Learn Arabicin Cairo

Cairo - ILI

Living in Egypt

Modern Egypt

C airo is a mega-city of some 17 million people. Cairo is called “Mother of the World” given its location at the

crossroads of Africa and the Middle East. The city is diverse and cosmopolitan, where ancient and modern cultures co-exist.

Old Cairo with its bazaars, dusty alleyways and coffee shops is circled by the modern city with five star hotels, fashionable cafes, shopping malls and cinemas. The River Nile dissects the metropolis, with the old city centre and Old Cairo on the east bank and newer residential suburbs with their local shopping areas on the west bank.

Housing and new-town developments adjacent to the city are rapidly developing in the form of the new desert cities where modern Cairo is emerging. Modern Cairo has become the home of hi-tech industries in the new ‘Smart Village’, factories producing Mercedes, BMW, Suzuki and General Motors; tech companies like Toshiba and National and other multi-national electronics industries; food factories like Nestle and Cadbury; pharmaceuticals, textiles and weaving; clothing producers like Benetton, Naf-Naf and Pierre Cardin and a huge range of industrial products and top brand names all manufacturing under license in Egypt.

Studying atInternational House, Cairo

The School

I LI was first opened in 1975 in a leafy suburb of Cairo and was the first International House language school in the

region. Being an International House school means that we approach teaching Arabic in a lively and modern way. If you don’t know the International House organization you can find out more on www.ihwo.com

Downtown is a 15 minute taxi ride away and the Great Pyramids of Giza about 40 minutes. (Admitted it depends on the traffic – however, sounds romantic!). Cairo, although a huge city is in a narrow valley and from one side on the Mokattam Hills to the plateau of Geza on the other side is only a few kilometers.

The school offers a wide range of Arabic courses with an average of 250-300 full-time students attending every month from some 30 different countries, so we really are a cosmopolitan community. 20 modern air-conditioned classrooms, a spacious café and restaurant open all day, a free internet centre, small one-to-one teaching units, teacher training, teachers’ development and resources unit, book writing, resident author and lots of practical technology are some of the facilities our students enjoy.

We also provide a whole range of other facilities and support (which you can read about later) including airport meet and greet, two serviced residences, social activities, trips and excursions, and special services to universities, foreign offices and organizations.

Arabic courses atInternational House, Cairo

What programs do we offer?

We teach ECA (Egyptian Colloquial spoken Arabic) and MSA (Modern Standard reading and writing Arabic). We offer full-time

morning courses 5 days a week . We offer young learners courses; we train teachers of Arabic as a foreign language in-house and on-line, develop teaching materials, on-line courses and tailor-made programs for clients.

We are particularly experienced in handling the following customers and are able to provide customized curriculums to meet our clients need : Foreign Ministries, diplomat training Ministries of Development & AID.

The Military. Groups of young learners. NGO’s UN/EU organizations Ministries of Education Teachers of Arabic University students from schools of Middle

Eastern Studies, Arabic, Politics and Islamic faculties, etc.

Arabic courses atInternational House, Cairo

Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).

We teach Aameya or EgyptianColloquial Arabic which is the mostwidely understood in the Middle East.With our communicative approach,and our focus on small classes, studentscan quickly progress through the levelsto a point where they really begin tocommunicate.

For beginner students who do notknow to read and write we add on extrasupport, free of charge. There are tenlevels, from beginners to Advanced thatconform to European and Americanlanguage teaching classifications andstandards.

We teach Fus-ha or Modern StandardArabic which is used in more academicconversation, books newspapers andthe media. The course enables you todevelop your reading and writing skillsas well as listening and speaking. Asyou progress you will be able to followcultural and current affairs in the MiddleEast and be able to understand radio andTV programs, read Arabic literature andalso Islamic texts. All the other stuff...

90% of our students come from abroad so we have to look after you. Cairo is an amazing city to live in, but

let’s say it can be challenging!

• Meet and greet. • 31 bed residence.

• Hotel bookings• Flat rental service.

So please, don’t feel that you are on your own. We are there to support you and help you so you really enjoy

your learning and living in Cairo.

Arabic courses atInternational House, Cairo

Other courses Teacher Training

Course Books

ILI has developed a wide range of special courses over the years and continues to do so through our development department. As well as private group classes in school or in-company, one-to-one and small group tuition we offer Media Arabic, and Arabic for Economics, Political Science, aspects of Religion, History, Business Communication and even Calligraphy (actually pretty popular!).

We have always trained our teachers on International House programs which ensure the quality of our staff and follow-up quality control. The full-time or part-time 120 hour courses are accredited by IH World and the certificates gained recognized worldwide.

