Arabic Pod 101 Review

Wednesday, December 11th

2024 Arabic Lesson Reviews

Arabic Pod 101

• Pricing from free to $23 per month
• Listening and video approach
• 7-day free trial of paid features
• Free membership includes regularly updated lessons
• Beginner to advanced materials
• Teacher feedback offered on Premium plan
• Podcasts for iOS
• 60-day money-back guarantee
• 4-star average rating

Since 2005, Innovative Language Learning has been delivering 40 language courses, most of them named as "Pod 101”. Arabic Pod 101 uses its lessons to introduce you to native speakers using a variety of voices, tones, and speaking styles. You'll discover an abundance of audio and video lessons suitable for those starting to learn their initial Arabic words as well as more advanced lessons for experienced learners. The company consistently releases new content weekly, integrating current events and pop culture into the lessons. Certified Arabic instructors regularly review the lessons for accuracy.

Have to do outside research to preview lessons

As a newcomer exploring Arabic Pod 101, you might be a bit confused due to the absence of previews on the website. During our review, we discovered that previews or informational videos are hosted on external platforms like the Arabic Pod 101 Facebook page. This unconventional method of accessing information differs from the more straightforward approaches of many other Arabic lesson platforms. Arabic Pod 101 doesn't direct you to these outside platforms either, so you'll have to do your own research before you sign up (or sign up with no information about the lessons, yikes!).

Leveling system and multi-modal learning

Once you do your outside research, you'll find that on Arabic Pod 101, you can explore different learning pathways as you embark on your Arabic language journey. The difficulty levels progress, starting with the Absolute Beginner stage featuring thirty-five short video lessons, each lasting around four or five minutes. These lessons primarily use English to introduce topics, explain grammar, and develop cultural context.

• As you advance to the Beginner level, lessons incorporate more Arabic and extend in duration, totaling 25 lessons focusing on your vocabulary and comprehension.
• Intermediate lessons last ten to fifteen minutes and delve deeper into various subjects, including sentence structure, Arabic culture, and travel, providing nearly six hours of content.
• Advanced lessons, approximately three to four minutes long, are entirely in Arabic, offering a challenging step beyond the intermediate level.

With forty-five lessons, covering intriguing topics like the Copts in Egypt, Ramadan, and the Saudi Arabian community, this advanced level provides about two and a half hours of captivating material. These lessons are delivered in audio and video formats providing support for different types of learners and you can find transcriptions for both audio and video lessons to support your learning if you prefer visual engagement.

Free account with paid plans up to $23 per month

There are four different ways to join up ranging from a free membership to a Premium Plus membership.

• The Free membership includes 7 days free of premium, the 50+ Lesson Survival Phrases Course, 3-5 new audio and video lessons each week, and you can try the first three lessons in every "pathway”. You can stay on the free membership indefinitely; the free trial is just a 7-day bonus access to premium features.
• The Basic plan costs $3 per month, granting you access to all lessons and in-depth lesson notes.
• The Premium plan, priced at $6.50 per month, provides extra features like multiple-choice assessments, line-by-line audio dialogue, premium lesson tracks, a personal word bank, and spaced repetition flashcards.
• Finally, the Premium PLUS, available at $12.58 per month, includes all of the Premium features, along with personalized guidance from an Arabic teacher, hand-graded assessments, guidance, personalized assessment, and writing and pronunciation practice.

Keep in mind these prices are on a promotion. The full-price range is from $4 per month for Basic up to $23 per month for Premium Plus. So, if you don't catch the promo period, that's the pricing you can expect.

UI isn't intuitive

Arabic Pod 101's learning process is pretty straightforward, though it doesn't include fun learning extras like games or leaderboards for tracking your progress. The platform allows you to freely navigate through various "paths" on the site, organized by topics rather than difficulty. However, the navigation, in general, isn't very intuitive. So, despite offering a solid range of lesson levels, it takes a decent learning curve to get used to the way the site and app function.

60-day refund policy

Along with the 7-day free trial for the premium membership, Arabic Pod 101 offers a 60-day money-back guarantee for your subscription. This allows you to test out the program's higher-level features like teacher feedback for up to 60 days before you decide whether or not this learning method is meant for you.

Solid and helpful lesson material

According to reviews on Apple where you can find the audio podcasts for Arabic Pod 101, students who used the platform awarded Arabic Pod 101 a 3.9 out of 5 star rating. Reviews stated that the podcasts were informative and extremely helpful overall. From other reviews on teaching blogs, Arabic Pod 101 stayed around 4 stars out of 5. Many complaints arose with the difficulties found in navigating the website; however, students loved the different audio and video options, the regular updates to the curriculum, and the advanced-level lessons offered by Arabic Pod 101.

Solid lessons with free learning

Arabic Pod 101 stands out as a reliable option for individuals wanting to immerse themselves in authentic, modern Arabic through listening and video exercises in conversational Arabic. Despite missing some features provided by other platforms, its emphasis on contemporary language usage adds significant value for those learning Arabic. With beginner to advanced material, it serves all levels of Arabic learning. However, the UI could use an update as many customers complain about difficulties navigating the site and app. On the other hand, with an impressive free trial (and free membership option) and refund policy, you'll have more than enough time to try out the program before you decide. As a result, Arabic Pod 101 receives a higher-than-average rating in our review.