Languages

Learn languages intensively by living in the country where they’re spoken.

All our resources on learning Arabic, Swahili, Hebrew, Farsi, Chinese, Korean, and other languages we might study in the future. If you like this and want to see more of it, sign up below.

Become a Discoverer

Discover more about your world by living in it. Learn foreign languages through immersive study. Master new skills by going to where they do them best. Go to where you feel uncomfortable, until strangers become your friends and you begin to feel at home.

Arabic Language Learning | Languages

40 Basic Egyptian Arabic Phrases to Sound Local
ByDana Hooshmand February 6, 2019October 8, 2023

Colloquial everyday useful survival phrases in Egyptian Arabic guaranteed to earn you respect.

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Languages | Arabic Language Learning

Reading a Local Egyptian Arabic Food Menu 80-20 style
ByDana Hooshmand February 4, 2019September 15, 2023

Unlock delicious cheap local food by learning to read an Egyptian local menu in Arabic, 80-20 style.

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Languages | Language Learning Guides and Resources

Learn Languages Faster with Books, not Apps
ByDana Hooshmand January 23, 2019November 4, 2023

We like learning languages with books, not apps. (Except Anki.)

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Arabic Language Learning | Languages

Written Egyptian Arabic in the Wild — Three Places to See It
ByDana Hooshmand January 22, 2019October 23, 2020

Egyptian Arabic definitely exists in written form, even if it’s not standardized. Just look at menus, text messages and Facebook for an idea.

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Egypt | Arabic Language Learning | Travel

Where to Stay in Cairo: Best Neighborhoods for Living (2026)
ByDana Hooshmand January 16, 2019August 17, 2026

Our firsthand guide to the best Cairo neighborhoods for a longer stay, including Dokki, Zamalek, Maadi, Downtown, Mohandessin, Heliopolis and New Cairo — and who each area suits.

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Arabic Language Learning | Egypt | Languages

Best Egyptian Arabic Books for Self-Study (2026)
ByDana Hooshmand January 15, 2019August 30, 2026

The Egyptian Arabic books we’d buy for self-study in 2026: a structured beginner course, practical vocabulary, a detailed verb reference, and native-speaker audio.

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Languages | Language Learning Guides and Resources

Tips for Using Online Language Tutors
ByDana Hooshmand January 14, 2019September 10, 2023

Tips we’ve learned from using online language tutors for over 500 lessons total for a variety of langauges.

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Languages | Arabic Language Learning

Learn Egyptian Arabic for Free — The Resources I’d Use in 2026
ByDana Hooshmand January 1, 2019August 30, 2026

Free Egyptian Arabic resources that still work in 2026: Language Transfer, a free university textbook, Lisaan Masry, Lingualism audio and lessons, Cleo Lingo, and Desert Sky.

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Arabic Language Learning | Egypt | Languages

Why Learn Egyptian Arabic?
ByDana Hooshmand December 31, 2018October 27, 2020

Why learn an arabic dialect vs MSA, and why learn Egyptian Arabic vs other dialects of Arabic.

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Languages | Chinese Language Learning

15 Super Practical Chinese Idioms for Conversation (With Audio)
ByDana Hooshmand December 20, 2018October 24, 2023

Fifteen Chinese idioms that you absolutely have to know. With audio.

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