Browse Arabic schools in Morocco, habibi! ☆ Morocco—a magical land of busy kasbahs, enticing spice markets, desert landscapes, stunning mosques, and beautiful language. Take a leap, and indulge in this culture by enrolling in an Arabic language school in Morocco. Why learn Arabic? Well, I could give you the boring spiel, of “it’s the fifth most commonly spoken in world, and you’ll be insanely marketable because there is such high demand. It’s lucrative, darling, don’t you know?”
Now = nonsense. Later = totally easy to read and understand!
But you’ve heard that already, haven’t you? Sure, there’s something to be said for increased chance of job security, but there are so many more reasons to check out Arabic schools in Morocco than cash money. Learning a foreign language is important because it gives us a way to connect with others. Seeing as there are about 420 million people speak Arabic worldwide, learning Arabic is not a bad place to start. Not to mention being bilingual makes you smarter, so there’s that. When you sign up for an Arabic language course, you’re really signing up for a life changing adventure.
Here are seven things you need to know before you study Arabic in Morocco:
The inside scoop on learning Arabic in Morocco
1. You’ve Got to Break Free
… from English speaking bubbles. Learning Arabic in Morocco is going to be absolute torture if you don’t go out there and speak it. It’s relatively easy to bumble through with just English in big cities (we’re so spoiled, it’s gross. #checkyourprivilege), so you have to be intentional about immersion when you study Arabic in Morocco.
Don’t sequester yourself to English speaking hubs. Push yourself. Explore! You’re flying across the world for an adventure, so put on your big-girl(or boy) pants and venture into the unknown. Explore a rural town where English is unheard of. Arabic language courses are a great starting point, but if you really want to learn Arabic, you’ve gotta practice speaking it.
2. Cultivate Cultural Curiosity & Connections
When you take time to dive into the history and culture of a country, you’ll feel more connected to the place, more motivated to learn, and enjoy the little things more. If you’re already going to study Arabic in Morocco, you might as well learn about the culture! Also, you’re showing the locals respect. Don’t worry about stumbling through awkward Arabic sentences; if you’re trying your best, people will be happy to help you.
ISA (International Studies Abroad) offers a wonderful way to experience culture while learning Arabic in Morocco. The ISA program is in Meknes, which is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is a stunning “...blend of arab and French cultures”. It gives you a chance to totally immerse yourself in Moroccan culture, and enables you to make connections with locals. Meknes isn’t as touristy as Casablanca and Marrakech, so you’ll have a chance to dive right into Moroccan life.
Arabic schools in Morocco often have ways to connect you to other cultural classes, like cooking, dancing, and history. Take advantage of any extracurricular activities your program offers.
Find your dream Arabic language school in Morocco—maybe on the coast!
3. (Moroccan) Netflix and Chill
When you study Arabic in Morocco, you may feel overwhelmed at times. When in doubt, turn on the TV. Seriously. Watching local TV, listening to the radio, attempting to read a newspaper, are all life hacks to learning a new language. When it comes down to it, it’s about immersion. You need to trick your brain into thinking in another language. But here’s the secret: it’s really just a way to make learning Arabic in Morocco more fun!
Arabic Language school in Morocco is still school, so you deserve to take breaks. Read a page from your textbook, then reward yourself with an episode of the Moroccan Masterchef (yes, it’s a thing). If anyone tries to give you flack for spending an afternoon binge watching some Moroccan series, tell them you’re very serious about your education.
4. Moroccan Arabic is not your average Arabic.
Lemme ‘splain. Darija, or Moroccan Arabic, is slightly different than “mainstream” Arabic, AKA Modern Standard Arabic. This unique colloquial dialect emerged as a result of Spanish and French colonization. a little Latin flair + French finesse + Berber influence. So what you hear in the streets may not match what you learned between the sheets… of paper… in the books you studied in Arabic language courses.
