At-Takallum: Why This Arabic Learning Series Works for Me

Learning a language like Arabic is quite a personal journey, as I have found. Today, I want to explain why the At-Takallum Arabic series worked for me.

I have been learning for some time now, and if there’s one thing that has become very clear to me, it’s that we all approach it differently, and we all have different goals and preferences when it comes to the series we choose.

What I mean is, people have various motivations for learning and also different ways they prefer to study. For example, I have met learners who are deeply interested in understanding the Qur’an and want to grasp the classical form of the language. Then there are others who are more focused on practical communication, like being able to talk with people in daily life or when travelling.

Because of these different goals and learning preferences, it makes sense that there is not one single book or method that is perfect for every single person. That would be quite impossible, I think.

My own experience from looking at many books and trying different approaches is that what works wonderfully for one learner might not suit another at all. But the good news is that there are many different Arabic learning materials available, and some are truly excellent for specific needs and types of learners.

Today, I want to talk about a series of books that, for me, was very suitable. It is what has helped me greatly in my own studies, and I thought I would share in this review my experience with it: At-Takallum: A Comprehensive Modern Arabic Course.

So, What is At-Takallum?

Before I explain why I personally like this series so much, let me briefly describe what At-Takallum is, as I see it. The name At-Takallum (التَّكَلُّمٌ) means speaking or talking in Arabic, which already gives an idea about its practical focus.

Essentially, it is a series of books designed to teach Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) to people who are not native speakers. It seems to be for learners from various backgrounds, guiding them from the very basics up to a quite advanced level. It tries to help you develop all the important language skills: reading, writing, listening, and, of course, speaking. The authors, Saber Al-Mashrafi, Suad al Hawli, and Abu Uveys Mahmud, have created a course that builds up your knowledge step-by-step, from simpler things to more complex ones, which I find helps with building confidence.

It feels like it uses current teaching ideas and real-life materials, rather than just making you memorize grammar rules in isolation. The idea seems to be that you learn to actually use Arabic in different situations.

And it is not just my opinion that it is good – the series even received an award for the Best Arabic Course Coursebook for Foreigners in 2017 from the Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo. That is a significant endorsement and suggests it is a well-regarded resource in the field of Arabic teaching.

A Quick Note Before We Continue: To be clear, this is entirely my personal recommendation. I am not being paid to write this, and the publisher has not asked me for a review or anything similar. This is just me sharing what genuinely worked for me, hoping it might help others on their Arabic learning journey.

About the At-Takallum Series: Key Details

• Full title: At-Takallum: A Comprehensive Modern Arabic Course
• Authors: Saber Al-Mashrafi (صابر المشرفي), Suad Al-Hawli (سعاد الخولي), Abu Uveys Mahmud (أبو أويس محمود)
• Publisher: Dar al-Nile, Cairo, Egypt
• Official website: Publisher Website
• Where to get it: Buruj Books (selling worldwide); sometimes also on amazon
  • Printed books (I personally prefer working with the printed books.)
  • Interactive Online Platform

At-Takallum (Intermediate B-2) (Set): A Comprehensive Modern Arabic Course

$63.62

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

The five volumes: A structured journey

The At-Takallum curriculum is thoughtfully structured across five levels, guiding learners progressively:

• Starter A1 (التمهيدي): A gentle introduction to the Arabic script and basic expressions.
• Elementary A2 (الأساسي): Builds everyday language for basic communication—covering food, family, directions.
• Pre-Intermediate B1 (قبل المتوسط): Grammar becomes richer, texts grow longer, and learners begin to express opinions more confidently.
• Intermediate B2 (المتوسط): This is where I joined the series. I could work on topics like work, media, and society.
• Upper-Intermediate C1 (فوق المتوسط): This final book leads to advanced comprehension. It is described on its title page as دليل إلى لغة التراث (A Guide to the Language of Heritage). Interestingly, you will often notice that the publisher mainly promotes the first four volumes — though, the fifth volume is excellent as well.

