Combined Course (ECA & MSA)

International House Cairo

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Course description

This course covers both Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA). It enables students to get a more rounded exposure to the language and culture.

The MSA lessons aim to help students acquire the skills to interact with the written form of MSA, which is the written Arabic language used all over the Arab countries. MSA is used in academia and the formal media. The programme is designed on topics to ensure effective recycling of vocabulary and the transfer of linguistic knowledge between the 4 skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing).

ECA is the spoken language in Cairo, Egypt. The main emphasis in ECA lessons are placed on improving your communication skills, structures and vocabulary are presented in the context of real-life day-to-day situations. Listening, reading and writing activities are integrated into the course content and a variety of approaches are used to develop the language skills.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
2-4 weeks
Start dates
01 Dec 2024, 05 Jan 2025, 02 Feb 2025, 02 Mar 2025, 06 Apr 2025, 04 May 2025, 01 Jun 2025, 06 Jul 2025, 03 Aug 2025, 31 Aug 2025, 28 Sep 2025, 26 Oct 2025 and 23 Nov 2025
Classes per week
25 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 55 min)
Class days
Monday - Thursday and Sunday

Class times

Morning session
09:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Break
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Afternoon session
11:30 AM - 02:30 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Cairo.

Class size

Average 4 students
Maximum 10 students

Student age

Age range 18 years old and older
Average 24 years old

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
Read more...
school
photos

Photos

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reviews

Reviews

100% recommend

based on 12 reviews
5 stars
10
4 stars
2
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
0
Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Great lessons and atmosphere"

Yuji Takagi, student from Japan

I took private lessons for two weeks. The class was well organized and you can efficiently improve your Arabic. Also, there is a cafeteria in the school, and you can talk to other students there. Both teachers and students were friendly. I was able to study Arabic in a very good environment.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
11 Feb 2024 - 22 Feb 2024
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"The teachers were very good and helpful to improve my Arabic."

Joost

ILI is very good. The teachers are very helpful and motivating in learning this hard language. The speed is very high, which is good on one hand, but hard (impossible) to combine the courses. If you want to follow MSA courses, I highly recommend ILI. ECA is good as well, with a lot of fun and playing to learn the language.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
19 weeks
Date of study
16 Jun 2013 - 31 Oct 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Great quality education at an affordable price."

Rosa Klein-Baer

I would highly recommend ILI to anyone interested in picking up the basics of Arabic quickly. I studied Fusha and Ameia for four months here and my Arabic has never improved faster. The teachers are very friendly and make the courses both challenging and fun. I would definitely come back again if I had the chance.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
15 weeks
Date of study
11 Aug 2013 - 28 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Great."

Sonia Parker

I really enjoyed the classes. The teacher was great. The facilities, including the cafe, was fantastic.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
3 Nov 2013 - 14 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Learning the language is the sum total of an experience which includes the helpfulness and welcome by the entire staff who did a wonderful job at ILI."

Kathy sue sanders

The facilities were clean. The janitor did a top notch job! Hebba and the young man behind the counter, in the canteen, were always helpful and friendly. At the reception, they were efficient and went above and beyond to be helpful to me! Thank you especially to "Honey". Please forgive me for not spelling your name correctly! And I cannot speak highly enough of Ameer, who helped me learn the language in pre MSA. He was patient and funny and used many different techniques to keep my interest in learning a difficult language.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
3 Nov 2013 - 28 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"If you want to learn the Arabic language seriously, visit ILI!"

Karl Koenig

Seriously, this was by far the best course I have ever attended, and I have experience with different schools. I am finally fit in Arabic grammar and that's a really big success for me.
A big compliment to Wisam, my teacher, her teaching style could not be better. I look forward to continue my training in Arabic language at ILI next year, if I find time to do that.
The institute ILI is well equipped and well organized. I can't find a point of criticism.
Compliments to all the staff at ILI, they all do a very good job!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
3 Nov 2013 - 28 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"My experience studying Arabic at ILI was beneficial, professional, and fun."

Taylor Moore

The teachers and staff at ILI are very good, providing a professional and welcoming environment for learning Arabic. The classes are challenging, fun, and effective. I enjoyed being in class with students from all over the world. Class sizes are small and create a personal environment for learning.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Date of study
23 Dec 2013 - 15 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Amazing, and still not done!"

Simon Ibrahim Ballout

I really do care about service, especially when it's an international school that provides a language that, isn't easy as English.
My personal meaning on the classes and teachers is amazing. I don't know were to start. I learned more and faster Arabic than I did back at the university.

