The Arabic Language Café is a weekly social event hosted by Qalam wa Lawh Center for Arabic Studies in Rabat, Morocco. Arabic students from around the world can meet members of the local community to chat and exchange ideas and experiences at Qalam wa Lawh’s café. It’s an excellent opportunity to make new friends and practice Arabic, all while enjoying Moroccan tea and snacks. Topics vary greatly and sometimes include a guest musician or scholar!

** During the COVID 19 outbreak, the Arabic language cafe will be held online. to connect, visit the event page for instructions.

Arabic Language Café Schedule and Organization

The Arabic language Café meets every Thursday from 04:30 PM to 06:00 PM (16:30-18:00), except on holidays. Each event includes “meet and greet” time for informal conversation, followed by a structured group discussion in Arabic.

Reception and introductions

The event starts with an open reception and an opportunity for first-time attendees to meet other members. Moroccan tea, coffee, and light snacks are served in Qalam’s café and on the terrace.

Weekly Discussions

After breaking into small groups, attendees discuss the topic of the day, exchange their thoughts, and share their experiences and point of views. Next, one of the highly-qualified Qalam Arabic teachers organizes an open discussion where attendees can reflect on larger ideas with the whole group. At this time, participants are encouraged to share what was discussed in their small groups, as well as responding to other participant’s thoughts and comments.

Online discussion

Following each event, the discussion continues online through the Arabic Language Café Facebook group. Students and Arabic Language Café guests alike are welcome to add any other questions, comments, or ideas that they did not get to share during the event. Participation in the online discussions is open to all Facebook users.

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events at the moment

Audience/Participants

The Arabic Language Café is ideal for anyone learning Arabic and looking for engaging and enlightening language practice with native speakers of various backgrounds and experiences.

If you are a native speaker of Arabic, the Language Café is an opportunity to share your language and culture and gain valuable insights on a variety of interesting discussion topics.

Participation is free and open to all Arabic students and members of the local community.

Membership requirements

First-time attendees need to complete a free on-site membership application and satisfy the following criteria:

Must be an active student or professional
Age: 16+
Valid ID or driver’s license

To guarantee a seat, existing members should RSVP at least 24 hours in advance by sending an e-mail to language-cafe@qalamcenter.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Take a look below at some of the most frequently asked questions about Qalam’s Arabic Language Café.

How much does it cost to participate?

Membership and participation in the Arabic Language Café are free.

Do I need to be proficient in Arabic to participate?

The event is open to everyone regardless of their Arabic proficiency levels. Beginners have the opportunity to meet other students and members of the local community but will need to continue learning Arabic before they can fully engage in Arabic discussions.

Are the discussions in Standard Arabic or Arabic dialect?

Most discussions are conducted in Modern Standard Arabic. However, the use of Moroccan Arabic or any other Arabic dialect is permitted as long as it is spoken clearly and is understood by most attendees.

Where can I find out what the subject will be before the event starts?

The discussion topic of the week is posted on the Qalam wa Lawh blog a few days before each event, as well as the Arabic Language Café Facebook group.

Arabic Language Cafe