ILI has developed two series of books over the last 3 years published by the American University in Cairo. The easiest way to learn about the books is through our website or from reviews on Amazon. Kallimni Arabi is the ECA program which is acclaimed worldwide and is available in 5 books covering 10 levels. Lughatuna Al fusha is the new MSA series; is available in 6 books covering 10 levels.

Arabic courses atInternational House, Cairo

Courses are offered in 10 levels each, from beginner to advanced levels.

Specialized courses like Media Arabic, Economics, Political Science, Business Communication , Poetry, Aspects of Religion & History and Calligraphy. Teacher Training in Teaching Arabic as a

Foreign Language. (TAFL certificate ) We offer young learner courses. We have our own books “Kallimni Arabi

Series” and “ Lughatuna al- Fusha” available through Amazon. On-line learning and on-line teacher

training. Tailor made courses. We provide our own residence.

(On site and Off Site) We can provide student insurance through

the recommended International House insurance company, Guard.me

ECA courses are offered 10 hours per week forUSD 180 (2 weeks) & 360 (4 weeks)MSA courses are offered 15 hours per week forUSD 255 (2 weeks) & 510 (4 weeks)Combined courses are offered 25 hours per week for USD 435 (2 weeks) & 870 (4 weeks)

For Online application follow the link:www.arabicegypt.com

What can you do?

N ewcomers to Egypt will want to sample Cairo’s Pharaonic history such as the Pyramids, Saqqara and

Memphis, old Cairo, the markets and visiting the Egyptian Museum. These places are easy to find but there are many other interesting archaeological sites within a day’s drive from Cairo that are less crowded.

Those who are particularly interested in Egypt’s ancient archaeological sites and seeing those that are less accessible to the general public should join the Egypt Exploration Society (EES) which organizes regular lectures and visits to archaeological sites. The school, as we said, organizes lots of local trips to the Pyramids, Old Cairo, Memphis etc with our really nice tourist guides!

We also do camping and 4-wheel trips in the white desert or visiting Siwa or the Sinai. One of the best ways of getting around is to ask other students who have done some of the more exciting and madder trips how they did it! However, do not tell your mother we suggested this!

Islamic Cairo (Old Cairo) and Coptic Cairo are fascinating parts of the city, both having excellent local museums. Islamic Cairo has survived virtually intact as it was spared the ravages of Mongol and Crusader invasion. Apart from the famous mosques and the “souk” area known as Khan El Khalili, Islamic Cairo is little changed, except over the years it sadly fell into ruin. Recently, it is being completely restored, becoming pedestrian-friendly, and now includes the extraordinary Aga Khan’s El Azha Gardens of 35 acres.

What can you do?

T he old city walls have emerged along with the gardens from a very ancient and very, very large rubbish dump and

the whole area is now really interesting. It took 800,000 truck loads to clear the centuries old rubbish tip! Cairo has loads of modern cinemas showing British and American films.

There is an international film festival in the autumn which shows some of the latest releases.

There are 10 local television channels with many programmes in English and numerous companies offering satellite TV, e.g. Orbit and Showtime, with masses of channels.

The Cairo Opera House presents international events of modern, pop and classical music, opera and plays in sophisticated surroundings. A large number of international hotels provide a wide range of international cuisine. Students use them for their night clubs, bars and swimming pools.

Apart from the hotels, there is a wide range of restaurants and quality coffee shops throughout Cairo and the suburbs and finally just loads and loads of coffee shops, fast food outlets and good local cafes, bars and restaurants.

Cairo has the weather for outdoor sports. There are many sporting clubs with swimming pools, fitness centres like Gold’s Gym, tennis and squash courts. Most students pay the daily rate to use a club’s facilities but longer term membership can be bought.

What can you do?

T here are also many excellent golf courses – bring your clubs! The Sinai peninsula and Red Sea are nearby and

the scuba diving and snorkeling on the coral reefs incredible and beautiful. You don’t have to stay in 5 star hotels – there is lots of choice.

Further afield are the desert oases of Siwa and Baharia, Farafra and Kharga (best visited in winter). The school can advise you on visiting these little known oases, where off-road expeditions in 4x4’s or on camels are incredibly popular with students.

(Problem is most of them don’t want to come back!). Then, of course, there are the wonders of Luxor and Aswan. Travel by plane, train or bus to any of these destinations is good for short holidays.

Useful Information

Food and Drink

Almost everything you want is available from supermarkets - except Marmite, a strange black English substance which only appears occasionally and causes a small riot amongst a very small group of weird people!

Prices vary considerably whether you shop at mega-markets like Carrefour or street markets, small shops and street vendors. Fruit and vegetable markets display a huge range of produce all year round. Cairo definitely welcomes vegetarians!

