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

I had a wonderful time in Hebron. Teaching was intensive and of a high quality and I felt like I had improved a lot by the end of the week. The centre is situated in the middle of Hebron with plenty of opportunities to practice your Arabic in local shops and the old city. My teacher Maryam was fantastic and I will continue my lessons online with her afterwards. Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming and I can't wait to come back andvisit again. I felt really safe all the time (as a woman I felt ok walking around in the evening to get a taxi etc.) and I did not feel at risk at any point

Value = Excellent
Instruction = Good
Housing = Adequate
Support = Needs Improvement

I attended the beginner colloquial Arabic intensive immersion course for one month in July of 2022. I recommend the Arabic immersion program with the Excellence Center for beginner and intermediate Arabic speakers. The instruction is high quality and the value of this program is excellent. However, there could be improvements with the accommodations and support which were still more than adequate considering the price.

Before attending this course I recommend that all students study sufficient Arabic to be capable of reading text in Arabic script as well as understand basic greetings and introductions. I also recommend that people attending this course consider the quality and convenience of the housing you desire and request the ideal housing for your needs before your arrival. This may incur additional costs but it is worth it if it helps you focus.

Instruction

When I attended the Excellence Center, all Arabic immersion students were provided personalized instruction in groups of 3 or less with instructors who were college educated native Arabic speakers. Many of the instructors also speak English which is helpful for absolute beginners such as myself. The instructors are not necessarily educated as Arabic language instructors through a university or certification program. For example, my instructor was a recent graduate with a degree in business who had been trained in providing Arabic instruction.

Given the small class size this is the highest quality of instruction that is feasible. I would not recommend the Excellence Center for advanced Arabic speakers looking for university level instruction. This course is clearly designed to increase general competency and fluency rather than achieve advanced proficiency in a professional or academic setting. Of course, this course would also benefit those at those more advanced levels. However, I am not able to make a recommendation given my lack of knowledge. The Excellence Center does provide other programs that may connect students with professionals in their respective fields. I only had incidental exposure to those programs.

Prior to my arrival, I had only had 6 online lessons with a tutor on Italki and had not completed Unit 1 on Mango Languages. I had not learned how to read Arabic script and had only begun to learn basic greetings. Because of this, it was necessary for the instructor to teach me how to read which required instruction in English. This was not the most effective use of my instructor's time. Due to my lack of preparation, I did not receive the full benefits of an immersion program. However, if I had spent more time studying with an online tutor prior to my arrival then I would have had the opportunity to have a full immersion experience.

Nonetheless, I would still recommend this program for absolute beginners.

Despite my lack of preparation, the staff at the Excellence Center made sure to provide me with personalized instruction that best fit my needs and goals. By the time I left, I could competently read Arabic text and obtained a basic functional level of speaking sufficient to order food, hail a taxi, purchase items in a store, and other types of basic interactions. This was a huge improvement of my prior skills where I couldn't read and struggled with basic greetings.

Most importantly, I am now able to study Arabic in full immersion.

However, I could have made even more progress had I studied more prior to my arrival. I observed people who had studied with a tutor for one year or could speak MSA recieve a full immersion experience which could help them reach a much higher level.

I also saw that when students requested modifications to their instruction that the staff was responsive to those requests. Do not hesitate to express your needs to the staff. They will do their best to accommodate within reason.

Value

The Excellence Center provides instruction, breakfast, and housing for less than the cost of other programs that only provide instruction. They stretch every penny to ensure that the needs of their students are met. In addition, many other programs require that students attend during specified dates. However, the Excellence Center provides flexible dates for instruction. During my time at the Center, students would arrive and depart continuously.

The Center's program are promoted with specified dates. It is probably ideal to make an effort to start within these recommended time frames. However, I had a scheduling conflict for the first few days of my program and the Excellence Center allowed me to push back the start and end dates of my one month program. This flexibility led to a more chaotic feeling at the Center than many were accustomed to, but the staff were very skillful at coordinating many moving parts in real time.

Accommodations

Considering the cost of the program, the accommodations were more than adequate. The Excellence Center advertises home stays. However, due to the demand following the end of the Covid-19 lock-down it was necessary for the Center to house many of the students in "dorms" which were apartments they rented for students.

Some students were disappointing that they were housed in dorms, but since my Arabic skills were so minimal I found it helpful to be in the company of others who had more advanced skills. Also, it appeared that the staff would provide home stays to students upon request. There just weren't enough home stays available for all students at that time.

With that said, it may be an improvement to have dorms and other housing available. The home stay experience is not for everyone. If you are a private person, have strict personal needs, have social anxiety, or don't have much experience with other cultures then a home stay may not be ideal.

My dorm was a 30 minute walk from the Center which was not convenient and impeded my ability to study outside my instruction. I enjoyed the walk and convinced myself that a long walk would be nice. However, the inconvenience eventually proved to be somewhat detrimental to my learning experience.

However, the staff were more than available to provide alternative housing. There was a dormitory in a building that was not in good quality which was only a 15 minute walk from the Center. Additionally, there was a private apartment within 5 minutes walking distance that I could rent for a reasonable amount.

If you are a person with limited funds then I would encourage you to request the accommodations that best serve your needs. Be aware that if you prefer convenience you will likely need to sacrifice quality and vice versa.

