Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA)

The first day I was standing in front of a locked door, and it took the staff a while to realize and open. Were they not expecting me?I was then welcomed with the statement that I was late, yeah...
Though I wrote that several times before and was enquiring if they would have a course for my level, i.e. total beginner (they said yes and suggested the program which I took) the teacher was unaware of that. She would not hide her surprise and that she was unhappy about it. Sometimes I felt discouraged when she was obviously frustrated with me taking some time or asking about something we did 2 days ago. Again, I was a total beginner.
At the end it became better but at least at the beginning the curriculum seemed chaotic. Explanation on the plan for our time would have helped. Furthermore, I feel if we had concentrated on reading and writing by myself and that from the start I could have learned the alphabet a lot faster. I am now doing this by myself. Because every other thing is nonsense without that skill.
Housing was in an apartment above a restaurant. The view was pleasant but not that they would not care too much about me as a guest. My room was above the terrace. Even without guests they would play super loud music, making it hard to sleep. When asked, they would turn it down. Only to turn it up a couple of minutes later! That was tiring. Best: I should be able to cook. But the cupboards were completely empty. Upon several times asking, I was given a plate and cuttlery. Getting a cutting knife was an adventure.


However, I liked that my teacher was flexible, i.e. starting 1h earlier or so.
One reason for the weak social activities was certainly that I was the only student during my two weeks. Normally I am used to a city trip or other welcoming events for language students. But the staff would help me with recommendations which was nice.
A plus is Madam Afaf. She acted reliably and fast when I would call her if there was a problem.

In general, the people were nice. But the framework conditions required inner strength to progress.

the learning experience was nice
the teacher was good
the lesson book they give to me is useful
I had a good experience generally

I would highly recommend anyone who wants to learn Arabic , you should go to this school. I absolutely loved my time in Luxor! My teacher Muhammad was so warm and accommodating. He picked me and my wife from the airport and we were very grateful as it was a late flight.
Classes- Very small classes. It was just me and my wife, which was perfect.
Teacher-Muhammad was the best teacher I have ever had. He was very patient and attentive. He has a real passion to teach language.
Location- Perfect central location near the River Nile and hotels / restaurants.
Facilities- We were provided with the textbook and pen and paper.
Activities- Muhammad organised a tour for us to go on which was very good.
Housing- I wish I had chosen the school accommodation as it was right next to the school.

We did a test and got a certificate too.

I had a wonderful teacher, Yasmin, who I would recommend to anyone. Also an important point: There IS air conditioning now (I am writing in summer 2019). Even though it was boiling outside, I was comfortable in the classroom. I definitely would love to take more lessons from Ahlan Egypt in the future.

(I didn't sign up for or participate in social activities through the school, so I don't have thoughts on those.)

We had almost a private course, we were just 2 students.

Our teacher was very patient with us and very professional.

The classroom is not comfortable for such activity

Relaxed and open atmosphere.
My teacher - Abir - very friendly, professional and flexible according to my ideas about learning.
Housing: nice apartment, a little bit too big and therefore overpriced. Situated in the center of the city in a short walking distance to the school.
Activities: badly organized and overpriced.

I had one-on-one lessons with Mrs. Affaf. She is very good and clear in explaining. She also gave a lot of background information, e.g. the connection of the language of today with the history of Islam or with hieroglyphics.
The school is very accessible. You Can take a callesh for 10 Egp or a minibus for 1 Egp if you are tired of the calesh drivers). Close to the centre of Luxor, Luxor Temple, the south or the boat to cross the Nile.
The school provides a good apartment for little money.
The school is a foundation to get a better life for children with Down Syndrome. Good work!
My time was a very pleasant one. I learned a lot in just 3 weeks.

The school is easy to find. It is located in an apartment with several rooms. Drinks were offered to me always.

Professional, friendly and helpful teachers introduced me to the Arabic language, speaking, writing and reading within 14 days.
The lessons were oriented to my needs. My wishes were taken seriously and brought into the lessons.

The two teachers, Aya and Sara were very nice and patient women. They motivated my learning. We learned to appreciate each other and a friendship, lasting, hopeful, arose.
The non-working CD was sent to me immediately, electronically.
I was informed that they would continue to supervise me, if I wish.

