Online Arabic lessons expanded during the pandemic with far more teachers and institutes offering classes over video call. As language learners ourselves, we’ve benefited from a number of these online learning options over the years and wanted to share our recommendations. This list is by no means exhaustive but includes platforms we’ve personally used and enjoyed. Please message us if we’ve missed any excellent teachers or resources!

NaTakallam is an excellent language service which similarly provides video lessons for students. NaTakallam charges a set amount per course and coordinates to match students with teachers. Upon registering and buying an initial lesson package, students fill out a form about their availability, language goals, and expectations. NaTakallam then assigns each student to a teacher. One unique aspect of NaTakallam is that all teachers are refugees or internally displaced people so the platform provides teachers an opportunity to earn income, supporting themselves and their community.

Pros:

• Support teachers who are refugees or internally displaced people

• NaTakallam vets each teacher and matches them to students

• An Arabic curriculum is available for an additional charge but lessons can also be unstructured, depending on the student preference

• NaTakallam periodically offers sales on their lesson packages

• Scheduling and frequency of lessons are completely flexible

• Multiple dialects offered

Cons:

• More pricey than many italki teachers ($25/hour without any discounts)

• Not as much flexibility to select a teacher

Learn more about Natakallam

italki is a language learning site, not just for Arabic, but for nearly any language in the world. Teachers individually decide their hourly rate and availability which students can request to book. Many teachers also offer trial lessons for very reduced rates so you can meet the instructor before paying for any formal lessons. Once a lesson is scheduled, the teacher and student meet on Zoom and study whatever the teacher or student decides - some teachers have materials they cover while others emphasize conversation practice or request the student supply language materials.

Pros:

• So many teachers available!

• Range of prices, often italki has some of the cheapest lessons (~$6/hour - $80/hour depending on the teacher)

• Flexible learning material and lesson objectives

• Flexible scheduling. Lessons can be purchased individually or in a package

• Teachers have a star rating and reviews so you can see previous students feedback

Cons:

• No structured curriculum

• Teachers vary a lot. Many are native speakers, but few have formal teaching experience

Learn more about italki

Shababeek was originally a brick-and-mortar school and continues to provide most of its education services to in-person students. However, when the pandemic hit, Shababeek transitioned to allow more online students and trained their instructors (called “nurturers” in Shababeek lingo) to teach over Zoom. Students rotate through different instructors as they advance through the language levels to align with each instructor's strengths and to ensure each student is exposed to the linguistic patterns of multiple instructors. Shababeek places a strong emphasis on developing communication skills, particularly spoken Arabic, and the institute has well-developed class materials to guide students through a structured progression.

Pros:

• Excellent curriculum including a Google drive worth of language worksheets, stories, and recordings

• ALL the instructors are trained in second-language learning

• Shababeek is specific to Levantine Arabic (potentially a con for those seeking another dialect)

• Affordable lesson pricing, especially for students seeking multiple hours of study each week (8.5 - 10.5 JD per hour, depending on the number of hours per week).

Cons:

• Scheduling is not as flexible as italki or NaTakallam because all teachers are based in Jordan

• Emphasis on more committed language learners who can sign up for multiple hours per week

Learn more about Shababeek

Preply is great for people with limited time and for those on a budget. The site pairs students with language teachers and currently has 1500+ Arabic tutors available. To start, you’ll need to fill out a short questionnaire about your budget, learning objectives, and availability. Preply then matches your answers against the teacher information in their database and produces a list of teachers that best suit your needs.

Pros:

• Many teachers and dialects available (with the option to select only native speakers)

• Range of prices (~$5/hour - $40/hour depending on the teacher)

• Flexible learning styles and objectives

• Teacher/student pairing based on your availability

• Reviews and statistics (number of students, level, etc.) for teachers are included in their bios

• Easy to change teachers if your initial choice is not a good fit

Cons:

• No standard curriculum

• Teachers vary a lot in skill and style of teaching. Some have a curriculum and corresponding material while others do not

Learn more about Preply