Program Reviews

We had a great experience in Morocco combining social justice work with language classes and sightseeing/cultural immersion. The food is delicious, MCAS staff were welcoming and very helpful and the places we visited were beautiful and often educational.

I had an excellent experience with MCAS. I had 20 hours a week of private Arabic classes (MSA), which focused on media Arabic. Everyone at the center was extremely helpful from the moment of arrival up to when I left the school. Ali was very welcoming and kind and was always available to help with anything via text, phone, or email. The classes are top quality and my teacher (Abdessalam) is one of the best language instructors I have had. He was very patient, professional, and made learning Arabic enjoyable. Furthermore, the classes were tailored specifically for my interests, so we had a great balance between grammar review and media Arabic. I can say that my Arabic has improved a lot in my short time at MSAS. Also, the location of the school was very convent; it is right downtown and in front of a tram stop, so my commute via the tram was 10-15 minutes at most. I have studied languages abroad before, but I have to say that my experience at MCAS was the best. I would definitely recommend it!

The hosts at MCAS were the best ! They went above and beyond to make us feel right at home. It was one of the best experiences that i will cherish forever. The food was the best part ! Most importantly, we were given the chance to really integrate into the Moroccan culture by learning the language of the people and gain insight in Moroccan politics.

The whole experience made possible by MCAS was wonderful, as it gave me the chance to do some arabic courses and voluntary work whilst really living the Moroccan life. The staff and especially the program director were very helpful all the time and really made me understand what it means to be living in Morocco. I think the whole organisation of the program - from the voluntary work, the arabic courses, and living with a Moroccan family - is a very nice idea and offers the best kind of experience for anyone who is eager to get to know a new culture, a country or a new language. In fact, what I liked most was exactly this - eating with a Moroccan family, living in the medina of Rabat, talking with the host family and not feeling like a complete tourist!

Regarding the Arabic classes, I enjoyed them a lot. Although Arabic is a very difficult language, the teacher was very patient kind and good. I only did one week of one-to-one classes but I would have definitely done more if I could have. The teacher was also very helpful in giving me advice on what I need to do if I really want to learn it, and it was very nice to talk with him daily.

I will always remember this experience as beautiful, helpful, and unique. I would definitely have stayed longer if I could have, but I am glad that I have made the necessary contacts to go back in the future, because I would love to. Morocco is an amazing country but I believe it was MCAS that enabled me to live it in the best way possible.

. Chiara

I loved my time at MCAS! I arrived in March 2015 for two weeks with a friend from University, we stayed with a host family and had 30 hours of Arabic tuition. We organised it with Ali, who runs the school, and he was very helpful from the beginning and made sure all of our questions were answered. He was also available throughout the duration of our trip, and if we ever needed anything we only needed to send him a message and he helped out immediately.

The host couple were so friendly and welcoming, and they made it clear straightaway that we could ask them for anything that we wanted. The house was beautiful and very traditionally Moroccan, and the food was traditional too.

Our teacher, Abdesalam, was a brilliant teacher, and both my friend and I finished the course feeling like our level of Arabic had improved a lot. He made sure that the lesson were interesting and relevant, and he explained complicated grammatical points in a way that was very easy to understand. If we could have brought him back to England to teach us there, we definitely would have done!

Going to MCAS was a brilliant decision, I enjoyed all of my time there and am going into my University exams feeling much more confident.

Jess

I had the best time working with MCAS and partnering with Morocco World News. I felt that the organisation was large enough to allow for individualism with whatever I wanted to do but small enough to receive personalised support from the site staff. Overall an excellent experience!

MCAS provided a truly unforgettable experience. Not only were my wife and I satisfied with the program this past summer, we are returning again next year to contunue our Moroccan Adventure.
While in Rabat, my wife and I were able to live with a very welcoming and warm Moroccan family. They received us with smiles, dinner and a flurry of questions abotu what we wanted to do in Morocco (and tea, always tea). We had a pretty long laundry list of things we HAD to do.
First, my wife had to learn how to cook at least one traditional dish, which the homestay mother was more than excited to teach her. Second, I wanted to buy traditional clothing and shop in the medina. MCAS made this possible by giving us a guided shopping experience and ensuring that we were being treated fairly at every corner.
I would go on, but there were so many things were did in such a short amount of time and I do not want to bore everyone. Of course, all of this was organized by the wonderful staff of MCAS and their dedication to the achieving of our goals.

Special thanks goes to Ali and his wonderful staff who made this journey unforgettable.

MCAS was incredibly helpful and attentive from our very first contact to the end of my stay in Morocco. Despite being based in Rabat, within just a few days of my inquiry Ali secured an internship for me in my prefered city Casablanca. He always followed up with me very promptly and answered all of my questions thoroughly.

MCAS was a great way for me to spend a summer in Morocco and feel safe and secure before I even arrived. It is a great program because it addresses your specific needs while not being overbearing. Teaching English in Morocco for the summer was a fasntastic experience. I learned so much about the culture, food, customs, religion, economy and politics, let alone the languages, than I ever could have from just a vacation.

I hadso many memorable conversations and experiences with my coworkers at the school which really changed my perspective on more things than I have imagined. I also learned a lot about the education system in Morocco from teaching English there. I would certainly recommend MCAS to friends, and an extended stay in Morocco, one of the most beautiful countries on the planet, to everyone.

Thank you for making my stay an amazing one.

Studying Arabic with MCAS has been excellent as it allowed me to expand my learning capacity. The program was all set up and has allowed me to spread my learning hours which has tremendously enabled me to meet my learning objectives.

The teachers were very supportive and provided materials and the means to expand my language skills in Arabic. The teaching was also fun as it adopted different teachings methods to meet my needs.

My host family also helped me learn my Arabic which was fantastic because it continuously helped me develop my communicability skills. They offered a nice room with 3 meals a day. Living in the medina also helped me use my Arabic skills as I had to use it on a daily basis. My host family was conveniently located and next to the school.

As a girl I felt safe and comfortable on my own and around the medina.

I have volunteered for the childcare programme with MCAS, this program has involved working with children with a range of needs in orphanage. In addion to this, I have also worked at a local school which entailed teaching English to children.

I had chosen this programme because it met my needs. Also, the programme provided me with an authentic Moroccan traditional home stay which was fantastic, and allowed me to have that exotic experience that I was looking for. The host family accommodates to your needs, and makes you feel comfortable and a part of their family.

MCAS has gone above their needs to assist me in my goals in volunteering and travelling through out Morocco What is more, the staff has continuously stayed in touch with me and provided support through out my 9 weeks stay.

Furhter more, as a girl I have felt safe and secure all times, and if there was any issues, I was always provided with the means to contact MCAS. I thought it was amazing when MCAS called for gatherings with fellow volunteers, students and interns. This allowed us to make life friendships, and make new contacts and have a supportive travel companions.

I though that Rabat had manythings to offer. such as, the tourist sites, the souq, the medina and much more.

Over all, I feel very grateful for this opportunity and I feel that my goals have been achieved through this programme.