A Blog Entry by Filip from Switzerland

Ahlan wasahlan

My name is Filip, I am 24 years old and an open-minded French teacher at a High School in Zurich, Switzerland. Saudi Arabia, especially my time in Jeddah, completely enchanted me. The city, combined with the Red Sea, the warm-hearted people, and the overall positive energy you feel every single day, all contributed to the fact that I returned to Switzerland with, among other emotions, a tearful eye.

The daily Arabic lessons at Qanaateer had a positive impact on me, both linguistically and socially. I began my Arabic journey remotely: Qanaateer offers an online course where you can already acquire basic knowledge in both written and spoken Arabic. During my trip from Riyadh via Al-‘Ula to Jeddah, I had already made some progress and arrived in Jeddah with a small backpack full of Arabic knowledge.

From the very first day, I felt incredibly comfortable at the language center. A major contribution to this atmosphere is made by Hadeel. Through her people-centered approach and her extensive expertise in the field, she has built a highly qualified teaching team that was able to respond to my individual needs. My main goal was to expand my oral skills and put Arabic script somewhat aside due to the short duration of my stay. My teacher Ghada was patient and had the necessary sensitivity to recognize where my strengths lay and built precisely on those. As a result, I immediately felt that I was making progress and was intrinsically motivated to apply what I had learned in everyday life after the daily classes.

So, in cafés or shawarma stands, I introduced myself, practiced numbers and days, and tried to interact with people. Of course, you don’t just ask random people for their names; but ma esmuka or ma esmuki, depending on whether the person was a woman or a man, was always an icebreaker. Through this, I got to know so many wonderful people who truly sweetened my stay in Jeddah. The locals always reacted positively to my attempts to interact in Arabic, because they also wanted me to speak Arabic. They often gave me new vocabulary or chunks along the way, which I then discussed with Ghada and thus expanded my knowledge further.

The highlight came when Ghada and I laid the foundation for me to present my home country. From Jamal to Janub, and from al-lugha al-almaniyah to al-italiyah, on the final day I managed to present Switzerland and its linguistic diversity geographically, in Arabic (!), in front of everyone at Qanaateer! I felt highly supported and challenged at the same time, and that was probably the reason why I was able to make such significant progress.

One last short paragraph about Hadeel and the Qanateer center: This language center is not an ordinary place for language acquisition. It is a place where you feel like part of a big family. Lifelong friendships are formed, and you don’t feel like a customer but like a family member. I was traveling solo during this time and truly appreciated how Hadeel and her teaching team accompanied me on my journey. They were always making sure I discovered the coolest neighborhoods of Jeddah, went to the best cafés, and ate the most delicious fish.

Truly, your work is so valuable and more than just appreciated by everyone.

Shukran!

Zurich, 09.01.2025