More and more people are deciding to learn the spoken dialects of Arabic, to be able to speak easily and comfortably with people. I teach Syrian dialect, which is one of the varieties of Levantine Arabic spoken by Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians & Palestinians.
Levantine Arabic is a group of spoken dialects used in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. It’s one of the most widely understood and commonly spoken Arabic dialects, with an estimated 30 to 35 million native speakers. Levantine Arabic is accessible for learners. It has a softer sound and simpler grammatical rules than MSA, which makes it attractive for learners.
Modern Standard Arabic – often called ‘Fusha’, or ‘Classical’ – is the standardized and literary variety of Arabic used in formal contexts across the Arab world. It serves as a unifying linguistic medium across the region, despite the fact that it is rarely used in daily life and few people actually speak it fluently.
More and more people are deciding to learn the spoken dialects of Arabic, to be able to speak easily and comfortably with people. I teach Syrian dialect, which is one of the varieties of Levantine Arabic spoken by Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians & Palestinians.
Arabic is a member of the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, which also includes Hebrew, Aramaic, Amharic, and Phoenician. It originated in the Arabian Peninsula, with the earliest known Arabic inscriptions dating back to the 4th century CE. Classical Arabic was formalized in the 7th century with the advent of Islam and the Qur’an. Arabic shares many linguistic features with other Semitic languages, such as root-based word formation and similar grammatical structures. These connections highlight a shared linguistic ancestry that stretches back thousands of years and reflects deep cultural and historical ties across the Middle East and beyond.
Modern Standard Arabic is the standardized and literary variety of Arabic used in formal contexts across the Arab world. It evolved from Classical Arabic, the language of the Qur’an and early Islamic literature, and began to take its current form in the 19th and 20th centuries as part of modernization and educational reforms in Arabic-speaking countries.
MSA is understood by most educated speakers across the Arab world, from Morocco to Iraq. It serves as a unifying linguistic medium across the region, despite the fact that native speakers grow up speaking various regional dialects that can differ significantly from each other. These dialects—often mutually unintelligible—are used in daily conversation, while MSA is used in formal speech, literature, news media, official documents, education, and religious contexts.
There are approximately 300 million native Arabic speakers, and while MSA is not the “native” tongue of any population, it is taught in schools and used widely in official and public life. Millions more learn it as a second language across Muslim-majority countries and among scholars of Islam or Middle Eastern studies.
Today, MSA is the language of newspapers, books, formal speeches, and international communication in the Arab world. It is also the language used in pan-Arab satellite TV, like Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya, although some media also incorporate dialects to reach broader audiences. In recent years, the internet and social media have introduced more informal styles of Arabic writing, blending MSA with local dialects and even using Latin script, a trend particularly common among younger users.
Despite these changes, MSA remains a crucial element of Arab identity, education, and cultural continuity, bridging centuries of linguistic heritage and modern communication.
Levantine Arabic is a group of spoken dialects used primarily in the Eastern Mediterranean region, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and parts of Israel. It’s one of the most widely understood and commonly spoken Arabic dialects, with an estimated 30 to 35 million native speakers. While it shares roots with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), Levantine Arabic has its own unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammatical structures that distinguish it from both MSA and other regional dialects like Egyptian or Gulf Arabic.
What makes Levantine Arabic particularly attractive for language learners is its widespread use in everyday conversation, media, music, and pop culture. It’s considered one of the more “neutral” and widely understood dialects due to the popularity of Levantine TV shows, films, and music across the Arab world. This broad exposure makes it easier to communicate with speakers from other regions, even if their own dialects differ.
Levantine Arabic is also relatively accessible for learners compared to other dialects. It has a softer sound and simpler grammatical rules than MSA, particularly when it comes to verb conjugation and sentence structure. It’s also widely taught in Arabic language programs abroad, especially those focused on practical conversation rather than literary or religious texts.
For those interested in traveling, working, or engaging with communities in the Levant or with the large Levantine diaspora, learning this dialect provides an authentic and practical connection to daily life. It also serves as a strong foundation for understanding other Arabic dialects and transitioning to MSA if needed. Whether for cultural exploration, career opportunities, or social connection, Levantine Arabic is a highly useful and rewarding dialect to learn.
Do you want to learn Levantine Arabic in a clear, organized and fun way? Then you’re in the right place! We’ll work together at a pace and rhythm that suits your interests and needs.
I teach both one-on-one and small group lessons. We’ll tailor our work & pace to your needs, interests & availability.
I use Zoom and I record each lesson for your study convenience. Use the form’s comments to tell me what particularly interests you, what previous experience you have learning Arabic, or what your goals are. We’ll have a free initial meeting to develop a lesson plan based on your goals.
I have ongoing small groups aimed mostly at spoken fluency. We chat about topics of interest and my students learn in a realistic conversational context.