Arabic classes at itec benefit from M. Farouk Al Malki’s How to Say it in Arabic. This material comes with a textbook and eight audio CDs. The material is helpful in that it facilitates learning both within and outside the classroom. “The audio CDs are especially useful in that I can play them when engaged in other activities like driving or before going to bed.” Arabic classes at itec focus instruction on conversational skills. Student-Instructor interaction is placed at an optimum and students are given ample opportunities to practice their speaking and listening skills.

Conversational skills in Arabic genuinely assist the skills remit of any employee. Especially, those from non-Arabic backgrounds. These skills aid in breaking the ice and it is worth expanding your vocabulary at least. ‘I am a fairly qualified professional who has a keen interest in the Middle East. I plan to stay here for a while, and so I felt it was important to enhance my Arabic skills. When applying for jobs, though my Arabic skills are limited, I made a mention of my tuition. To my surprise, this came up in an interview and I was able to expand upon some specific and some transferable skills attained through the course of my language studies.’

In offering practical instruction, learners are exposed to relevant usages of the language. A variety of phrases and conversational blocks are provided for Arabic in specific situations. Recently, I was asked to deliver a speech by my employer to a delegation of Arabic speakers. I opted to present a small portion in Arabic. It went down really well with the delegation and I was commended at the end of the speech. This wouldn’t have been possible without the assistance of itec’s dedicated Arabic tutor, I must say though, I was left feeling really pleased with myself, too.’

As Dae Hyun continues to work on his fluency, his story is a prime example of how consistent engagement is helping to assist the Arabic ability of expatriates from the most diverse backgrounds. Seemingly daunting, modern Arabic shares a lot of words with the English language. “A few days ago, I met with an Arab neighbour who lives nearby. He has very basic skills in English. So through a mish-mash of English and Arabic we were able to converse. Our wives have got talking now, so expect a hybrid language of Arab-lish to develop very soon!?!”

Reem found this class to be so beneficial, that she wanted to sign-up during the class break. “I had finally met my match. The instructor was so well-prepared and the class flowed very well. I now want to sign-up for Part 2.” What makes these classes so beneficial is itec’s course content and the instructors’ dislike for general delivery. Each learner is different and although the class is taken in a group setting, it is formatted to take individual needs into account. Coupled by the fact that class sizes are limited to 10 students only, individual attention is both practical and inclusive.

Reem’s plans of setting up her own business are now in full flow. Business Communication for Professionals (BCP) has set her well on her way to communicating with confidence and more importantly, with clarity.

An example of this is Jasmine. After being in a management role with a reputed training organization, Jasmine wanted to move into a training role. She came to itec to obtain her qualifications for MS Office 2007 and soon after receiving her certificates, was promoted to the role of a Senior MOS Trainer. This gave her the opportunity to train students from various organizations in UAE and the GCC.

Jasmine came back to itec in the following year to upgrade her certification to include the 2010 MS Office suite, which subsequently opened more doors for her.

“itec’s private classes were the perfect option for me to ensure the sessions were perfectly aligned to my needs. They were pitched at the right level and we could work at the pace that worked best for me.”

Today Jasmine is a successful MS Office trainer and is well recognised for her knowledge of the software.