The most frequently asked questions
from our clients
We get many questions from our clients! We’ve put together this list of FAQs to help you find quick answers about our programs, scheduling, and more.
Who are we?
Our method is based on effective strategies for learning language and culture. We help you learn Moroccan Arabic in a natural way by using what you see, hear, and do, especially during Phase 1.
Our approach follows the way people naturally learn their first language, focusing on listening, understanding, and communicating from the beginning.
For clients who want to read and write, we have developed resources that support this from Phase 2 throughout the rest of the program. Our complete program includes more than 1,800 hours of resources to help you develop a high level of Moroccan Arabic.
“Darija Connection” is a WhatsApp group designed to help you stay connected with the Administration and Scheduling Department. We will add your WhatsApp number to this group once you begin your sessions. Only administrators can post messages in this group.
If you have a question or need assistance, you can contact the Administration and Scheduling Departmentdirectly.
Darija Center is closed for official Moroccan national holidays and Islamic holidays. National holidays are generally one day, while most Islamic holidays are two days, except for the First of Moharram (Muslim New Year), which is a one-day holiday.
We also close for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (December 24–25).
When holidays fall on a Sunday, they are not moved to Monday. Holidays are observed on their official calendar date.
In addition, Darija Center closes for a two-week vacation period in the middle of August. Invoices are automatically pro-rated for the month of August to reflect this closure.
The full holiday calendar, including specific closure dates, is shared with clients through the Darija Connection WhatsApp group.
How do I get started?
To get started, click Book a Session and complete the contact form, including your preferred weekly commitment based on your language goals. Our Scheduling Department will then contact you to arrange your complimentary orientation session. During the orientation, you’ll learn how our program works, confirm that it’s the right fit for your needs, and discover how to get the most from your Arabic sessions.
A Taster Session is a 2-hour introduction for tourists and family or friends who are visiting. You’ll learn phrases like ‘What’s your name?’, ‘Where are you from?’, how to order coffee or tea, plus a whole lot more! – all based on Phase 1 principles. This gives your family and friends practical vocabulary and a taste of your language learning journey.
Email our Scheduling Departmentwith the number of people attending and preferred dates for the Taster Session. The fee is 300 dirhams per person, payable in cash during the session. For our current clients, we offer a special discount for friends and family.
How does language learning work?
Zoom sessions are available for clients outside Casablanca, as well as for corporate clients participating from their workplace. To maintain the quality of our immersive learning experience, sessions for Casablanca clients are conducted in person. Our coaches carefully prepare each session, and many activities are most effective through face-to-face interaction. For this reason, Zoom is not offered as an alternative to in-person sessions. If you miss a session because you are not feeling well, we invite you to Schedule a Fun Time Session so you can continue your learning journey in person.
Our coaches are all exceptional, and each brings unique experiences, perspectives, and teaching styles to your Arabic learning journey. While we understand that building a connection with your coach is important, our program is designed to give you the opportunity to work with multiple coaches as you progress.
When schedules align, our Scheduling Department works to rotate language coaches approximately every 4–6 weeks. This helps you hear different voices and build relationships with members of our coaching team throughout your program.
Because each client progresses through different phases of the program and follows their own weekly study schedule, coach rotations are coordinated individually and may not occur at the same time or frequency for every client. Our goal is to ensure each client receives the best learning experience and support at every stage of their journey.
Our goal is to provide you with the best language experience possible. Each of our coaches brings unique strengths, and all are committed to ongoing coaching, professional development, and continually refining their coaching skills.
Your role in the learning process is equally important. Language learning is a partnership between you and your coach, and your questions, feedback, and ideas help us ensure you get the most from the program.
If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please reach out to our Administration and Scheduling Department as soon as possible. We are here to listen, support you, and help ensure you have the best possible experience with our program.
We understand that schedules can change, and we will do our best to support you when adjustments are needed. However, once you begin the program, we ask that you maintain the schedule you committed to, as consistency is an important part of making progress in your Arabic learning journey.
This is especially important for morning sessions, which are in high demand. We prioritize morning availability (9:00 AM–1:00 PM) for clients committed to 20 hours per week and for families with children enrolled in local schools.
If you need to make a schedule change, pleasecontact our Scheduling Departmentas soon as possible. We will work with you to find the best solution while maintaining the quality and consistency of your learning experience.
If you are sick and need to cancel a session, please email our Scheduling Departmentas soon as possible with your expected absence. We will notify your coach and help ensure the scheduled session time is managed appropriately.
Session Cancellation Policy
Sessions cancelled with more than 48 hours’ notice are considered excused absences.
Sessions missed without prior notice, or cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, are considered missed sessions.
Both excused and missed sessions can be made up through Fun Time. However, sessions recorded as missed are not eligible for invoice adjustments or prorating.
Providing as much notice as possible helps us support your coach, maintain scheduling availability for all clients, and provide the best learning experience for everyone.
If you are traveling outside Casablanca for a visa run, vacation, or other planned absence, you may continue your sessions via Zoom. If you will not be able to attend your scheduled sessions, please email our Scheduling Department as soon as your travel plans are confirmed. Include the dates you will be unavailable (your first date of absence through your last date of absence) and the date you expect to resume in-person sessions.
Providing this information allows our Scheduling Department to coordinate with your coach and ensure your scheduled session time is used effectively during your absence.
If you will be away for more than two weeks, your regular session time may need to be reassigned to another client, especially during high-demand periods such as morning hours. When you return, we will work with you to find the best available schedule based on current availability.
Session Cancellation Policy
Sessions cancelled with more than 48 hours’ notice are considered excused absences.
Sessions missed without prior notice, or cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, are considered missed sessions.