It was a great stay. I would recommend it.

I had a fantastic experience at Ahlan Egypt International Language Academy. The staff are so friendly and lovely. They make sure you have a well rounded experience, not just in the classroom, but throughout your stay in Egypt.

As for the classes, Affaf is a passionate, engaging and skilled teacher. I enjoyed all her classes so much. She is good at making the sometimes tricky arabic language and grammar seem manageable, and is very good at explaining complicated things in a simple way. By far, Affaf is the best Arabic teacher I have ever had and my Arabic improved greatly with her guidance.

I can't recommend Affaf enough. Her classes are always fun and informative.

I attended a private course of Egyptian Dialect with Madam Affaf Abdo Mohammed. In just a short time, I was able to speak to people thanks to the way of teaching that is not only based on the grammar book, but is also interactive. During the lesson, the teacher creates dialogues about common topics of daily life that allows the students to immediately speak with native speakers.
The school is located in a very central area, close to the temple of Luxor. It is therefore easy to reach the school from any part of the city. Personally, I lived with an Egyptian family in order to practice Arabic language and at the same time know about Arabic culture. My host family was very welcoming and they treated me as a daughter.
In short, I am very satisfied with my choice and it is an experience that I suggest to anyone, especially in the magnificent city of Luxor where its historical temples, its natural beauties and the hospitality of its citizens make this experience unique.

My experience in Luxor taught me a lot and allowed me to improve my knowledge in Arabic. The team of the school was amazing. Everyone was really friendly and kind, so this good atmosphere made you feel at home. I found the teachers really good and experienced, and the books they used were useful and clear.

It is an experience I highly recommend!

I emailed Ahlan Luxor before I arrived and found them really welcoming and flexible as I only had a couple of weeks in Luxor. When I arrived we agreed to just the right number of classes for me and at a reasonable price.

My teacher, Mme Affaf, was an absolute delight. She was encouraging, very experienced and a lovely friendly lady. I cannot speak too highly of her. She tailored the classes around what I wanted to learn and what I already knew. I met several other members of the teaching team and they were all very friendly and welcoming.

The school is very central and easy to get to. Close to the ferry (which I used to get there from the West Bank) and close to local souk, cafes and shops.

I will definitely go back to Ahlan every time I go to Luxor. I am also going to be able to have Skype classes with Mme Affaf too, which I am really looking forward to.

A lovely, friendly school in the heart of Luxor. I know they do social activities but did not join in these during this visit.

I have visited Egypt and especially Luxor for 15 years already and several times every year, so I did not need any other help outside the Arabic courses.
In spite of the long years, I could only say some sentences, not read or write the alphabet and had no idea of the grammar. As I am now studying modern standard Arabic at the University of Grenoble, I wanted to collect some basic knowledge before starting at the university. I did 2 hours a day during 4 weeks at Ahlan Academy with Affaf Mohamed. The material conditions were not so fine at the time (June 2013), because very often we did not have electricity during the course, so we had no fan and the course took place with candle light. But the teacher was perfect, from a pedagogical point of view as well as from a human point of view. The manager Luca and the secretary Hamada managed to have a very friendly and cosy atmosphere, and also my contact with the other students (Egyptian and Western) and the other teachers was very nice, a lot of occasions to exchange: tea break, cookie eating, birthday parties, etc.
I would without any hesitation recommend Ahlan Academy very warmly to anyone.

After living and working in Luxor for more than 10 years, I'm finally starting to learn Arabic.

Ahlan, Egypt is located in the center of Luxor and very easy to reach.
All the staff is helpful, friendly, and flexible. The number of students in a class is small.
Our teacher, mudaressa Affaf, is responding very professional to the needs of her students.
She makes her lessons interesting, and has a good sense of humor too.
It would be great if the teaching material would be in English instead of French.

I do not rate Social activities and housing because I do not make use of both of them.

I live in Luxor, and I am so happy to learn to Arabic. Afef - the teacher -has a really good way of teaching...at least it works for me. I enjoyed the classes a lot.

Location is good and the staff are very helpful and friendly.

One thing... it would be nice to have the Arabic book - the material in english...now it is in french...especially with the dictionary part it would be great.