There is a flourishing fast-food market (everyone delivers everything) with all the familiar names – Pizza Hut, Pizza Express, Burger Kind, McDonalds, KFC. Believe it or not, you can even get a McDonalds breakfast delivered at 6am!

More ‘sophisticated’ cuisine is also available in the city and suburbs including Thai, Chinese, Indian, French, Italian, Lebanese etc. and of course Egyptian.

Useful Information

Alcohol Medical

Although Egypt is predominately a Muslim country, alcohol is widely available and not prohibited. The local beer and wines are good (produced by Heineken), including made-under-license beers and good local brands. Quality local spirits (plus designer drinks) have recently come on to the market from the same company and are also good.

However, homemade-type locally produced spirits, although cheap, are truly appalling and at best will only make you impotent! Please don’t even think about drinking this stuff!

Pharmacies abound, most medical products are available and many of those subject to prescription in the UK are available over thecounter. If you have to take special medicines regularly, check with us to make sure they are available.

As a student you should make sure you are covered with a good medical insurance policy. The school will be happy to refer to good doctors and hospitals that we know and trust. Please ask us to help.

Useful Information

Clothes

Winter is usually warm during the day but cold at night, with temperatures dipping to single figures, so for 8 – 12 weeks of the year you will need jumpers, cardigans and jackets. (Most foreigners think that Cairo is always hot – not true!) For other times of the year when it’s hot, smart loose cotton clothing is most comfortable. Please respect the conservative culture of the country and Islam, and dress modestly in the cities. In Sinai and the Red Sea resorts, wear what you like! This does not mean that in the cities women have to cover up Saudi-style; it just means you have to dress sensibly.

There is a huge textile industry in Egypt, which is famous for its cotton. Reasonably-priced casual and smart clothes are widely available and there are loads of local and international brands. Just a note: you should also have clothes for more formal occasions. When Egyptians celebrate, they really dress up! Don’t forget your diamonds when invited to a wedding!

Useful Information

Tourist visas and Residence

Most nationalities can enter Egypt by buying a tourist visa on arrival at the airport. If you are unsure, please email us and we will advise you.

Thereafter you have to keep your visa up-to-date which is a relatively simple process and we can advise and help you. Fortunately, unlike some countries most nationalities are automatically granted an entry visa and no one needs an exit visa. Cairo airport and the immigration procedures are actually pretty easy to navigate.

However, to be on the safe side, please check with your nearest Egyptian embassy or email us to see if you have to get a visa before arrival. Obviously, we cannot be responsible for your entry or stay, but we can help and advise.

Student Living Costs Cairo

Exchange Rates Student Living Costs in Cairo

Accommodation

Students arriving in Egypt obviously need to know what it is going to cost them to live as well as study. A good guide to the Cost of Living can be found at www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living

There are no problems exchanging U$, EUR or £ and most other currencies at banks or exchange offices. Exchange rates are very much in favour of foreign students coming with international currencies. The Egyptian Pound is called LE - Livre Egyptienne. The U$1 = LE9, EUR1 : LE9.95 and £1 : 12.90 (at the time of editing May 2016). ILI/IH Cairo has two residences for students: one

5 bedroom unit is in the main school building and another 26 bedroom unit 15 minutes away in Dokki which includes a free shuttle bus to and from school. The school residences are a good choice being properly designed student apartments. They come in fully air-conditioned units of 5 bedrooms or 3 bedrooms with 24 hour security, individual bed/study rooms, WiFi, cable TV, kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, sitting and dining rooms plus fire systems (unusual in Cairo!) cleaned daily and bedding and towels provided. There are no extras, utility costs are included. http://www.arabicegypt.com/services/

We can help with finding your own accommodation through trusted agents and for some LE5000 - 7000 a month you should be able to find good accommodation for 3 sharing. The disadvantage, of course, is that your flat will not be serviced and maintained by the school.

Getting your money

ATM machines abound everywhere and you can access your overseas bank on your cards. You do not

have to an Egyptian credit card or bank account.

Students obviously have varying perceptions of how much they need. You need to be able to live at a decent standard, afford reasonable accommodation, eat out from time to time, take breaks take part in a range of social activities with friends and colleagues. Everyday bills for phones, electricity and gas are reasonable and traveling around the city by taxi or going to different parts of Egypt by bus or train is cheap.

Contact information:

International Language Institute,P.O.Box 13, Embaba, Cairo. 12411, Egypt.

Phone: (202) 3346 3087 (Sunday to Thursday 0800 to 1500 Cairo time).Cairo is currently GMT + 2hours.Fax: (202) 3303 5624

info@arabicegypt.comwww.arabicegypt.com

How to apply:Students can apply to any of our courses online at www.arabicegypt.com

So that’s it! We hope this was useful.Please email us if we can be of further help.

Cairo - ILI