I looked at a couple of more "formal" schools along with private tutoring. I'm so happy I opted for Lingua Verna. Alex and Saeed have built a great system for learning that progresses in a well thought out manner. Beyond that, the reason I appreciate the course most — it's a light and welcoming group environment. It's not stuffy or rigid. Alex and Saeed are excellent patient teachers, kind and considerate, and regularly ask for feedback so they can tweak things for our benefit.The course promoted itself as for both beginners and those with some exposure to Arabic. I was in the latter group and interested in what the approach would be. It's excellent having a native speaker in Saeed and an adult learner in Alex because you get great insights from both. While I had exposure to the trickier pronunciations (to non-Arab speakers), the explanations for these were excellent.The course was made up of 2 x weekly sessions: one being video lessons with a Q&A, followed by a conversational session in a small group. The videos are well-produced, the Q&A sessions offer a lot of insight, and the conversational sessions offer a good challenge while being in a friendly environment.There are online exercises in-between classes which were good but have really improved as the team are constantly tweaking things through our experiences and requesting feedback.I'd highly recommend Lingua Verna! Less

If you are actually looking to learn authentic Levantine Arabic and gain unparalleled conversation skills, I employ you to check out this course! Alex and Saeed are kind, adaptable, and more than competent teachers. Having the dual perspective of both a native speaker, Saeed, and an adult language learner, Alex, you are able to grow in this language from scratch. I personally came in not even knowing how to read the alphabet - I now hold daily conversations with friends. I cannot express how much work and heart had been put into this course, allowing you to build yourself up within a community of folks just as passionate about the language. Please know that both Alex and Saeed are also just incredibly understanding, dedicated people. They are not figureheads spearing a learning program - they are a powerhouse team willing to help at any stage of the learning process. I cannot recommend this course enough - you definitely get your bang for your buck and then some! Less

This is the second time I've tried to learn (first time through a language college) and the way this course is taught, the structure and the content, makes so much more sense to me, as someone with no familial or other day-to-day cultural engagement with the Arabic language. In particular, what I found very useful (which I didn't expect to) is having lessons structured around pre-recorded videos, followed by interactive Q&A with the teaching team - this meant that it was very easy to re-watch a lesson and it set a clear and consistent standard across the syllabus without going off-track. There are then separate, smaller conversation groups with a native speaker in your chosen dialect, where the focus is on encouraging everyone to put together sentences and speak in a more intimate, supportive environment. Thank you to Alex, Buraq and Bashar for putting together such a thoughtful and well structured course (and constantly tweaking it based on feedback!) Less

I have had an amazing experience with this Arabic course! I grew up around the language and understand a lot, but I never felt comfortable speaking it myself. This course has given me the confidence and structure I needed to start speaking. The format is excellent—having classes twice a week keeps me engaged, and the additional study materials provided for non-class days are incredibly helpful. The instructors are patient, supportive, and make learning enjoyable.This course is also great for people who have never been exposed to Arabic. Even if you’ve never been around the language before, the lessons are structured in a way that makes learning accessible and rewarding. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their Arabic skills! Less

I'm not an expert that has tried other courses, but I did homework before jumping into learning Arabic. Alex and his team at Lingua Verna have a great program that mixes online group sessions with individual study through a really great user interface. A mix of interaction with peers and an instructor every week of the course, and then self-paced homework - it works. The start is learning the alphabet so that you can read certain simple words as they start with a few nouns, and move from there. Within weeks you're putting sentences together in small groups of 5 or 6 people.If you're serious about learning Levant Arabic, I highly recommend this course Alex has put together. Invest in yourself! Less

This course is an incredible and affordable investment! As a child of Arabic-speaking parents, I could understand the language but never learned to speak, read, or write. In just a few weeks, I can now confidently read and write—something I never thought possible!The course is thoughtfully structured, starting with literacy as a crucial foundation before conversation. Alex, Bashar, and Buraq are an incredible team, and their expertise makes learning seamless. Beyond the lessons, there are plenty of resources to support independent practice, but nothing ever feels rushed. Everything is reviewed collectively, and you’re never made to feel like you’re falling behind.The warm, supportive environment feels like a gathering of friends and family, making learning enjoyable and judgment-free. I’m so grateful to have found such a safe space to learn Arabic!-Weekly Small groups-Weekly General group/Q&A sessions/Suggestions-Lesson reviews-Printable materials-Recorded sessions/lessons-Flash cards with visual and audio-Quizzes-Discussion board Less

I already knew some Arabic when I started, but - wow! - I learned a lot!Great weekly video instructional classes + weekly small group conversation practice with native Levantine Arabic speakers to integrate what you're learning + lots of instructional materials to get you going and keep you actively engaged. Students are from around the world. Sessions build and build and build upon each other, like a train leaving the station that slowly builds up speed. Lingua Verna is a great investment in both yourself and toward honouring our diverse, multi-cultural, multi-lingual world where knowing two or three languages is the norm. Less

I just finished the first beginners Arabic course with Lingua Verna. I’ve also signed up for the next one starting in February (beginners 2). I can’t recommend it highly enough! The course is so well planned you will be learning things without even realizing. It consists first of an hour long group session via Google Meet (Sundays, 2 times available every week- recorded to rewatch or you miss it) to learn the lessons of the week. Alex (the founder) shows pre-recorded videos- super high quality- and then takes questions and discussions. At the start of each cohort everyone is assigned a conversation group, which is the second part of the live learning for the week. It is an hour long time slot during the week- many are available- where a much smaller group gets together with Saeed (lead instructor) to practice the lessons of the week. My group was great and we all learned from each other! Of course it’s absolutely necessary to study independently every week, but the course is designed extremely thoughtfully, to really build on each week with the next, so while the material is very difficult (as an American, English only speaker!), it’s not too overwhelming. There are PDFs of each lesson so lots of notes are already done for you, in color and well organized. Anyway, I hope this helps, I truly loved the course, Alex and Saeed are wonderful, very smart people, and I can’t wait for the next phase to start! Salam! Less