COMMUNICATION (MSA LEVEL B2)

I spent two weeks studying Classical Arabic with homestay at 3Cs. My teacher was excellent; she speaks multiple languages, including Classical Arabic, Tunisian dialect, English and French. She assessed my level and tailored my lessons to what was appropriate for me and my goals. She was very open to talk with me about the culture of Tunisia.
The homestay was absolutely wonderful. They were like my own family. They cared about my comfort and making sure I had an excellent experience for my first time in Tunisia. The food was always fresh and delicious and I could have never experienced this without them.
I am sure not every teacher and family can give the same experience, and I feel really fortunate to have met them. Everything was well organized and all my questions were answered. I received the address and phone number for the homestay before I arrived and was able to text any questions I had. I took the train from Tunis to Sfax and I am sure the school administrator Imed would be happy to help give advice on that or arrange a different transport if you like. If you are unhappy with something I think imed would work hard to make it right. I was very happy with everything and it is an invaluable experience and I truly made friends for life.
As an aside, expect that Tunisia is in a drought and water can be scarce. There are times there is no running water. The family made sure there was always water for bathing, but just as an FYI to be prepared for that.
Also, Africa is not an easy place to travel for a foreigner. If you have been here before you will be prepared for some of the hassles. But if everything was like home, why would you come? It is part of learning.
I highly recommend this school for anyone interested in studying languages in Tunisia.

I took a one week arabic's course in Sfax and stated explicitly what I would like to study and to focus on.

My teacher unfortuantely didn't really listen and I didnt came to study the "root" as I wanted to. Although my teacher has been trying to help me learn arabic I wasn't completely satisfied by her way of teaching which didnt rellay motivate me to go to class.

I rather got a bad feeling about making mistakes as she always appeared to be very shocked when I did, which was quite annoying.

Unfortunately it was the first time for her giving course in arabic which showed in the quite unstructured way she was doing it.

Most of the texts were just too hard for me to read, as I didnt know most of the words.

Although I have the feeling I learned a lot during the week, I didnt enjoy the lessons as much as I would have liked.

It was a course one to one. The Teacher was good. Maybe his metod was to fast.but in general, I have learned a lot. No facilities in the school and no activities. I have found my accomodation by myself.

We were very well received by the secretary of the center, who also told us how to get around Sfax and find everything we needed for our stay.

Our teacher was really excellent: qualified, patient, dynamic, available and enthusiastic.

Our experience has been very positive, we have made good progress in the language.

The school is excellent, very organized and competent. My teacher, Miriam, was great, knowledgeable and confident.

Die Schule 3C ist nicht für Europäische Standards gemacht. Man muss viel Geduld mitbringen, wenn man da einen Kurs besucht. In der ersten Woche hatte ich 3 verschiedene Lehrerinnen, da einfach nichts organisiert war. Zum grossen Glück hatte ich eine Lehrerin, welche ein gutes Herz hat und sie gab alles, dass die Lektionen voran gingen. Leider war es auch da manchmal so, dass sie keine Zeit hatte... daher empfehle ich, nicht während den BAC Vorbereitungen und Prüfungsphasen die Schule zu besuchen, da die meisten Lehrer die Schüler der BAC Prüfungen als erste Priorität haben. Gestört wurde ich während des Unterrichts sehr oft von der Sekretärin der Schule, diese kam mehrmals täglich in's Schulzimmer ohne anklopfen und fragte die Lehrerin ob sie ihr helfen könne, das leider auf meine Schulzeit ging...

Von den Räumen her ist das C3 einfach ausgestattet, es gibt aber alles was man braucht. Die Schule liegt in einem Industrieviertel, was zu Fuss oder mit dem Taxi gut zu erreichen ist.

Was das ganze wirklich rettete war, dass ich die beste Gastfamilie hatte, die ich mir vorstellen konnte! ich wohnte ca 30 Minuten zu Fuss von der Schule, hatte mein eigenes Zimmer und sofort eine perfektes Verhältnis zur ganzen Familie. Die Gastmutter war immer hilfsbereit und mir fehlte es vom Familiären an nichts. Die Frage ist halt, was von dem Geld, welches ich als Logement bezahlt habe, alles zur Gastfamilie kam, oder ob der Direktor der Schule das meiste selbst eingesteckt hat...

First of all: I spent three month there (October 16- December 16), booked the standard Arabic lessons with 25 hours per week. I already knew how to write and read in Arabic. Simple conversations were also no problem. I was around level A1- A2.
The three month were an incredible experience as I was just 18 and for the first time in my life staying for such a long time abroad. I really improved my writing, reading and also speaking skills. But it was my teacher who made that possible not the school itself.

I was introduced at the first day of school to my teacher. A really nice woman around 25 who got her Bachelor in the Arabic language and was a native Tunisian Arabic speaker. During my stay in Sfax we get to know each other better and also met in our free time and I can say that she is now a good friend of mine and I will visit her in summer or another time. But she was not officially working for the school. She was hired two weeks prior and shortly introduced that I will arrive and which knowledge I have. Here is the first mistake. She was told I could not read or write and would barely speak. So the first lesson should be about the letters. That is a huge mistake which I had to clarify so that we could study grammar etc. because I already knew the basics for two years!

