What to watch to learn Arabic
Everything 3 working Arabic teachers told us they would actually put in front of a learner, with a note on why each one works and the level it suits.
18
Recommendations
3
Teachers
What to watch to learn Levantine Arabic
Picked by
Mikael Jamin
Levantine Arabic
I teach Levantine Arabic and mix structured lessons with real Lebanese and Syrian media. Turkish soaps dubbed into Levantine are a secret weapon for advanced-intermediate learners: long series, high-frequency repeated vocabulary, and clear dubbed voices.
See Mikael Jamin’s picks
Shami Speaker
Clips from Lebanese and Syrian shows broken down line by line, real material made approachable for beginners.
Beginner
Speak Real Arabic
Start with the shorts and videos as a beginner; move to the full podcast once you're comfortable with faster, less-supported speech.
Beginner-Intermediate
Arabic with Rana
Storytelling videos that show the translation, arabizi, and Arabic script together, great for tying pronunciation to the written word.
Intermediate
Levantine Arabic, made easier
Clear, well-produced Lebanese-dialect podcast on interesting everyday topics.
Intermediate
Sarde After Dinner (سردة)
A Lebanese podcast with warm, intimate conversations, translated into English so you can check your comprehension.
Intermediate
Doğduğun Ev Kaderindir (منزلي)
Another Levantine-dubbed Turkish series with clear doublage voices, ideal once you can follow a long-form plot.
Intermediate-Advanced
Erkenci Kuş (الطائر المبكر)
A long-running Turkish drama dubbed into Levantine Arabic; the repetitive, high-frequency vocabulary sticks fast once you're attached to the plot.
Intermediate-Advanced
Medcezir (المد والجزر)
A third Levantine-dubbed Turkish favorite, same appeal: long episodes, clean audio, vocabulary that keeps repeating.
Intermediate-Advanced
Picked by
Khaled Jasem
Levantine Arabic
I'm Syrian and teach both Fusha and Levantine, so I picked something for each. Classic Arabic historical drama is a goldmine for learners, and the golden age of Syrian TV gave us some of the best. Start with the one that matches the Arabic you're learning.
See Khaled Jasem’s picks
Learn with Zakaria (تعلم مع زكريا)
Friendly cartoon lessons that teach everyday vocabulary in slow, clear Modern Standard Arabic. Made for kids, but gentle listening practice for adult beginners too.
Beginner
Al Fussool Al Arbaa (الفصول الأربعة)
A beloved Damascus family drama in everyday Syrian Levantine, ideal for hearing how people really talk around the dinner table. Season one is free on YouTube.
Intermediate-Advanced
Al Zeer Salem (الزير سالم)
A landmark Syrian historical epic about the pre-Islamic poet-warrior al-Zir Salim, performed in Classical Arabic, so you hear the formal register of news and literature brought to life. The full series is free on YouTube.
Advanced
Petrichor Arabic Institute
Khaled's own channel: lessons and listening practice across Modern Standard, Classical and Levantine Arabic from a native Syrian teacher.
What to watch to learn Modern Standard Arabic
Picked by
Amani Abduh
Modern Standard Arabic
I have taught Arabic for more than eighteen years and run Lingo Dice, where I teach Modern Standard and Levantine Arabic to children and adults. The first thing to sort out is whether you are learning Modern Standard Arabic, a spoken dialect, or both, because it changes what is worth watching. These are the free videos I point my own students to, from strong beginner through intermediate. They all help you connect classroom Arabic with the language you actually hear.
See Amani Abduh’s picks
ArabicPod101
Short audio and video lessons on listening, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and everyday conversation. The channel mixes varieties, so check whether a lesson is in Modern Standard, Egyptian or something else.
Beginner
Al Jazeera Learning Arabic
A free platform built around Modern Standard Arabic: video lessons and real media clips with transcripts, vocabulary support and comprehension exercises, all sorted by level.
Beginner-Intermediate
Learn Arabic with Khasu
Short, focused videos on practical conversation, common expressions, vocabulary and pronunciation, all in Modern Standard Arabic. Khasu learned Arabic himself, so he explains it the way a learner needs to hear it, and the length makes it easy to watch something every day.
Beginner-Intermediate
Learn Arabic with Maha
Lively free lessons on vocabulary, pronunciation, expressions, grammar and culture. Maha covers both Modern Standard Arabic and Palestinian Levantine, so you can hear the same idea in each.
Beginner-Intermediate
Playaling
Authentic video clips with interactive captions and listening exercises. Filter by level and choose your variety, whether that is Modern Standard Arabic or Levantine, Egyptian and Gulf.
Beginner-Intermediate
Easy Arabic
Native speakers in street interviews and everyday conversation, subtitled in both Arabic and English. Episodes cover Egyptian, Palestinian, Tunisian and Modern Standard Arabic, so check which one you are listening to before you settle in.
Intermediate
Frequently asked
What can I watch to learn Arabic?
Mikael Jamin of Story Interacters recommends Shami Speaker, Speak Real Arabic, Arabic with Rana and Levantine Arabic, made easier, 18 teacher-chosen picks in total (Levantine Arabic & Modern Standard Arabic). Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What can I watch to learn Levantine Arabic?
Mikael Jamin of Story Interacters recommends Shami Speaker, Speak Real Arabic, Arabic with Rana and Levantine Arabic, made easier, 12 picks in Levantine Arabic. Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What can I watch to learn Modern Standard Arabic?
Amani Abduh of Lingo Dice recommends ArabicPod101, Al Jazeera Learning Arabic, Learn Arabic with Khasu and Learn Arabic with Maha, 6 picks in Modern Standard Arabic. Each links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the right learner level.
What shows can I watch on Netflix and Amazon Prime to learn Levantine Arabic?
Mikael Jamin, who teaches Levantine Arabic at Story Interacters, recommends Doğduğun Ev Kaderindir (منزلي), Erkenci Kuş (الطائر المبكر) and Medcezir (المد والجزر). Khaled Jasem, who teaches Levantine Arabic at Petrichor Arabic Institute, recommends Al Fussool Al Arbaa (الفصول الأربعة) and Al Zeer Salem (الزير سالم). These are all TV series and films, so you will usually find them on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Each one links out to where to watch it, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best podcasts to learn Levantine Arabic?
Mikael Jamin, who teaches Levantine Arabic at Story Interacters, recommends Speak Real Arabic, Levantine Arabic, made easier and Sarde After Dinner (سردة). Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Levantine Arabic?
Mikael Jamin, who teaches Levantine Arabic at Story Interacters, recommends Shami Speaker and Arabic with Rana. Khaled Jasem, who teaches Levantine Arabic at Petrichor Arabic Institute, recommends Learn with Zakaria (تعلم مع زكريا) and Petrichor Arabic Institute. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.
What are the best YouTube channels to learn Modern Standard Arabic?
Amani Abduh, who teaches Modern Standard Arabic at Lingo Dice, recommends ArabicPod101, Learn Arabic with Khasu, Learn Arabic with Maha and Easy Arabic. Each one links out to where you can watch or listen, with a note on the level it suits.