Study Arabic In the West Bank, Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

I was here only for one week, but I liked it a lot. The people are very nice and helpful.
The classes are fun. I came here to get rid of my fear to speak Arabic. I know already a lot of words, but talking was difficult, but it is going better.
I enjoyed to be in Hebron. Went to the old city, alone or with my peers. It is easy to get from Hebron to Bethlehem and other cities. People are helpful and it safe walk around here and visit the cities. Eating out is easy, nice an cheap and you should do that :-)
It is fun to stay with a host family.

I came to Hebron to study amiya Arabic commencing 1st of January 2023 for 2 weeks, as a taster session in advance of planning a longer trip next year for myself and my husband. I had three hours of lessons every morning at the centre from Sunday to Thursday with Mahmoud, one of the teachers at the centre. The lessons were tailored specifically to what I needed and my level; and they were excellent... Mahmoud was very engaging and provided a good blend of local dialect, some MSA at my request, colloquial expressions and useful phrases.

I feel that my spoken Arabic has definitely improved since I've been here in just 2 weeks and when I come back for longer, I feel it will make a huge difference to my understanding. The experience has been enriched by some excursions organised by the centre; notably to a refugee centre which was both extremely informative and uncomfortable in terms of the plight of the Palestinians, however these experiences are crucial in understanding the lived experience of those who are here.

I travelled in winter when Hebron is cold, and I would recommend people travelling here to dress comfortably and for cold weather. Many of the buildings are not centrally heated, using small heaters instead and so I packed a hot water bottle and it was invaluable!

At all times I have felt safe travelling in Palestine both on my own as a woman and with the group, and the initial trepidations I had before travelling here was assuaged shortly after arriving. People are extremely kind and helpful if you have any issues. Staying with a host family has been an incredibly warm experience where no problem is too great and you are part of the family immediately. On this trip I have largely stayed around the Hebron area, but in future trips I plan to travel more widely and see more of this amazing country. The Palestinians are hospitable and welcoming, the food is amazing, and my impressions post-visit are very positive. I would encourage anybody considering a trip to Palestine to go for it! Much of what we read in the news about Palestine is biased and so I would counsel people to see the country for themselves.

Anybody with an interest in learning more about the culture, the history and human rights situation in Palestine, or learning Arabic should utilise the Excellence Centre as they are set up for facilitating these experiences.

I spent two weeks at the Excellence Center in Hebron in winter 2022/23 and it was an amazing experience. Not only I could improve my Arabic in a very short time but I could join a lot of activities of the Center to get in touch with local people and stories. And also I appreciated a lot meeting all the other international guests who were there during my period. I felt like being part of a big family within just 2 weeks!
A few words about travelling in Palestine: it"s absolutely safe and simple, believe me! And people are so caring and welcoming. I absolutely recommend it!

I stayed at the centre for 3 weeks while participating in Human Rights Program since I wanted to learn about the current situation in Palestine, its culture and people in the most authentic way possible. Moreover, I got the chance to learn Arabic as well and my experience overall was surreal, fullfiling and very humbling.
Excellence centre personel was very kind and helpfull and regarding the safety in Hebron, I personally never felt in danger or unsafe in any way.
Would definitely recommend!!

I came to the center to develop my skills in MSA and Palestinian dialect. I registered for a 2 weeks intensive prgram, which means 4h of courses and some more for homework. Not much time to get bored, but some freetime to go around tozn on your own.

If you feel a little doubtful about discovering Hebron by your own, the center often organizes visits or meetings with local NGOs.

The staff is welcomingm dedicated and very fun. Part of the pleasure comes from being a groupd from various background, and progressing as a team

I got an individual programme adapted to my level of knowledge. That was perfect. The staff was very helpfull and the teacher was perfect. I loved my stay in this Palestine city. I had no problem and went through the town walking. Taking a taxi or a bus was no problem. I took a taxi to Bethelem. This was a nice visit. We went to a refugee camp,\. This was very interesting.The old city is worthwhile visiting,

I recommend the excellence center for young and old. It is realy a chance to study arabic n al khaliel.

My name is Hattie Langdon, I am from the UK and I participated in the Intensive Arabic Programme. I really enjoyed my Arabic lessons with Maryum, they were a lot of fun and I learnt a lot for 1 month of studying. I have learnt the fundamentals of reading and writing and I can hold a basic conversation on a range of topics. I would highly recommend the excellence centre for students like me, who have never studied Arabic before. The environment at the centre is bustling, with a lot of people from all over the world and lots to do. Everyone has been incredibly kind and welcoming. Alongside my Arabic course I have also been taken on tours to the old city of Hebron, AL Fawwar Refugee Camp as well as meeting some local artists. On the weekends I got the chance to visit Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jerrico, Ramallah and Nablus. My favourite trips has been to Jerrico to visit the dead sea and hike Wadi Qelt. I have also had the opportunity to live with two different local families who have been amazingly generous and have made me feel at home in Hebron. Living with local families has allowed me to practice and improve my Arabic every evening. I also join them for dinner in the evenings which has meant I have had the privilege of trying many local cuisines. Despite tensions in Palestine, I have always felt safe on trips with the Excellence Centre. Palestine has been a truly beautiful country to visit with amazing food and the kindest people. The people I have met here is what will stick with me the most. Their generosity and the stories they are happy to share has really amazed me and I am leaving Palestine much more informed on it’s history and current political situation.

A unique experience full of knowledge and interesting people. People are welcoming from the very first day and surpisingly the situation around is not really affecting your daily life as a foreigner. Yet again you get to see things from both sides being as objective an observer as possible. For anyone who wants to either learn arabic, volunteer or even learn about the conflict and get a different perspective I highly recommend the Excellence Centre for a stay as quite all side needs - accomodation, some travel support and help from other volunteers are beeing taken care of.