Intensive Summer Arabic 2020

The Lebanese Arabic Institute (LAI) opened its doors in 2016, and has quickly acquired a reputation for curricular and teaching excellence. Blending practical and theoretical learning approaches, we aim to help all our students build a strong foundation in Arabic, whether they are learning colloquial or formal varieties of the language.

Our programs are well-structured, yet flexible enough to meet the needs of individual students. We offer courses at finely-tuned proficiency levels, and place students into small group classes (typically three to six students per class, with an absolute maximum of ten), thus ensuring that each student has plenty of opportunity for personalized attention.

Adrienne Clermont, Medical Student at Weill Cornell Medical College

"I took the Level 4 intensive Arabic class at LAI this summer and had a fantastic experience! It is so hard to find colloquial Arabic classes that focus on grammar and have clear explanations of all the rules -- LAI does such a great job with this. The classes are well structured and fun, the teachers are excellent, and the books (written by the Institute) are such valuable resources for understanding colloquial Arabic. The classes are a great value for money. I can't recommend LAI highly enough, and I hope to go back!" (https://goo.gl/maps/czjU11CBSFm)

Evelyn Richardson, PhD student in Comparative Literature at the University of Chicago

"The Lebanese Arabic Institute is an outstanding educational establishment, run by brilliant people. I’ve studied Arabic at several renowned universities (Oxford, University of Chicago, SOAS), and I’d go so far as to say that LAI provide the best instruction in Arabic that I’ve received anywhere... I highly recommend studying here. You won’t find a better Arabic language school." (https://goo.gl/maps/9LWNGwLFpwF2)

The Lebanese Arabic program has been designed to equip students with the practical skills they need for everyday communication in Lebanon (and the Levant more broadly), while also providing students with a solid theoretical foundation for further studies in Arabic.

In summer 2020, LAI is offering an intensive Lebanese Arabic program at all proficiency levels, from complete beginner to advanced (Levels 1-7). At the elementary and intermediate levels, this program follows our curriculum Lebanese Arabic from Scratch: A Course for Non-Native Speakers.

Class sessions will be held five days per week, from Monday to Friday. At Levels 1-3, sessions will be four hours in the morning (8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.). At Levels 4-7, sessions will be three hours in the afternoon (1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.).

Students in the Lebanese Arabic program may study in one, two, or all three of the following terms:

- Summer 1: June 1 to June 24 (18 sessions)
- Summer 2: June 29 to July 22 (18 sessions)
- Summer 3: July 27 to August 24 (18 sessions)

In each term, courses at Levels 1-3 are 72 contact hours, and courses at Levels 4-7 are 54 contact hours. Students can cover one complete level per term.

All students who have previously studied Arabic are required to do an assessment prior to registration so that we may determine their exact level in our program.

Course Fees and Discounts:

For students registering for only one term, the cost of the course is $720 (for a 72-hour course) or $540 (for a 54-hour course). This price is inclusive of all course materials.

The following discounts are available for students registering in advance for multiple terms all at once:

Registration for 2 terms: 10% off the total (= $9 per course hour)
Registration for 3 terms: 15% off the total (= $8.5 per course hour)

The total cost of each Lebanese Arabic course for each registration period, including all relevant course materials, is shown in the tables below.

The Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) program is for students who wish to learn Arabic as it is used in formal writing (books, newspapers, etc.) and formal speaking (e.g. news broadcasts, university lectures) across the Arab world. This variety of Arabic is typically the primary, or even exclusive, focus of most university Arabic programs.

In Summer 2020, LAI is offering an intensive MSA program at the beginner and elementary levels (Levels 1-3). The three levels of this program correspond to the first, second and third sections of Al-Kitaab fii Taʿallum al-ʿArabiyya Book 1 (2nd edition).

Class sessions will be held four hours per day and five days per week, from Monday to Friday. At Level 1, sessions will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. At Levels 2 and 3, sessions will be from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Complete beginners may begin studying in any of the following three terms:

- Summer 1: June 1 to June 24 (18 sessions, 72 hours)
- Summer 2: June 29 to July 22 (18 sessions, 72 hours)
- Summer 3: July 27 to August 24 (18 sessions, 72 hours)

Students with an appropriate background in Arabic (as determined by an assessment) may join the Level 2 course in either Summer 2 or Summer 3, or the Level 3 course in Summer 3.

Course Fees and Discounts:

For students registering for only one term, the cost of the course is $720 (not including course materials*).

The following discounts are available for students registering in advance for multiple terms all at once:

Registration for 2 terms: 10% off the total (= $9 per course hour)
Registration for 3 terms: 15% off the total (= $8.5 per course hour)

The cost of all multiple-term MSA courses (not including course materials*) is shown in the table below.

*N.B.: Students are responsible for the cost of the required textbook Al-Kitaab fii Taʿallum al-ʿArabiyya Book 1 (2nd edition). As this book can be quite expensive in Lebanon, we strongly recommend that students purchase it in their home countries before coming to Lebanon. (Make sure it is the 2nd edition!) However, upon request we are able to sell copies of this book to registered students at cost (currently $78 US). Complete beginners will receive a copy of our Arabic Alphabet book at no additional charge.

To apply for LAI's intensive summer program (Lebanese Arabic or MSA), please fill in the application form below. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Although there is no general application deadline, we strongly recommend that you apply early, as our courses are organized in advance and places are limited.

UPDATE: We are no longer receiving applications for the Intensive Summer Arabic 2020 program. However, we are offering a variety of online study opportunities.

If you are interested in studying Lebanese Arabic online in a small group (intensively or non-intensively), please apply via the Lebanese Arabic Group Classes page.

If you are interested in studying Lebanese Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic online in private lessons (intensively or non-intensively), please apply via the Private and Customized Classes page.

For more information, please contact admin@lebanesearabicinstitute.com