Learning Arabic in MiddleEast

[afzalaung]

Salaamaleykum wrbt.

here's the case.
-i'll be having my 'summer' break for 3 months from April-july , which is awkward, as its different from the rest of the world.

-I need to learn arabic as a requirement of graduation. (even tho i'm not doing a religious course)

-basically, i just need to pass the Arabic foundation exam.

-the university does offer arabic course, but i'm in a totally non-Arab environment (except for the hundreds of arab students and pathetic quasi- arabinised everything else.)

so my opinion is that..its better to go learn arabic in a middle eastern country, as the environment will somehow provide a non-formal learning experience (on top of more proficient teachers).
I'm thinking of going to Egypt, as i've been there before ... but the price of the private languages schools are quite exorbitant (for someone NOT coming from the West)

question is...
1) do you know any cheaper good language schools?
2) do you reccommend Egypt?

bearing in mind that budget is a constrain.

thank you

 

[Ornamental]

waAlaykum AsSalaam waRahmatullahi waBarakatuhu,

I'm afraid that I don't have specifics at the moment, but I have heard that a university in Jordan (the university of Jordan?) runs short-term courses, and can even help arrange accommodation.

I don't think that Egypt would be the best place to go because of the dialect spoken over there (and the tendency to turn the jeem into a g ;D), even though you will be studying at a school you will be practicing with the general population, no?

I have been thinking of studying this abroad myself, and people have recommended Syria for this, as I have been told that they speak a high standard of arabic over there.

and pathetic quasi- arabinised everything else

Ouch