Tunisian Dialect- Private Instruction - 25 hours per week

The 3 Cs Training Centre

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Course description

Colloquial Arabic refers to the spoken language in Tunisia. It was originally a combination of Arabic and the native and regional languages existing in Tunisia before the Arab conquest, such as Berber. More recently it has been influenced by French colonization, immigration, commerce, and the media. This course is intended for people who want to understand and speak the Tunisian Arabic dialect.

Course topics

Listening, Speaking, Pronunciation, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary, Grammar and Activities

Class schedule

Course duration
1-52 weeks
Start dates
Every Monday
Classes per week
25 lessons per week (each lesson lasts 60 min)
Class days
Monday - Friday

Class times

Morning session
08:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Afternoon session
02:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Evening session
06:00 PM - 09:00 PM

Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.

Class level

All levels, beginner to advanced
You will take a placement test on your first day to determine your class level. You may also take this test before your arrival in Sfax.

Class size

Average 1 student
Maximum 1 student

Student age

Age range 18 years old and older
Average 30 years old

Certificate

A certificate of completion will be issued at the end of the course.
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photos

Photos

  • Common room at The 3 Cs Training Centre 1/27
  • Library at The 3 Cs Training Centre 2/27
  • Classroom at The 3 Cs Training Centre 3/27
  • 1-on-1 classes at The 3 Cs Training Centre 4/27
  • 1-on-1 classes at The 3 Cs Training Centre 5/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 6/27
  • Computer room at The 3 Cs Training Centre 7/27
  • Homestay housing offered by The 3 Cs Training Centre 8/27
  • Reception of The 3 Cs Training Centre 9/27
  • Certificate 10/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 11/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 12/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 13/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 14/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 15/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 16/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 17/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 18/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 19/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 20/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 21/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 22/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 23/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 24/27
  • Students of The 3 Cs Training Centre 25/27
  • Teachers and Staff at The 3 Cs Training Centre 26/27
  • Teachers and Staff at The 3 Cs Training Centre 27/27
reviews

Reviews

70% recommend

based on 10 reviews
5 stars
4
4 stars
2
3 stars
2
2 stars
2
1 star
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Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing

"Excellent teaching and well organized"

Rachel Graziani, student from USA

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
11 Jul 2023 - 21 Jul 2023
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Alright, but could be better executed"

Alicia Inderst, student from Germany

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Date of study
17 Sep 2018 - 21 Sep 2018
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Intense and usefull"

Giancarlo Vianello, student from Italy

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
6 weeks
Date of study
29 Jan 2018 - 16 Mar 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"A very good welcome and quality teaching"

Benjamin and Anne-Claire CARLOMAGNO, student from France

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
2 weeks
Date of study
18 Dec 2017 - 5 Jan 2018
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Excellent one-week intensive"

Bill Halsey, student from USA

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

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Date of study
4 Dec 2017 - 8 Dec 2017
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"Unfortunately very disorganized school"

Sarra S., student from Switzerland

The school 3C is not made for European standards. You have to bring a lot of patience when you attend a course. In the first week I had 3 different teachers, since nothing was organized. Luckily, I had a teacher who has a good heart. She put a lot of effort into the lessons.

Unfortunately, the problems were because she did not have time ... so I recommend not to attend the school during the BAC preparations and examinations, as most teachers have the first priority to the students of the BAC examinations. I was often disturbed by the secretary of the school during the lessons, who came to the schoolroom several times a day without knocking and asked the teacher if she could help her, which unfortunately went to my school days ...

From the rooms the C3 is simply equipped, but there is everything you need. The school is located in an industrial district, which is easy to reach by foot or by taxi.

What really saved the whole experience was that I had the best host family I could imagine! I lived about 30 minutes walk from school, had my own room and immediately a perfect relationship with the whole family. The host was always helpful and I did not miss anything while living with the family. The question is what came from the money I paid as a Logement: is everything paid to the guest family, or does the director of the school keeps most of it himself ...

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
10 weeks
Date of study
1 May 2017 - 14 Jul 2017
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

""Surprise in a box". The school is not as in the description."

Emira Ben Nsib, student from Germany

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!

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Duration of study
11 weeks
Date of study
3 Oct 2016 - 23 Dec 2016
Would you recommend this school?
No
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"A good starting pointer"

Gabriella Chiani, student from Italy

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
15 Aug 2016 - 26 Aug 2016
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.

"It was an invaluable experience."

Nora Grant

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
Social activities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
13 weeks
Date of study
30 Aug 2015 - 1 Dec 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes

"Good educational teaching in a pleasant atmosphere"

Liv Eldrid Båtnes Storås, student from Norway

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.

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My ratings for this school

Quality of teaching
School facilities
School location
Housing
Duration of study
1 week
Date of study
2 Mar 2015 - 13 Mar 2015
Would you recommend this school?
Yes
This is a verified review. This student has booked a course at this school through Language International.
housing

Housing

Communication / Capability / Competence offers the following housing types:
homestay

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast and dinner

165 €
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast and dinner (14 meals per week)
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
165 €

Homestay - Single-person room - Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

200 €
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Homestay
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (21 meals per week)
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
200 €
hotel

Hostel - Single-person room - Breakfast

55 €
weekly
Age range: 18 years old and older
Housing type: Hostel
Room type: Single-person room
Board type: Breakfast (7 meals per week)
Availability: January - December
Check-in: Sunday, anytime
Check-out: Saturday, anytime
55 €
visa

Visa support

We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. However, the school can supply you with all the documentation you need to support your visa application.

Your letter of acceptance will be sent to your home address by regular mail at no charge to you.

Flights and airport transfer

Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Sfax based on your budget, schedule and preferences.

Travel insurance

Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.

Learn more about our insurance plan »

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questions

Questions and answers

Have questions? Get answers from The 3 Cs Training Centre staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.

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