How to Learn Arabic on YouTube

There are tons of Arabic learning channels on YouTube and it can be difficult to spot the good ones through all the click bait. We’ve explored many of the channels out there and put together a list of the ones we find most useful for intermediate Levantine Arabic learners. These Arabic learning YouTube channels cover everything from grammar to sayings to niche topic vocabulary. Together, we hope they will provide a practical guide to improve your Arabic learning on YouTube.

Arabic with Rana

This channel includes a mix of educational videos and vlogs. The educational ones are English-based explanations of Arabic language concepts, while the vlogs are mostly in Syrian Arabic with subtitles in both Arabic and English. Rana, the host of the channel, is energetic, engaging, and often talks with her hands to illustrate the meaning of what she is saying.

Pros:

• Lots of videos about unique topics from bullying to grammar, to one of our favorite topics: Arabic learning through music!

• Amiyyeh subtitles on all of the videos

• Two new videos each month

• Audio-only versions of these videos are available on most podcast platforms

• Rana talks slower than normal conversation, making it easier for learners to understand, but doesn’t dumb down her language or phrasing

Cons:

• Transliteration or Franco-Arabic text and English translations are included on all the videos (you can’t switch off this feature)

CGE Jordan Institute for Arabic Studies

Fred, runs CGE Jordan Institute for Arabic Studies and is also the author of one of our favorite Levantine Arabic textbooks, The 101 Most Used Verbs in Spoken Arabic: Jordan & Palestine. He creates videos on the CGE Jordan YouTube channel about grammar and is an American who learned Arabic, so he has a good understanding of the concepts that English-speakers tend to struggle with. After a few years hiatus, CGE seems to be back producing multiple videos a year on a somewhat sporadic schedule.

Pros:

• Great Levantine Arabic grammar resource that is accessible for early to advanced level Arabic learners

• Pairs well with The 101 Most Used Verbs in Spoken Arabic: Jordan & Palestine textbook

Cons:

• Not the most engaging style

• Many of the videos are from 8 or so years ago, so the production quality is pretty low (but the information quality is high :)

ArabiClearly

The ArabiClearly channel offers videos in Levantine and MSA dialects. It has a more structured curriculum progression than most of the other options on this list, which may be useful for those  aiming to take a language placement exam. Videos range in topic from conjugations of a specific verb, to reading comprehension practice, to situational phrases. I find the phrase videos on this channel especially helpful for diversifying my vocabulary.

Pros:

• Clear and relevant graphics

• LOTS of content - ArabiClearly has been posting videos weekly for a few years now

• Narrow focus for each video with many, repeated examples

• Videos offered for a variety of language levels

Cons:

• Reading comprehension videos are not labeled with learning levels

• Videos are quite long and repetitive

Learn Levantine Arabic

The target audience for this channel is beginning Arabic learners, but it’s a useful reference for more advanced learners as well. For those taking a less academic approach to studying Arabic, it’s common to have gaps in vocabulary -  maybe you never learned the colors or most of the body parts. If you want a quick but thorough review of some of those basics, Learn Levantine Arabic’s short YouTube videos are a great option. The channel is not currently being updated but it’s a good archival resource to explore and keep bookmarked.

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