Both excused and missed sessions can be made up through Fun Time. However, sessions recorded as missed are not eligible for invoice adjustments or prorating.
Providing as much notice as possible helps us support your coach, maintain scheduling availability for all clients, and provide the best learning experience for everyone.
We want you to get the most out of our program by ensuring you have the opportunity to complete your scheduled hours each month. If you need to cancel language sessions—whether for planned absences such as vacations or travel, or unexpected situations such as illness—Fun Time allows you to make up those sessions at a time that is convenient for you.
Each week, we post available Fun Time hours in the “Darija Connection”WhatsApp group. To request a Fun Time session, email our Scheduling Departmentwith your preferred coach (if available), the day, and the time you would like to attend. For example: “I’d like to do Fun Time with Simo on Wednesday from 1:30–3:30.” We will do our best to accommodate your preferred coach. If they are not available, your Fun Time session may be scheduled with another member of our coaching team.
Fun Time sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. You do not need to reserve an entire time block—simply choose the hours that work best for your schedule. The Scheduling Department will confirm by email whether your requested time is available. If the time has already been reserved by another client, you can select another available option from the posted Fun Time schedule in “Darija Connection.”
Fun Time is designed to help you make up excused absences or missed sessions so you can complete the hours included in your invoice. The timing for completing Fun Time depends on whether the session was an excused absence ora missed session.
Excused Absences
Examples include vacations, travel, visa runs, or illness. You may use Fun Time to make up the excused hours at a time that is convenient for you, within two months of the excused absence date.
Missed Sessions
Fun Time must be completed within the same calendar month as the missed session.
If you cancel or miss two hours of sessions, you can schedule two hours of Fun Time to make up those hours. If you decide that you would like to increase your weekly session hours beyond the amount included in your current invoice, please contact the Administration. We will be happy to update your program and adjust your invoice accordingly.
If you need to pause your sessions for an extended period of time, or if you want to stop doing sessions at Darija Center, we ask that you email our Scheduling Department at least one month in advance. This notice allows us time to support your coach and adjust scheduling by welcoming new clients into available session times.
Our language coaches are not paid hourly; they receive a monthly salary, so advance notice helps us maintain consistent schedules and provide stability for our coaching team.
If you are pausing your sessions, your recurring invoices will also be paused until you return. Please note that your previous session times and coach assignment cannot be guaranteed and will be subject to availability when you return.
Anyone who chooses to pause or end their enrollment is always welcome back at Darija Center!
How do payments work?
Darija Center is a service provided by Thrive Maroc, SARL, our registered parent company. Payments are made directly to the Thrive Maroc account using one of the following methods:
Moroccan bank account transfer
Transfer payment directly from your Moroccan bank account using the Thrive Maroc RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire) provided on your invoice.
International transfer via Wise
Transfer payment from your foreign bank account through Wise using the Thrive Maroc RIB.
Cash payment at Banque Populaire
Bring your cash payment and the Thrive Maroc RIB to a Banque Populaire branch and request to make a payment to the Thrive Maroc account
Once you’ve started our program, your recurring invoice will be emailed on the 15th of each month for the following month’s sessions. We ask that invoices be paid within 10 days (Net 10) to avoid a 5% late fee per week on unpaid balances.
If you are experiencing any complications with your payment, please contact the Administrationbefore the invoice due date so we can work with you to find a solution.
Timely payment of invoices allows Darija Center to meet our commitments and ensure that our language coaches are paid consistently and on time. Thank you for your cooperation and partnership.
Your invoice is based on completing four weeks of sessions per month. For pricing details, please see our Pricing page.
20 hours per week × 4 weeks = 80 hours per month
15 hours per week × 4 weeks = 60 hours per month
10 hours per week × 4 weeks = 40 hours per month
4 hours per week × 4 weeks = 16 hours per month
Because most months contain approximately 4.3 weeks, clients will generally complete slightly more hours over time than the four-week monthly calculation. The Scheduling Department tracks your total hours to ensure that your overall monthly average remains at or above your enrolled weekly commitment.
When calculating your monthly hours, we count both attended sessions and missed sessions toward your monthly commitment. Your attended and missed sessions are added together and compared to the number of hours included in your invoice. Missed sessions are included because your coach has prepared for the session and reserved that time in their schedule.
We recognize that plans can change, which is why clients who provide more than 48 hours’ notice receive additional flexibility through the Fun Time policy. Excused absences may be made up within two months of the missed session date, while missed sessions must be made up within the same calendar month.
If you complete fewer hours than your monthly goal due to cancelled or missed sessions, you can use Fun Time to make up those hours according to the Fun Time policy.
While you remain actively enrolled at Darija Center, your recurring monthly invoice remains consistent each month, except during August, when we adjust invoices due to our scheduled vacation closure.
If you plan to travel for a week or longer or need to pause your sessions, please email our Scheduling Department at least one month in advance. This allows us time to adjust your recurring invoice if needed before it is sent on the 15th of the month and make appropriate scheduling arrangements.
If you are away for more than two weeks, your regular session time may be offered to another client, especially during high-demand periods. When you return, your schedule will be based on current availability.
Sessions missed without prior notice, or cancelled with less than 48 hours’ notice, are considered missed sessions and are not eligible for invoice adjustments or prorating. Your scheduled session time is reserved for you, and your coach has prepared for that time.
Sessions cancelled with more than 48 hours’ notice are considered excused absences and can be made up through Fun Time according to the Fun Time policy.
We want to answer your questions! If you have a question that needs an answer, please send an email to our Administration or Scheduling Department to receive an answer to your question. And if you think other clients would benefit from your question, you can request that it be added to our list of FAQs!