What I appreciate: each volume consists of two books:

• كتاب الطلاب (Student’s Book): the main source of texts, new grammar concepts, and vocabulary.
• كتاب التدريبات (Workbook): a comprehensive set of exercises designed to reinforce what you have learned in the Student’s Book.

Three reasons why I like al-Takallum

When I first used the At-Takallum series (I started with Volume 4, Intermediate B2, as I already had some foundation in Arabic), I quite quickly realized: this is what I had been looking for. It offered a clear structure, authentic content, and a learning approach that respected my curiosity.

This is what I particularly like about it:

Built on modern didactics – and motivating

The At-Takallum series feels current with how languages are taught today. It is interactive, quite intuitive, and keeps you engaged with exercises like click boxes, multiple choice, and fill-in boxes. It really feels like learning by doing.

Take Figure 1, for example: this page is mostly about identifying and practicing the grammatical concept of ḥāl (حال) in Arabic — that is the adverbial accusative describing the state or condition of someone or something while the verb’s action is happening.

Grammar that respects Arabic logic

Instead of trying to force Arabic into a Western grammatical framework, At-Takallum introduces grammar from within the Arabic tradition. This is something I really value. So it’s like: Learning Arabic the Arab way.

Especially in Volume 5, each chapter includes a passage from Al-Ajurrumiyya (الآجرومية), a well-known classical grammar text written in the 14th century CE by the Moroccan Ibn Ajurrum. This gives learners like me a sense of structure and depth that truly honors the language’s own roots.

For instance, Figure 2 shows a page explaining the grammatical concept of “exception” (الاستثناء) in Arabic, as it is covered in Al-Ājurrūmiyyah. It focuses on how to use particles like إلا (except) and others, and how they change the sentence structure and meaning.

Access to original texts of the Arab-Islamic World

One of the series’ important strengths, in my opinion, is how it includes key historical and cultural texts.

For example, in Volume 5, Chapter 4, I was able to read and analyze the Prophet Muhammad’s Farewell Sermon (خطبة الرسول في حجة الوداع). The book does not just present the text without help — it helps you work through its vocabulary, understand the context, and grasp its deeper meaning. This kind of integration is very enriching.

Figure 3 gives another example: the page shown introduces the Andalusian writer and vizier Abū ʿAmr al-Bājī (أبو الوليد الباجي), highlighting his literary style through a descriptive text about rain in Cordoba.

How At-Takallum compares: a personal perspective

Having worked with different resources for an extended period, I can offer a comparison. Take, for example, the German classic Lehrbuch des modernen Arabisch by Günther Krahl and Wolfgang Reuschel.

Lehrbuch des modernen Arabisch

$70.88 -$30.81 $40.07

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

While this textbook is a classic example of traditional, grammar-heavy language instruction — with a strong focus on structure and translation exercises — it offers limited interaction with authentic Arabic discourse and less support for developing communicative skills.

In contrast, At-Takallum is a much more student-friendly and modern alternative. A strong point is its integration of contemporary teaching methods, such as interactive tasks, contextual learning, and communicative goals. It also bases its grammatical explanations on Arabic terminology and presents a variety of both classical and modern texts, providing learners with a deeper cultural and linguistic immersion.

My advice & a note of gratitude

If you are serious about learning Arabic and are looking for a comprehensive, engaging, and authentic approach, I wholeheartedly recommend the At-Takallum series.

One important note: While very effective, this series is perhaps of limited use for complete self-study, especially in the more advanced volumes. Some exercises can be quite complex, and having a knowledgeable teacher or tutor to review your answers and discuss concepts can be very beneficial.

What About Your Experiences? Let’s Share!

So, that was Paul Ammann’s story with At-Takallum. But everyone’s Arabic learning path is unique, and we are very curious to hear from all of you.

• What Arabic learning books or resources have really helped you?
• Why did they suit your learning style or goals?
• Would you be interested in sharing your own journey and recommending a book (or series) that helped you?

If you have a book you would like to write about, please let us know! Let’s build a valuable collection of recommendations together.