Disclosures
A straightforward account of how this site makes its money, for readers who appreciate knowing.
Last updated: April 2026
On Affiliate Links
This site includes affiliate links to three programs: Amazon, StoryLearning, and italki. When you click one of these links and go on to make a purchase, the merchant pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you.
For Amazon — when you click an Amazon link here and purchase a book, whether it is one of mine or any other book entirely, Amazon pays a commission of typically 4.5% of the sale price. This applies to Amazon.com and related Amazon domains.
For StoryLearning — when you click a StoryLearning link here and enroll in one of their language courses, StoryLearning pays a commission on the enrollment. I recommend their courses because I have found their story-based method genuinely effective for the kind of immersive language learning this site is concerned with.
For italki — when you click an italki link here and book lessons with one of their teachers, italki pays a commission on the booking. I recommend italki because nearly all of my own ongoing language practice happens through their platform, with tutors I have worked with for years.
In all three cases, the commission does not change the price you pay. It simply means the merchant shares a small part of what they earn on the sale.
I mention this plainly because you deserve to know. The purpose of the site is to share what I have found useful and beautiful about spoken Arabic, and to help readers find the books, courses, and tutors that have shaped my own thinking. When I recommend something, I recommend it because I believe in it — not because of the commission. If I stopped earning affiliate income tomorrow, I would continue to recommend exactly the same books, the same courses, and the same platforms.
But the commission does exist, and you should know that it does.
On Paid Newsletter Content
The Spoken Arabic Newsletter is currently offered free to all subscribers. If I ever introduce paid tiers or premium subscriber content, this page will be updated to reflect that, and I will notify all existing subscribers in advance.
On Sponsored Content
This site does not accept sponsored posts, paid reviews, guest posts, link exchanges, or any other form of paid content. Every article here is written by me, in my own voice, for my own reasons, without compensation from any party other than the affiliate commissions described above.
If this changes — which I do not expect — this page will be updated and the change will be clearly disclosed.
On Advertising
This site does not display advertisements and has no plans to. The reader experience comes first.
Questions?
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
— A.C. Maas