Arabic Lessons in Helsinki — Online, One-to-One

Learning Arabic from Helsinki

The Helsinki capital region — Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa — is where many of Finland’s Arabic-speaking families live. Parents often want children to read and write Arabic alongside Finnish or Swedish school, while adults choose MSA for study and work or Darija before visiting Morocco.

Lisanova Academy is an online academy run from Morocco. It has no classroom, branch, agent or locally based tutor in Northern Europe: every lesson is a live one-to-one video lesson with a Moroccan teacher.

Where to start

Children who speak Arabic at home: MSA reading and writing at an age-appropriate pace. Adults new to Arabic: the MSA alphabet, or Darija conversation if your link is Moroccan. Families: Quran reading arranged separately on WhatsApp.

Lisanova teaches two kinds of Arabic: Modern Standard Arabic (MSA, Fusha) — the formal Arabic of books, news, documents and Islamic scholarship — and Moroccan Darija, the everyday spoken Arabic of Morocco. Quran lessons are a separate path. It does not teach Levantine, Iraqi, Egyptian, Gulf or other Arabic dialects, or Tamazight (Berber) languages.

An Arabic tutor that fits a Helsinki week

A private online tutor removes the trip across the capital region after work or school. You keep one regular weekly time, with the same teacher where possible, and the teacher plans each lesson around what you practised since the last one.

Lesson times in Helsinki

Helsinki is on Eastern European Time. Eastern European Time is UTC+2 in winter and UTC+3 in summer. Morocco is on UTC+1 for most of the year and UTC+0 during Ramadan, so you are usually one hour ahead of your teacher in winter and two hours ahead in summer, and one hour more during Ramadan. A 17:00 lesson in Helsinki in winter is usually 16:00 in Morocco.

When you book the free trial or ask on WhatsApp, send your city and two or three preferred local times. The academy replies with a proposed time in your local time and in Morocco time; the lesson is fixed only once you both confirm. No timetable is published in advance and no hour is guaranteed.

Explanation language and teachers

Lisanova has teachers who explain lessons in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as in Arabic; not every teacher speaks every one of these languages. The Arabic you learn is a separate choice from the explanation language. English suits most learners in Helsinki; lessons are not explained in Finnish or Swedish. Tell us your preference when you enquire and we match you with a suitable teacher.

Prices and getting started

Private Arabic and Moroccan Darija: one 60-minute lesson $20; 8 hours $120; 12 hours $170; 16 hours $200. Prices are in US dollars; no euro, króna or other local-currency price is offered. The first trial lesson is free.

Quran and Islamic Studies: single class $12 per hour; Monthly Package 1, 8 hours per month, $80; Monthly Package 2, 12 hours per month, $110. Families get 15% off for each additional sibling. Discover Islam sessions are free.

Book the free Arabic/Darija trial with your name, WhatsApp number and preferred package; the academy arranges the time with you on WhatsApp. You can pay by bank transfer, by card or through a money-transfer service such as Western Union. Quran enquiries are arranged on WhatsApp. Cancellation and refund conditions are on the Terms page.