# Learning Arabic in Cairo - Qortoba Institute



## clugo13

Hello,
I plan on traveling to Cairo this summer to take intensive Arabic courses and I wanted to ask if anyone had any experience with them. I was looking at Qortoba and Fajr Center but since Qortoba is cheaper and uses the same texts and methods, I am leaning toward enrolling with them.

I would greatly appreciate any insights on this.


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## Beatle

clugo13 said:


> Hello,
> I plan on traveling to Cairo this summer to take intensive Arabic courses and I wanted to ask if anyone had any experience with them. I was looking at Qortoba and Fajr Center but since Qortoba is cheaper and uses the same texts and methods, I am leaning toward enrolling with them.
> 
> I would greatly appreciate any insights on this.


Hi 

I haven't heard of either of these language schools. I have studied at International Language Institute in Mohandiseen which has a good standard of tuition but isn't the cheapest language school I have come across. Some friends have studied at Kalimet in Mohandiseen and said that the standard of tuition was varied. 4uarabic school which is based in Midan Tahrir is cheaper and is meant to be good. The good thing about these language schools is that you can enrol for just a month and then move if you don't like the standard of teaching.

What texts does Qortoba use and where is it based?


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## clugo13

Beatle said:


> What texts does Qortoba use and where is it based?


Qortoba has 2 locations - Maadi and Alexandria and uses a book called Kitaab Al-Asaasee.


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## abuyounus

fajr center uses the "al arabia bayna yadayk" books and is definately recommended.


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## naddy

*qortoba institute*

I had a friend who studied at qortoba and she said that she would not recommend it.she was there on a scholarship but said that they didnt deliver what was promised on the scholarship and that there teachers arent that experienced.she said it is very disorganised and they are not honest when it comes to money as they will try to squeeze as muchmoney out of you as possible.she said that the apartments arent like the photographs on the website. she said a lot of students go there because its one of the only institutes in alexandria and if students dont want to live in cairo then they dont have much choice.she said that there is a good institute called the arabi centre in alexandria but that it is very expensive.she said that students that are going to qortoba she would advise them not to pay any fees up front or before they have arrived at the institute because they sometimes tell students that this is required but it isnt because she knows many students who have come over without paying up front and that it is better to pay monthly because if you pay all the money up front and then encounter problems you will have difficulty getting it back.



clugo13 said:


> Hello,
> I plan on traveling to Cairo this summer to take intensive Arabic courses and I wanted to ask if anyone had any experience with them. I was looking at Qortoba and Fajr Center but since Qortoba is cheaper and uses the same texts and methods, I am leaning toward enrolling with them.
> 
> I would greatly appreciate any insights on this.


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## Leavingcairo

A lot of institutes ask for money in advance, or offer a discount for bulk payment - avoid this at all costs, as you would then be locked into the programme. If your situation changes and you need to leave, they will not give you a refund.

There are also other institutes such as the Nile Centre and Sibaway (i think thats the right spelling), both in Nasr City, try google for more info on arabic centre in egypt.


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## fmartin

If you are interested in Egyptian Arabic, the American University of Cairo has printed several books that are excellent


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## fmartin

These Egyptian Arabic books by AUC are organized according to levels and do not use arabic but lating characters, focusing in pronountiation


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## ilovebahamas

clugo13 said:


> Hello,
> I plan on traveling to Cairo this summer to take intensive Arabic courses and I wanted to ask if anyone had any experience with them. I was looking at Qortoba and Fajr Center but since Qortoba is cheaper and uses the same texts and methods, I am leaning toward enrolling with them.
> 
> I would greatly appreciate any insights on this.


I painstakingly learned Arabic. Im still not that fluent, but learned some basics. I was part of the medical team there back in 2004, we were conducting research on the effects of newly developed medicies. it was really hard to communicate there with the locals coz nobody speaks English very well. We had to hire an interpreter, but sometimes we fell uncomfy


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