Learning Arabic in Beirut: Lebanese dialect, MSA and where to study

Beirut is one of the few places where you can learn Arabic and get answered in English, French and Arabic in the same sentence. That's a blessing and a trap.

The short version

• There are two Arabics to think about. Lebanese Arabic is what people speak. Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is what's written, read on the news and used in formal settings.
• The big university programmes are at the American University of Beirut (AUB) and the Lebanese American University (LAU). AUB's 2026 summer programme cost US$3,600 in tuition; LAU's four-week summer intensive came to about US$1,974 [1][2][3].
• Both universities also run semester courses, and LAU offers online classes and one-on-one tutorials [3][4].
• Lebanese-Australian heritage learners often speak well but can't read. Pick a course that puts you in the right level for each skill.
• Smartraveller's advice for Lebanon is Do not travel [5]. Check that a course is running, and what happens to your fees if it's cancelled, before you pay.

Dialect or MSA: which one first?

Ask five Arabic teachers and you'll get five answers. Here's how it plays out in Beirut.

If you're living in Beirut for a year or two and want a social life, start with Lebanese Arabic. If you want to read, work in the region or study further, start with MSA and add dialect early. Many learners do both at once, and the universities now build courses that way. LAU's summer intensive, for instance, splits its credits between MSA and Lebanese colloquial [3].

A note on Arabizi: Lebanese people often text Arabic in Latin letters, using numbers for sounds English doesn't have (3 for the "ain", 7 for a breathy "h"). You'll pick it up from group chats whether you study it or not.

The role of English and French

You'll notice quickly that Beirut doesn't force you to speak Arabic. Many people switch between Arabic, French and English in one conversation, and plenty of educated Beirutis grew up in French or English schools. Menus in Hamra and Mar Mikhael are often in English.

That's the trap. If your tone or accent sounds foreign, people will kindly switch to English, and six months later you'll still only know how to order a manoushe. Tell people you're learning and ask them to stay in Arabic. Most will be delighted.

French matters too, especially in Achrafieh, in older institutions and in some bureaucratic settings. If your kids are at a French school, you may find yourself learning French before Arabic.

Where to study in Beirut

American University of Beirut (AUB)

AUB's Center for Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies (CAMES) runs the best-known summer programme. In 2026 it ran on campus in Ras Beirut from 24 June to 29 July, worth 6 credits, with two streams: Arabic Language and Culture (MSA) and Colloquial Lebanese Arabic [1]. Applications closed on 30 April, with a placement exam done remotely beforehand [1].

The Colloquial Lebanese stream is intense. AUB describes around six hours of class a day plus four to five hours of homework, with levels from introductory (no Arabic needed, and you learn the alphabet) to advanced [6].

Fees for 2026 [2]:

Outside summer, AUB takes visiting and non-degree students for the autumn and spring semesters. You can take up to two Arabic courses a semester, one in MSA and one in Lebanese colloquial, for up to 10 hours a week [4].

Lebanese American University (LAU)

LAU teaches Arabic to non-native speakers through SINARC, its Arabic language institute, which runs out of the Beirut campus in Ras Beirut. The Beirut summer intensive in 2026 ran from 8 June to 3 July: four weeks, 60 hours in total (about 15 a week), beginner to advanced, worth 4 credits [3].

LAU's listed costs were US$1,768 tuition, plus a US$185.50 student association fee and US$20 insurance, for a total of US$1,973.50. A US$1,000 non-refundable deposit was deducted from that total. Optional dorm rooms ran from US$1,800 a month shared [3].

SINARC also runs autumn and spring programmes in Beirut, online courses including a self-paced beginners' course, and one-on-one tutorials [3]. The online option suits anyone who wants to start before they land.

Language schools and private tutors

Beirut has independent Arabic schools and many freelance tutors, from university students to experienced teachers. We don't recommend specific businesses, and prices change fast, so ask around and compare. Before paying, check:

1. Which Arabic they teach. Lebanese, MSA or both, and whether they use Arabic script or transliteration.
2. Their materials. A clear textbook or curriculum beats "we'll just chat".
3. A trial lesson. Most tutors offer one.
4. How you pay. Cash in US dollars is common. Agree on a rate per hour and what happens with cancellations, including during power cuts or security alerts.
5. Online backup. If classes have to stop, can they move to video?

For heritage learners

A lot of Australians in Beirut are Lebanese-Australians. About 367,000 people spoke Arabic at home in Australia at the 2021 Census [7], and many grew up hearing Lebanese Arabic from parents and grandparents in Sydney or Melbourne.

Heritage learners usually have a lopsided profile: decent listening, some speaking, little or no reading and writing. A standard beginners' class will bore you; an intermediate class may lose you on the alphabet. A few tips:

• Ask for split placement. AUB's intermediate colloquial level accepts students with some knowledge of Standard or Lebanese Arabic, placed after an oral interview [6]. Be honest about each skill.
• Learn the alphabet on your own first. It takes a few weeks of steady practice and makes every class more useful.
• Use family. Ask relatives to correct you, not just praise you. Grandparents are great teachers of the vocabulary nobody else uses.
• Watch what you copied as a kid. Home Arabic in Australia can mix in English words and older village expressions. Beirut slang has moved on.

If you're a dual citizen, MSA is also handy for reading official Lebanese documents, from your family civil register extract to residency and property paperwork.

Making it stick

Classes only get you so far. Beirut gives you the rest for free:

1. Shop locally. The man at the corner dekkene will teach you numbers whether you like it or not.
2. Chat to your taxi driver. Book a licensed cab, as Smartraveller suggests [5], and practise on the way. Drivers talk.
3. Watch Lebanese TV and comedy with Arabic subtitles.
4. Set your phone to Arabic once you can read the menus.
5. Find a language exchange. Plenty of locals want to practise English or Australian slang.

Safety and practicalities

Smartraveller's overall level for Lebanon is Do not travel, most recently raised on 28 February, and it warns that airspace can close at short notice [5]. For anyone booking a course from Australia:

• Read the refund policy. Both AUB's and LAU's summer deposits were non-refundable in 2026 [2][3].
• Check whether your travel insurance covers you at all. Many policies exclude places under Do not travel.
• Prefer programmes with an online option, so a sudden departure doesn't end your studies.
• Your visa matters. Australians get a one-month visitor visa on arrival, extendable, but longer study usually needs a residence permit. Our moving guide explains the options.

And find people to practise with. Join Cooee Lebanon, our Facebook group for Australians in Lebanon, and ask who's running a conversation group or knows a good tutor this term.

Sources

1. Summer Arabic Programs – Center for Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies, AUB
2. Fees and funding, Summer Arabic Programs – AUB
3. Summer Intensive Program, Beirut – SINARC, Lebanese American University
4. Non-degree Arabic program – CAMES, AUB
5. Lebanon travel advice – Smartraveller (DFAT)
6. Colloquial Lebanese Arabic Program – CAMES, AUB
7. Mandarin remains most spoken language other than English, 2021 Census – SBS

Keep reading

• Schools in Beirut: IB, the French bac and the Lebanese programme
• Lebanese-Australians: passports, family and staying connected
• Aussie life in Beirut
• Consular help and Smartraveller for Australians abroad