An online Arabic tutor for Manila

Learning Arabic from Manila

Metro Manila is where many Filipinos complete the paperwork and training for jobs in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, and it is home to Muslim communities in Quiapo, around the Golden Mosque, and in Taguig. Long commutes make evening classes across the city difficult, so a private online tutor at home is often the practical choice.

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

Arabic before working in the Gulf

Workers preparing to leave often want to read Arabic signs and simple forms, greet employers and colleagues politely, and understand numbers, days and directions. MSA lessons can focus on these in the weeks before departure and continue online once you arrive. Lisanova does not teach Gulf dialects, place workers or provide pre-departure certificates.

Where to start

Gulf-bound workers: practical MSA. Muslim families: Quran reading and Tajweed for children. Students: MSA grammar and reading. Learners with Moroccan partners: Darija conversation.

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 Gulf, Levantine, Egyptian or other Arabic dialects.

Lesson times in Manila

Manila is on UTC+8 all year. For most of the year, 10:00 in Morocco is 17:00 in Manila; during Ramadan the difference grows by one hour. You can keep the same teacher after moving to the Gulf; send your new city and times.

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 Manila; lessons are not explained in Filipino. 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 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; if one option is not available from your country, ask about the others before paying. Quran enquiries are arranged on WhatsApp. Cancellation and refund conditions are on the Terms page.