BUT never fear - you can still learn Arabic in Morocco, the Arabic you can take with you to countries like Egypt, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Study Arabic in Morocco for a unique experience with the Arabic language you won’t find anywhere else. That being said, it’s probably more marketable to learn Modern Standard Arabic. When you’re looking for Arabic schools in Morocco, be aware of what dialect is being taught.
5. Get involved
Learning Arabic in Morocco is so much more than intensive Arabic language courses. Many programs offer opportunities outside of the classroom to engage with the people and the culture on a deeper level. You can volunteer, join a club, find and internship, or maybe even your next job in majestic Morocco.
Just remember to focus on your studies & not get *too* distracted by all the instagrammable doors
Projects Abroad is an awesome choice for people who want to learn Arabic (or French!) in Morocco, because they can hook you up to volunteer programs and internships in Morocco. That way, you can spend time learning the language, and then apply it in a meaningful way.
6. Stay with the locals
You’ll be applying what you learn in your Arabic language courses immediately if you choose a live with the locals. Homestays are a great way to ease into life in a foreign country, because they offer a safe space to learn and explore. Other perks: yummy food, lower cost of living, and the chance to become a local.
Use every experience as a learning opportunity. Go grocery shopping with your host fam’ and listen to them barter. Go out to dinner and practice ordering at a restaurant.
IES Abroad’s offers a study abroad program, and they can hook you up with a host family in Medina, or in a residence hall with Moroccan students.
7. Choose what’s best for you
Are you looking for intensive language courses where you study Arabic all day everyday? Or are you interested in studying abroad in Morocco so you can take a little Arabic alongside other courses? If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the length of a course, why not sign up for a summer class? CIEE offers a summer course in Rabat where you’ll take Modern Standard Arabic and Darja courses. You also get to spend time exploring museums, NGOs, and ancient coastal towns. Perfect Arabic adventure, if you ask me.
If you put yourself in a position where your needs are met, you’re way more likely to enjoy the experience and actually LEARN Arabic in Morocco! Set yourself up for success. There are myriad options for Arabic language courses in Morocco, so #YouDoYou.
It might be a little overwhelming trying to navigate your options for Arabic language school in Morocco, so don’t hesitate to ask for help from the program providers or the GoAbroad team.
Next steps to study Arabic in Morocco
If you want to become fluent in Arabic, you have to commit.
Ready to take the language-leap and commit to fluency? Here's a few logical steps you can take to move closer to your dreams of living abroad:
- Pick a city! Do you want to step back in time for your Arabic language classes? 2500-year-old Tangier is for you. You’ll love the energy of the capital, Rabat, but Fes has a cool thing goin’ on, too!
- Choose between the best language schools. Pay attention to past students’ reviews, your school and organization reputation, location, and your ease of getting started at your current level. Some schools or providers may even provide contact info for ambassadors or past participants if you want the REAL dirt. Check this out: The 8 Best Language Schools in the World.
- Plan your finances. Sort out funding before you go to afford daily essentials and splurge in travel (in addition to program costs and airfare). Do your research to have an idea of how to pay for learning a language abroad.
- Get prepared! You've done your research, chosen your language school, saved up the money, and are entering your last weeks of life "at home" before you move abroad to finally GET FLUENT. Well done! Here's our language schools planning timeline/preparation guide to help make this stage more fun and less stressful!
You’re ready to learn Arabic in Morocco!
Have a blast & build serious skills while learning Arabic abroad!
Learning Arabic in Morocco is the perfect way to explore Northern Africa. You’ll have a purpose, and there is no doubt that the experience will take you much further than Morocco. Literally. You can travel to 20+ Arabic speaking countries with your new found skills. With so many programs offering so many ways to study Arabic in Morocco, you’ll be able to personalize your learning to best suit you.
You’ll also be taking a life-altering personal journey, which will open all kinds of doors for you. Maybe you’ll land an ideal internship, and begin your career there. Or maybe you’ll get sucked into a volunteer project that changes your way of seeing the world. Or maybe you’ll just have a killer semester abroad! No matter what, you’re sure to ace your Arabic language courses if you follow these seven tips.
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