Many students are intimidated by the differences between Arabic and their mother tongue—but Martín is no ordinary student.
“The fact that Arabic is hard is actually motivating for me: I want to learn because it’s challenging,” says Martín, who studied at WALI for nearly a year.
Excited by the prospect of diving into a new world of language, Martín decided to leap by signing up for private classes at Wissem Arabic Language Institute. During ten months of lessons with Si Habib, Martín was continually pushed in new directions, and at the same time supported despite the scheduling constraints of her full-time job.
One reason Martín chose to come to Tunisia was that she had met many Tunisians while working for NGOs in Italy. Intrigued by their stories and culture, Martín eventually secured a job at an NGO in the country’s capital, Tunis.
Martín wanted an immersive experience in Tunisia, and knew she could only get it by learning the local dialect. However, Martín’s intense work schedule at the NGO meant she could only take a few hours per week of Tunsi. Fortunately, WALI offered flexible course hours, so she could create the exact lesson schedule that worked for her.
“I was calling around, but no other schools were as flexible with their timetables,” Martín says.
“Their prices were also higher, so I decided to go with WALI.”
Immediately, Martín felt at home at the institute. During one of her first classes, her teacher, Si Habib, brought a homemade dessert for her to try.
“It was maybe my second week here, so I didn’t know anything,” Martín recalls. “And Habib brought me a Tunisian dessert called bsissa that his wife cooked. I remember thinking, Wow, that’s really sweet. It was really a nice moment.”
For Martín, this small gesture represents how classes at WALI aren’t just about learning the language: they’re also about getting a comprehensive understanding of Tunisian culture.
“This was my first time in North Africa, and I liked that Habib explained to me not only the language, but also Tunisian culture and the origins of the words I was learning. I got to learn about history and culture at the same time, and I really liked that.”
Martín’s demanding work schedule made it difficult for her to review lessons outside of class. Even so, she stayed motivated to continue because she genuinely enjoyed her instruction time.
“I’ve studied languages before, so I know that you really have to focus to learn,” she says. “But even though I had so little time, I continued to take classes, mainly because I just found them fun.”
Martín appreciated how patient Si Habib was with her, especially since she couldn’t always recall words they had reviewed in the previous class. She felt supported by him, given her unique learning style and work constraints.
“One thing I liked is that, sometimes, I didn’t know a word, but I knew where to find it in my notes. I found it useful that instead of just giving me the answer, Si Habib gave me the time to go find the word. Because the alternative is that the teacher just gives you the word and you forget it again in five minutes.”
She also stuck with Tunsi because she found it practical in her day-to-day life. Even after her very first lessons, Martín says she was able to use the words she’d learned in small social interactions in the street and cafés.
“I started using my Tunsi almost immediately—even just for buying a bottle of water every day on my way to work,” she says.
Ultimately, the difficulties of learning a completely new language were a source of motivation for Martín.
“I’m Italian, and if I have to learn Spanish, I don’t have any motivation, because it’s so similar to Italian,” she says. “Yes, Arabic is difficult, but it’s also completely different, and I think it’s very interesting to learn these kinds of languages.”
While she concedes that learning Arabic was—and continues to be—an enormous challenge, she stuck with classes because of her teachers’ patience, the institute’s well-rounded lesson plans, and her ability to apply what she learned to her day-to-day life.