Is Beirut, Lebanon a good place to study Arabic?
Intermediate Spoken Lebanese Classes in October (2 Levels)
September 23, 2013November Spoken Lebanese Beginners’ Class – 2 Hours a Day
October 28, 2013The answer is…it depends.
Yes if you are a lady
There is a consensus among our female students that it is more comfortable to live in Beirut and study Arabic compared to countries like Egypt or Jordan. In general, the men will take less notice of you here and there is such a variety of styles in Beirut that you won’t have to change your wardrobe to fit in. Since Beirutis are used to interacting with the West, foreigners are less of an attraction here.
Yes if you like variety
Lebanon is the most colorful country in the Middle East with a spectrum of religious confessions, styles and opinions and this means getting to know people here will usually have a few surprises. In Lebanon, when you meet someone new you have no idea about his or her religious beliefs, opinions, family life or values. In addition to the diversity of the Lebanese, Beirut also has Palestinians, Syrians, Kurds living and working in the city and welcomes Gulf visitors for the summer.
Yes if you are coming to the Middle East for the first time
When you are in a new country, especially a country that is much different from your own, there are a lot of things to get used to. It takes more energy learning a new language and living in a new culture and because of that your brain can never be in auto pilot. The stress that comes from this varies significantly from student to student. Since Beirut has always been a middle ground between the East and the West when you need to take a break and find people and places that feel a little closer to home you can.
No if you only want to hear Arabic 24/7
Like we mentioned, Beirutis are comfortable with foreigners and they are even more comfortable with foreign languages. In general, Lebanese speak English and French more frequently and better than other parts of the Middle East. This means that if you are in certain neighborhoods or restaurants, people will most likely begin talking to you in English first. There are a lot of people here who would like to speak Arabic with you and it just takes a little motivation and intentionality to find them.