The facilities are quite good; working air condition, but the computers at the café floor aren't as good as expected, I wouldn't recommend people to use them. But the all electronics in the classroom function and work very good, therefore I would say that the facilities are good.
The location is good. Activities are good as well, if it's about the class. I haven't been on a trip with the school yet. I don't know what to comment on.

I'm not so happy about the housing since it's expensive, but I will of course recommend it, if you aren't gonna study there for more than a month or 2. Otherwise, I would recommend a person to find a flat. The only thing I want to criticize about is the internet. It's not covering the whole apartment, and it's really slow. We have 5 floors that use the same internet. It slows down a lot, when all recidents are online at the same time.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
35 weeks
Date of study
9 Sep 2013 - 15 May 2014
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"I learned more here in three months than the year and a half of Arabic classes I had taken before coming here."

Rosa Klein-Baer

I am so happy with my experience at ILI. All of the teachers have wonderful, energetic personalities, and somehow manage to make learning even the most difficult grammatical concepts seem fun and manageable. The classes are very fast-paced, but incorporate a lot of review so that the students are able to retain all of the information that they take in. I think that by far the best thing about the institution is the teachers. Not only are they experts in Arabic language, all of them are just great teachers that know how to teach, in addition to the language itself. It's a lot harder to find language teachers with actual teaching skills than it sounds. I would definitely recommend ILI to anyone who is considering taking Arabic courses in Egypt.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Duration of study
14 weeks
Date of study
11 Aug 2013 - 17 Nov 2013
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Brilliant teachers."

Emil Lyster Jochumsen, student from Denmark

The facilities are good and in a good part of town. The teachers are really good and you learn a lot very fast. One month there is the same as a semester at the university. Their apartments are somewhat expensive, but they also offer to help you rent a local apartment, which is good.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
3 weeks
Date of study
20 May 2012 - 15 Jun 2012
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Excellent school!!"

Anette Lund Madsen, student from Denmark

I had two courses. In one class we were 9 students and in the other we were 4. I like small classes because then you will learn more. Both of my teachers (Nancy and Aisha) were very qualified and I like the way they were teaching. I think it is a very good idea to repeat the words and also to have role-playing. The location is OK, it is easy to take microbus and the school is a little away from the main street and its noise. But you should correct the location in the small map in the web-site because when you look at this map you think the location is in Zamalik, and after you have paid you find out it is in Mohandessen. The staff in the reception and cafeteria were all very nice and helpful. The facilities were OK. Just the internet broke down and they didn't fix it so we could not use the computers for more than 10 days. When the internet worked the computer-room was nice. I didn't use the housing. And I didn't use the activities, tours etc. because I find the prices very high. Also the prices in the cafeteria were very high. I mean 8 EGP for a cup of coffee, what do you think, Hilton or what?

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
4 weeks
Date of study
2 Dec 2012 - 27 Dec 2012
Age group
65+
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Magical"

Camille Coquoz, student from Switzerland

The classes were so great. The teachers were all very good and nice. My fellow students too. I did a lot of travelling on my own and Egypt is such a beautiful country. I stayed in the school accommodation for three months and then I moved because it was very expensive compared to the price of the housing market in Cairo. But otherwise, the accommodation was great.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
16 weeks
Date of study
9 Oct 2011 - 26 Jan 2012
Age group
35 - 49
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

IH Cairo offers the following housing types:
apartment

Single Bedroom - IH Cairo Dokki Accommodation

£ 165
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: Al-Sad Al-aali street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
Location: In the city center of Cairo
Housing type: Shared apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, hardwood, and air conditioning
Distance to school: 5 - 10 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, after 12:00 PM
£ 165
New for 2023: you can book the accommodation with International House Cairo!
IH Cairo's accommodation is located around a 5-6 minute walk from the school, in Dokki, close to supermarkets, pharmacies, hospitals, cafés etc.

You will be sharing with maximum two other students during your stay with us.
Rooms can be split upon request, allowing two IH students to stay in one room and lowering individual accommodation costs.

