Online English lessons for children in the United Arab Emirates: a guide for UAE parents

How does English fit into school in the UAE?

Arabic is the UAE's official language, and English is used widely in schools, business and everyday life. Government schools teach Arabic and English, and the many private schools follow a range of curricula, including the national curriculum, British, American, International Baccalaureate and Indian programmes. Some teach mainly in English; others teach in both Arabic and English.

Because families and schools are so varied, children of the same age in the UAE can have very different English. A child who speaks Arabic at home and attends a bilingual school, a child from an English-speaking family and a child who speaks Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog or Russian at home may sit side by side. Each needs something slightly different, which is where 1-to-1 lessons help.

What can 1-to-1 lessons add for my child?

• For younger children: a clear start in phonics, so reading English is steady and confident.
• For children who understand but rarely speak: lots of relaxed speaking time with a patient teacher. See when a child is shy to speak English.
• For confident speakers: reading for meaning, vocabulary and writing in their own words.
• For children new to an English-medium school: catching up on the English used in class, at their own pace.

Which English sounds do Arabic-speaking children find tricky?

• P and b. Arabic doesn't have a separate p sound, so pen and Ben can sound alike at first.
• F and v. Arabic has f but not v, so van may come out as fan.
• English vowels. Arabic has fewer vowel sounds than English, so pairs like ship and sheep, or cat and cut, take careful listening.
• Groups of consonants, as in street or spring, which may get an extra vowel.

These are normal and improve with listening and practice. A teacher who models the sound, shows the mouth shape on camera and makes it a game helps more than repeated correction.

Why does my child leave vowels out when spelling English?

Written Arabic usually shows only long vowels; short vowels are often left out because readers already know the word. Children who read Arabic may carry this into English and write bg for big or rd for red. Phonics, where children hear and write every sound in a word, helps a lot. Our guide to blending and segmenting shows the skill, and spelling and dictation at home has simple practice ideas.

Direction is new too: Arabic runs right to left, English left to right, so young children may mix up b and d or start a line from the wrong side for a while. That settles with practice.

How do I keep Arabic strong while English grows?

Keep reading, talking and telling stories in Arabic at home. A strong first language helps children learn English, not the other way round. Many children in the UAE grow up using two or more languages every day, and mixing them for a while is normal. See bilingual children who mix languages.

When can a child in the UAE fit in an online lesson?

The UAE doesn't change its clocks, so a weekly slot stays at the same local time all year. It usually works best to choose a 25-minute lesson after school, between about 4pm and 8pm, or on a weekend morning. For most families the weekend is Saturday and Sunday, with a shorter school day on Friday, so a Friday afternoon can also work well.

An online lesson at home saves a drive in traffic and in the heat, and fits easily between school, activities and dinner. Keep the slot the same each week, and plan around prayer times and family routines.

What should I look for in online English lessons?

• A live, real teacher who listens and responds to your child.
• 1-to-1 lessons that follow your child's level, whatever their school.
• Clear phonics for reading and spelling.
• A starting level, feedback after lessons and visible progress.
• Short, lively lessons with games for younger children.
• Clear safety rules: checked teachers, lessons only inside the provider's classroom, and a way to report a concern.

With so many curricula in the UAE, the CEFR is a helpful common scale for describing your child's English. Its early levels for children are Pre-A1, A1 and A2. See CEFR levels for children explained.

How can I support English at home in the UAE?

• Read together most days, in English and in your home language.
• Play sound games: what starts with p? Pen, park, pizza.
• Ask your child to spell short words aloud, sound by sound, including the vowels.
• Praise effort, so your child keeps having a go.
• Keep a few English books in the car for journeys.

How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in the UAE?

CurioKids gives children aged 4–12 live, 1-to-1 online English lessons with a real teacher, 25 minutes each, in the CurioKids classroom: video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. Younger children usually start with Phonics Starter; a child who already reads can be placed straight into a CEFR-based level after the free first lesson. Teachers can't teach until our team has confirmed a background check and they have signed our teaching agreement. See our levels and safety pages.

Visit our United Arab Emirates page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in the United Arab Emirates haven't opened yet, the page has a waitlist: leave your details and we'll let you know when you can book your child's free first lesson. Plans for families in the United Arab Emirates are priced in UAE dirhams: see the prices for the United Arab Emirates.