has also studied Arabic in Lebanon and Syria. |
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