The residence comes with the following to cater for your stay and study needs:
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
• Free Maintenance service.
• Free Water, and Gas bills.
• Comfortable bedrooms with modern furniture.
• Residence is equipped with all electric appliances (air conditioners, fridge, washer,
water heater, TV, etc…).
• Desk equipped for Laptop and study use.
• Shared Laundry service.
• Shared living room facility.
• Cleaning service available once a week (every Friday or Saturday)

Accommodation fees:
- Accommodation costs $600 for the single bedroom, and $750 for the master bedroom per full 4-week period. This price includes ALL BILLS except electricity.
- Accommodation security deposit fees are 100 USD refundable on the checkout date.
- Early check-in / late check-out fees are 30 USD/night.
- Electricity bills are not included and shall be paid one day before the check-out date.
- Full payment is required before checking in.
- Accommodation fees are non-refundable 7 days prior to the check-in date.
- Accommodation fees can be refunded if cancellation is requested 7 days prior the check
in date after deducting 25% as an admin fee.
- The accommodation deposit is refundable 24 hours prior to the check out date at the
school’s front desk. Deductions may apply for any damage, as mentioned in the residence
agreement.

Check-in
• Check-in is allowed at 12pm (noon) the Saturday before the course start date.
• Early check-in needs to be arranged with IH Cairo customer service team prior to your
arrival to ensure availability that security and housekeeping staff can check you in, early
check-in fees will be applied
• Upon checking-in you will be required to agree to and sign this agreement (the IH Cairo
Residential Accommodation Terms & Conditions).

Check Out
• Check-out is allowed on Friday at 12pm (noon) one day after the end of the course
round.
• Late check-out needs to be arranged with IH Cairo customer service team prior to your
check-out date to ensure availability and that security and housekeeping staff can check
you out. Late check-out fees will be applied
• Where applicable, following an inspection, your deposit will be refunded at the IH Cairo
front desk 24 hours prior to check-out date.

Master Bedroom - IH Cairo Dokki Accommodation

£ 196
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Address: Al-Sad Al-aali street, Dokki, Giza, Egypt
Location: In the city center of Cairo
Housing type: Shared apartment
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: No meals
Facilities: Private bathroom, kitchen, laundry, wireless internet, free internet, tV room, hardwood, and air conditioning
Distance to school: 5 - 10 minutes by walk
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Saturday, after 12:00 PM
£ 196
New for 2023: you can book the accommodation with International House Cairo!
IH Cairo's accommodation is located around a 5-6 minute walk from the school, in Dokki, close to supermarkets, pharmacies, hospitals, cafés etc.

You will be sharing with maximum two other students during your stay with us.
Rooms can be split upon request, allowing two IH students to stay in one room and lowering individual accommodation costs.

The residence comes with the following to cater for your stay and study needs:
• Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
• Free Maintenance service.
• Free Water, and Gas bills.
• Comfortable bedrooms with modern furniture.
• Residence is equipped with all electric appliances (air conditioners, fridge, washer,
water heater, TV, etc…).
• Desk equipped for Laptop and study use.
• Shared Laundry service.
• Shared living room facility.
• Cleaning service available once a week (every Friday or Saturday)

Accommodation fees:
- Accommodation costs $600 for the single bedroom, and $750 for the master bedroom per full 4-week period. This price includes ALL BILLS except electricity.
- Accommodation security deposit fees are 100 USD refundable on the checkout date.
- Early check-in / late check-out fees are 30 USD/night.
- Electricity bills are not included and shall be paid one day before the check-out date.
- Full payment is required before checking in.
- Accommodation fees are non-refundable 7 days prior to the check-in date.
- Accommodation fees can be refunded if cancellation is requested 7 days prior the check
in date after deducting 25% as an admin fee.
- The accommodation deposit is refundable 24 hours prior to the check out date at the
school’s front desk. Deductions may apply for any damage, as mentioned in the residence
agreement.

Check-in
• Check-in is allowed at 12pm (noon) the Saturday before the course start date.
• Early check-in needs to be arranged with IH Cairo customer service team prior to your
arrival to ensure availability that security and housekeeping staff can check you in, early
check-in fees will be applied
• Upon checking-in you will be required to agree to and sign this agreement (the IH Cairo
Residential Accommodation Terms & Conditions).

Check Out
• Check-out is allowed on Friday at 12pm (noon) one day after the end of the course
round.
• Late check-out needs to be arranged with IH Cairo customer service team prior to your
check-out date to ensure availability and that security and housekeeping staff can check
you out. Late check-out fees will be applied
• Where applicable, following an inspection, your deposit will be refunded at the IH Cairo
front desk 24 hours prior to check-out date.
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Flights and airport transfer

The school offers airport pickup services. If you wish to be picked up, just give us your flight details and arrival date. The price of a one-way airport transfer from Cairo International Airport is $25. You must book your airport transfer in advance when you register.

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Cairo based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

Read more...
questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from International House Cairo staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

Ask a question
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