Recommendations About Mahmoud Al Tonsi
Mahmoud is a gifted and highly skilled teacher. Not only did he enrich my vocabulary with clever tips and tricks, but he was also able to explain what seemed to be incredibly complex grammatical rules, vocabulary and phrases with so much depth. Mahmoud managed to do this in a fun and relaxed atmosphere where no question was too stupid and no frustration too small (and trust me there were many). Arabic is one of the most difficult languages for an English speaker to learn but I can certainly say that Mahmoud’s passion for the language helped me stay the course. I highly recommend Mahmoud and look forward to one day returning to his class!
Mahmoud is a professional teacher who specialized in teaching Arabic as a foreign language. It has been a great pleasure to work with him and set up a new program for our students. His professional and solution-based approach is very much appreciated. His experience and didactical knowledge are just a few skills among many others. I can only recommend Mahmoud based on the positive experience we have had working together!
I have had the privilege of being taught Modern Standard Arabic by Mahmoud and I am taken aback by his incredibly effective teaching style. As an English speaker, learning Arabic has been a seemingly impossible lifelong goal. However, Mahmoud’s talent for conveying complex grammatical rules, while injecting rich vocabulary into his curriculum, has allowed me to gain competency and confidence in my Arabic skills. In addition, he makes his students feel comfortable in class and answers questions effectively and with patience. While covering a breadth of topics, he manages to constantly interweave material from previous lectures, thereby instilling new concepts and solidifying existing knowledge simultaneously. He is a testament to how effective educators can impact people’s lives and shape their desire to continue acquiring a language skill – especially one as sophisticated as Arabic. If you are struggling or hesitant about pursuing Arabic, I can only hope that your path crosses with Mahmoud’s – a true asset to any institution and a gem of an educator!
I had the pleasure to be in Mahmoud’s class during a summer course Modern Standard Arabic at the IL Cairo International Language Institute. Currently, he’s giving me private tutorials on a weekly basis. I have known Mahmoud as a teacher with a strong ability to teach the Arabic language in a progressive and logical manner. His knowledge and use of Arabic is impressive. He combines traditional language methods with innovative tools, such a Google documents, and the effective use of multimedia. What sets Mahmoud apart from other teachers is his strong grasp of subject matter, his ability to relate to students, and his creative and innovative style of teaching that makes learning both meaningful and fun. He also speaks fluent English which makes it easy to ask questions, translate, etc. I recommend Mahmoud highly.
I took an Arabic for Beginners class with Mahmoud. During the entire time of our course, Mahmoud not only tought us Arabic, but also helped us understand Egyptian society and their traditions – in a fun way 🙂 His class was never boring and if I didn’t have so much work to do while I was still in Cairo, I’d probably still be in his class as a fluent Arabic speaker of course. I can only say that if you have a chance to learn this ever so complex language from anyone – Mahmoud will do a great job!
Mahmoud was skilled in teaching Arabic for non-native speakers. He was very organized and creative. He loved teaching.
I took Modern Standard Arabic classes with Mahmoud for about 5 months, and only stopped because I had to relocate to another country for work. He is an excellent Arabic instructor who is very knowledgeable, incredibly thorough and very dedicated to his students. He’s also very personable and a pleasure to be around. I recommend him highly for anyone who is serious about learning Arabic.
Mahmoud is a very professional, experienced tutor. He sets high standards and expectations which help motivate me to study and learn a second language. Extremely accommodating in terms of time and keeps me interested in learning. He clearly knows the progression of learning is keen to be sure that the learning sticks.
We are honored to write this letter in support of Mr. Mahmoud Al Tonsi, who provided us intensive, tailored instruction in advanced Arabic language studies for six months, from January – June 2013, in preparation for the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service language proficiency exam. At the conclusion of our studies, we not only achieved the required proficiency scores, but exceeded them as well. As U.S. diplomats, we are expected to acquire a proficiency level in Arabic language, a skill that would allow us to conduct the work of diplomacy with native Arabic speakers and government officials in Doha, Qatar, the country to which we are assigned. As the Public Affairs Officer and the Political and Economic Counselor, respectively, our day-to-day work responsibilities require us to communicate in Arabic with host country interlocutors. In addition, advanced reading proficiency in Arabic enables us to understand complex and nuanced articles including opinion editorial columns in the mainstream Arabic language press. Mr. Al Tonsi was extraordinarily dedicated to our instruction. Well versed in the politics of the region, he tailored our courses to meet the State Department’s rigorous demands. He is a consummate professional: committed, hardworking, and talented. Mr. Al Tonsi exerted a great deal of effort to identify appropriate training materials and articles for reading, and the results speak for themselves. Due in no small measure to Mr. Al Tonsi’s instruction, we are now well equipped to conduct meetings and deliver speeches in Arabic, responsibilities that are essential for our success in furthering and promoting U.S. Interests in Qatar. We will be forever grateful for Mr. AI Tonsi’s efforts and wish him all the best in his future endeavors Please feel free to contact us directly should you have any additional questions.