Then I payed for English-Arabic translation and my teacher could not speak good English in the beginning. We managed to communicate in Tunisian dialect (because I am from Tunisia therefore I could speak a little bit) and some English words. For a completely foreign person communication would have been nearly impossible. Over time my dialect improved so I do not have a disadvantage but as this is a feedback for others: If you are not familiar with Tunisia and can not speak any Arabic word then this school is definitely the wrong choice for you because they simply do not have the language skills you would expect as a European citizen.

The school was not as described. There was no library, no one gave me cultural tips, no computers for the students (except the teacher´s computer in the classroom), no study area, no social activities, no TV room, no after-class seminars, no audio learning. We had a white board and even the pencils were nearly empty all the time so that we had to ask for new ones, otherwise we could not go on with our lesson. The school was actually a flat in a building and I never saw any other foreign students like me (except of one Italian who I met after my three month were over). The classroom and especially the bathroom was dirty (I was even told to clean up the water-drops which I spread on the floor after I washed my hands!).
In total: The school was not as I pictured. I recommend the owner of the school to update the location otherwise it is just not fair and very unprofessional to leave the old location just because the new one is smaller and does not include the above mentioned features.

The owner of the school welcomed me at the airport and drove me to my location (which was not the location I payed for. It was downgraded! One day before my departure I received a message that the location had to be changed because there was no available room). So I arrived late at night and after taking my bags into my room I wanted to ask about the upcoming lesson but the owner had already disappeared. He did not leave any notes or advice. No one told me where the school is located and how to go there the next day. It was actually lucky because during my summer holidays in Tunisia I drove from Sousse to Sfax to see where the school is located. Nevertheless, it was a 15 min car ride to get there and as I mentioned above a completely foreign person would have been totally lost. I had to speak with the taxi drivers because walking was impossible. So what to do if one can not even speak a single Arabic word? So luckily I arrived the next day on time and had no further problems but the behavior to just leave without a word and with no further instructions is nothing else but unfriendly and impolite.
Also during the three month the owner (who is responsible for everything) barely spoke a word with me. Obviously it was not important whether I had any problems, questions etc. Thank God that I knew how to live in Tunisia, where to find everything, where to go grocery shopping etc. But this is not what I think of when paying so much money and in the end no one cares about me.

The school did not have teaching books for my level, just beginner books. So after one month of studying grammar, my teacher had a great idea: We went to a library and I bought two books for standard Arabic (actually for Tunisian pupils, 6th grade). With these books I could move further and learned a lot. Now I have level B2/C1 and I really feel confident speaking Tunisian dialect and my reading and writing skills improved a lot! So I am very happy. This experience was unique and special but there were also bad situations where I felt alone and lost. At these moments I always called my teacher to help me because she is my friend but she did that as friend not as my teacher! So what to do if she was not my friend and I had no further contact to her? Then no one would have helped me.

Because my teacher was an excellent and motivated person who liked me a lot, this stay was a good time to remember. I cannot imagine what I would have done if I had another teacher. Without the extraordinary effort she made, trying to let me feel comfortable, this would have been a disaster.

I am grateful for this time, this experience because now I have a very close friend in Sfax. She helped me to improve my Arabic skills so much! With her new ideas, endless creativity and different learning methods on a daily basis she really knew how to keep me on track and motivated. This teacher was the best thing that could have happened to me during my stay!

My experience in Sfax with the 3C language center has been good. The manager is very friendly and ready to help if you need anything.
The teachers were experienced and very flexible, so they can adapt the method to the new students. The accommodation at the Youth Hostel was comfortable, the staff were efficient. Average rate: very good.

I was an English teacher at The 3C's Training Centre (then OMDA School of Languages) for Business English and beginner-intermediate level. It was an incredibly rewarding experience which allowed me to experience Tunisia's amazing culture. Mr. Imed Kharrat and the staff are knowledgeable, immensely helpful, and kind. The location is easy to find, and all the school's resources are at your disposal.

I am satisfied with the teaching at OMDA in Sfax, and was really impressed by my teacher, a talented young woman, who created excitement and motivated us.

It seemed that she put all her energy and enthusiasm in teaching. She is really efficient and inspiring.
She motivated us to meet expectations, and at the same time made learning a fun experience.

I was always in a pleasant atmosphere.

The location was okay. There were no activities outside teaching time.

Housing: When one chooses to live in a local family to experience their culture, one won't know what to expect. The family was nice and sympathetic.

Many people don't eat much in the morning, just a simple breakfast. However, when breakfast was included, I assume that many students expected a little more.

My hostess boiled two eggs for breakfast (for me.. some days just one), and there were some dates and orange juice. Milk was also available.

To add more food, I went to the shop to buy some cheese and a few yogurts. You decide if it is good enough.

Perhaps host families need more detailed tips concerning what should be served for breakfast (as a minimum)?

One evening she was cooking Couscous for dinner. She also cooked one portion without gluten for me, but I myself bought this package of couscous at the shop.

I had one unfortunate circumstance, however, which was a really bad and unhygienic situation. That afternoon, arriving home from my first lesson, sewage water flowed across the floor at the bottom of the stairs. (It was an old building with 3 floors.)

This remained like this for the rest of my stay. One barely managed to step over it to reach the first stair.

I chose to complete the lessons faster, so I could leave on Wednesday the second week.