Levantine Online

What it is

Levantine Online is an online Arabic school that teaches two varieties of the language with native teachers: the Levantine Dialect, described as everyday Arabic as spoken in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan, and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), pitched at academic, professional and business needs. It works in collaboration with the Levantine Institute of Tripoli (LEVIT), whose address in Tripoli, Lebanon, is the contact address on every page, and the Mission page says students can continue their Arabic studies in Lebanon while following the same curriculum as LEVIT. Students already in Lebanon can join LEVIT activities as online students.

The Mission page explains the school's angle: to learn a language as complex as Arabic, "it's essential to dive into the culture, the music, the films and everything that the Arabic world has to offer", and the curriculum includes art and culture of the Levant for that reason. Its stated goal is a digital space for anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the Arabic world and the Levantine region "for familial, academic or professional reasons".

How learning works

Starting is a four-step process on the home page: fill in an inquiry form, take a placement test, attend a free trial class at a time that suits, and, if the first lesson works, sign up for a full term or for private classes. The home page calls this "Zero Risk - First Lesson Is a Trial!".

Group classes run in 4-week terms. On the regular subscriptions a student has one weekly group class, a 100-minute session; the intensive subscriptions have two weekly group classes. Every subscription includes access to debate and discussion sessions and to the school's books and materials (audio, video and PDF). The "upgraded" versions add one weekly private lesson to the group classes. All hours are counted as 50-minute sessions, and every four sessions have to be completed within a month. Group classes cannot be canceled or postponed.

The weekly debates are a signature feature. The home page describes them as discussions of real-life topics such as Arabic societies, politics and traditions, "an integral part of our teaching process", optional, with invitations sent to all students. Private students get access too, as long as their level is above A2.1.

Private lessons are one-to-one and fully scheduled around the learner: the private classes page says teachers set the pace, schedule and objectives with each student, whether the aim is to "prepare for a job interview, or succeed in a university exam". The same page describes the tutors as "experienced and cultured" with "multiple degrees in social sciences, law, and languages", says all of them go through a training program at the Levantine Institute, and that all have several years of experience teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers.

Arabic for NGO Workers

The school's specialist course is Arabic for NGO Workers, a program of 10 hours of private lessons for humanitarian and non-profit staff, taught in either Levantine Dialect or MSA (with technical terms in MSA either way). It is divided into four sections: gender-based violence; child protection policies, including international conventions and response mechanisms; refugee rights and protection under international law, including causes of displacement and types of asylum; and war crimes and key principles of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions. Teaching uses interactive discussions, authentic materials, case studies, simulations and debates. Students need an A2 level to join, and the program costs $30 per hour, paid in full as one payment of $300.

Prices

The prices page lists everything in US dollars. For group classes, the price per 4-week term depends on the format and on how many terms a student has already taken:

• Regular Basic, 2 hours a week (8 hours a term): $171, then $163 with Silver Membership and $154 with Gold Membership.
• Regular Upgraded, 3 hours a week including 4 private lessons a term (12 hours): $231, then $220 and $208.
• Intensive Basic, 4 hours a week (16 hours): $342, then $325 and $308.
• Intensive Upgraded, 5 hours a week including 4 private lessons a term (20 hours): $402, then $382 and $362.

The price table applies regular prices to the 1st and 2nd terms, 5% off from the 3rd to the 8th term ("Silver Membership"), and 10% off from the 9th term onward ("Gold Membership"). The page also offers two-term value bundles (8 weeks) for students who do not yet have a loyalty discount. Weekend classes cost an extra $5 per hour.

Private lessons are sold in packs: 5 hours for $150 and 10 hours for $279, each to be used within one month; 20 hours for $518 within two months; and 30 hours for $714 within three months. Larger packs are quoted by e-mail. Alumni pay $140, $259, $476 and $652 for the same packs. Two students at the same level can share private lessons for $20 per student per hour. Private lessons include all taxes, weekend lessons cost an extra $5 per student per hour, and a private class canceled less than 4 hours ahead is lost.

Learning resources and the institute

The school sells two self-study resources. The Press Review is a weekly series of fully voiced news articles translated into beginner-friendly Lebanese Arabic, at $4.50 an episode with the first three episodes free. The Grammar Book is a Levantine Arabic grammar reference with 24 lessons, each with exercises and activities, for $19.99 with a free video lesson. The menu also lists an e-library, lesson materials and an Arabic levels guide.

The home page ties enrollment to the institute's social work in Lebanon: joining Levantine Online supports LEVIT's mission of helping underprivileged children access education. It reports more than 1200 hours of educational support given to the underprivileged since 2017 by Lebanese and Syrian teachers, more than 489 hours of activities by international volunteers, and 43 children currently enrolled at the Maan Center out of 113 registered since 2017. Students can also volunteer with LEVIT.

Two testimonials on the home page show who signs up. Elie A. from France writes about reconnecting with Lebanese roots: "I can call my grandma and joke with her in Arabic." Paula M. from the United Kingdom, who works with asylum seekers in London, writes that within a couple of months she "was able to communicate and use Arabic in my daily operations".

Who it suits

Levantine Online suits learners who want spoken Levantine Arabic for family, travel or work in the region, and those who need MSA for study or business, with a live teacher in both cases. Heritage learners reconnecting with family, as in the home page testimonial, get a school that puts the spoken dialect at the center. Humanitarian staff have a focused option in the NGO Workers program. The price table is detailed and public, the loyalty discounts reward students who stay for many terms, and the free first lesson and placement test lower the risk of starting.

The format asks for commitment. Group terms run on a weekly schedule with no cancellations or postponements, private packs expire within one to three months, and the NGO program requires an A2 level and full payment upfront. Learners who want a self-paced course have the grammar book, the press review and the lesson materials, but the core of the school is live teaching.