FAQs

Al Diwan Center

• Q1: Where do your students come from?
  • A1: Our students come from more than 50 countries, including: Albania, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Canada, Comoros, China, Daghistan, England, France, Greece, Holland, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Russia, Senegal, Somalia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkestan, The United States, and other countries. Most of our students come from the USA, Britain, and Canada.

• Q2: What distinguishes Al Diwan Center from other centers that teach Arabic?
  • A2: Three things:
    a. Pleasant Teacher/Student Relations: At the center, relationships between our teachers and students are friendly and congenial. In fact, many students have expressed the positive impact their relationship with their teacher has had on their learning.
    
    b. Curriculum: The Center’s curriculum has a proven record of achieving effective results, all the while remaining flexible enough to cater to the student’s specific academic interests.

c. Services: The Center participates in a strong network of language centers and bookstores in Cairo, enabling it to obtain a significant discount on books and reference materials for the student.

• Q3: What services does the Center offer for international students coming to Egypt regarding lodging and accommodation?
  • A3: Al Diwan Center is pleased to offer its international students the following special services:
    a. Receiving students at the airport and lodging them in a hotel near the Center
    b. Hotel room reservations
    c. Assistance in finding a suitable apartment

• Q4: Which language is used for teaching at Al Diwan Center?
  • A4: The only language spoken at Al Diwan is Modern Standard Arabic (Fus'ha). If you are interested in learning the local colloquial dialect of Cairo, we offer courses in the Egyptian dialect.

• Q5: What teaching aids are utilized at Al Diwan?
  • A5: Our teachers use reading selections from various genres, pictures, comic strips, posters, memory cards, audio tapes, CDs, video tapes, local and international Arabic magazines, and newspapers.

• Q6: Which is better: group classes or private classes?
  • A6: Each type has its advantages and disadvantages. Group learning enhances the students' understanding of the Arabic language in that it offers them the opportunity to listen to other students speak the language. In addition, students build friendships with people from various cultures and backgrounds. Moreover, group classes are more economical than private lessons.
    Regarding personal tutoring, the student receives greater personal attention from the teacher as opposed to group classes, where the teacher's attention is divided among all the students. Additionally, if the student completes a given number of levels quickly, then he will save more financially, as tuition expenses are based per hour and not per level. Hence, if the student is diligent and is able to complete a given level in 45 hours, for instance, he would subsequently advance to the next level using his remaining hours.

• Q7: Will I be able to attend sessions, free-of-charge, in order to make certain the Center is right for me?
  • A7: We have no objections to you attending sessions, free-of-charge, as we want you to feel comfortable before making your decision to study with us. Sometimes, registered students do not welcome this. The best way to know about whether the Center is suitable for you or not is by asking former or current students, who share your culture and way of thinking.

• Q8: Which is better: The General Arabic or Arabic Conversation Program?
  • A8: Our general program sets aside a portion of class time for conversation and group dialogue, but we encourage conversational sessions after the intermediate stage. However, if the student is well grounded in the principles of grammar and possesses a sound vocabulary, we advise that they enroll in conversational sessions only. They will be provided with a review of the principles of grammar.

• Q9: How does the student become proficient in the Arabic language?
  • A9: To attain proficiency in the Arabic language, like any other language, requires practice and diligence on the part of the student. Accordingly, one must read books, selections from Arabic literature, magazines, all the while engaging with Arabic speakers who are proficient in the classical Arabic language.

• Q10: What method of instruction does the Center utilize in its instruction?
  • A10: We use the Audio-Lingual method. Decades old, this method is based on using the target language in classroom instruction, with no intermediate language unless absolutely necessary.

• Q11: Can you arrange a Tajweed (Qur’anic Recitation) class for me too? and who is teaching?
  • A11: Yes, we can Insha Allah. However, you will need to let us know two weeks in advance of your arrival, giving us ample time to hire a special teacher of you. Tajweed is taught by professional teachers of Quranic Recitation. There are female teachers for female students.

• Q12: Do you have a residence system where an Egyptian family can host my children and I will pay for their accommodations, room, and board during the study period?
  • A12: At the moment, no we do not.

• Q13: Do you have a “Guest Family” system, where my family and I can be hosted during the duration of my stay?
  • A13: Unfortunately, no. Egypt is a conservative, Eastern society, which does not readily accept long-term guests to live in their home.

• Q14: Do you have qualified female teachers on staff for female students?
  • A14: Yes.