On the other hand, if you are a person who has extra funds then I would highly recommend inquiring into your ideal housing options for additional costs. There may be a private apartment or home stay very close to the Center that will be less expensive than the Hebron Hotel which is a 4 minute walk from the Center. Even if the Center staff are unable to provide you with the ideal housing, the Hebron Hotel is relatively inexpensive, albeit slightly run down. They provide discounts for extended stays so I would recommend asking the Center staff to book the room for you.

Support

At the time I attended the Excellence Center, there was a flood of students who had been waiting to attend courses until after the pandemic. The support staff worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the students, but there were still gaps or delays in their responsiveness. I would have liked to have seen one additional staff member providing administrative and program support. However, this will likely improve since this may only have been part of the post-pandemic transition.

Conclusion

Great value: The Excellence Center provides an amazing value for housing, food, and immersive instruction by a college educated, native Arabic speaker. I would recommend this program for both beginner and intermediate Arabic speakers.

Request housing: You can improve your experience by requesting the best housing to meet your needs prior to signing up for your course. If you have the funds then I would recommend requesting upgraded housing options.

Learn to read Arabic: You can improve your experience by learning how to read and studying basic conversation prior to your arrival. Definitely prioritize reading skills! I would recommend at least 12 lessons per week on an online platform prior to your arrival. However, I would still recommend this program even if you are unable to study beforehand.

Hi, I'm Hisham, originally Moroccan but born in Spain. I'm a pharmacy graduate from the University of Barcelona, currently studying a PhD in cancer sciences at the University of Southampton, UK.
I joined the Arabic Immersion Intensive programme for the month of August at the Excellence center in Hebron.
I must say that after spending a whole month in Palestine, I can feel that my Arabic has greatly improved. I've been taught by two different wonderful teachers who were very attentive and supportive, and taught us not only about the Arabic language but also about the Palestinian culture and heritage which is something that unfortunately we don't know much about.
Upon arriving I had my mind set on continuing to study Modern Standard Arabic or Fusha, but after speaking with Marwa and the teachers I realized that even if Fusha is used widely in mainstream media and studies, no one speaks it in the streets. Hence, I changed my mind and started studing the Levantine Dialect, with just a couple weeks of classes in the center I was able to understand the most common words the locals used and communicate with them easily.
I've been able to interact with plenty of locals, people in Palestine are extremely friendly, open and welcoming, they're willing to help you out in whatever it is that you need, and this has probably been the thing that has struck me the most. I've been invited over by a taxi driver to have maqloubah at his house, I've been invited by strangers to join them at restaurants, and I've been offered plenty of cups of tea and coffee for free! I've been able to visit Ramallah, Jericho, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, Bethlem, Jerusalem and Aqqah, all beautiul places with plenty of history.
The center took us on trips to the old city with a guide which were very insightful and we managed to learn about the daily struggle Palestinians live when having to deal with the occupation.
My mom was quite worried when I told her I was going to Palestine, she was scared and didn't want me to go out of fear. Upon arriving in Palestine, I also had some misconceptions but after living in Palestine myself, I can say that it's all lies. I've never felt safer when travelling, when I got lost I asked a guy for indications and he took me in his own car and drove me to the spot I needed to go.
My overall experience has been fantastic, from the Palestinian people, to the teachers, and to the other students, I've enjoyed every single moment that I've been here and I can't recommed it enough!!
So don't hesitate, and come to the Excellence Center in Hebron!

My name is Khadijah and I am from America, with Palestinian origins. I am very satisfied with my experience here at the Excellence Center. My main objective was to learn better Arabic, and I can definitely say I have improved significantly. The Arabic teachers and staff are wonderful, and will always go the extra mile for you. I found it to be a seamless experience when traveling to and from the airport and to the center. I am a solo traveler who has just graduated uni. I highly recommend visiting.

I did two weeks of the intensive Arabic language program at the Excellence Centre and loved it.

My teacher Maryam was an excellent teacher, who made all the classes fun and engaging and really taught me a lot. I was a beginner and I asked Maryam if we could focus on speaking in our classes- she knew how to build up my vocab and grammar and in only a short time I started speaking, understanding a lot and being able to have conversations with people.

Everyone at the centre is really lovely and approachable, and if you ever need any support Marwa and Osama are there to help out, and always check in with you. It was easy to meet new friends because the atmosphere of the centre is warm and buzzing with activities, and every morning there is a communal breakfast where you can get to know everyone.

My host family was so lovely and hospitable, and really made me feel at home. The people in Hebron are the most genuinely hospitable and kind people I have ever met. I was invited to people’s homes often and everyone was really interested in speaking to you and helping with learning Arabic. I highly recommend coming to Palestine and immersing yourself in such a beautiful culture and language!

I am Suzan, 33, from Belgium and a language teacher myself. I took a two weeks intensive Arabic class at the Excellence Center in Hebron. My teacher Maryam was great. We were just two students and both of us wanted the same: to practice and improve conversation skills in Levantine Arabic. Maryam did a wonderful job facilitating that, providing us with plentiful opportunities to speak and talk with each other.

In Hebron I lived with a host family that was very friendly and generous. They invited me and my roommates several times for dinner, to sit in the garden or just to talk.

I felt very safe in Hebron. I walked the streets alone during the day and at night and it was completely safe. Palestinian people are also very willing to help when you get lost or have a question.

During my weekends I visited Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem. It was amazing to see other parts of Palestine.

I was only in Palestine for a short time but it was a great experience. I talked to many Palestinians and learned a lot about their lives and how they live under Israeli occupation.

I would definitely recommend studying Arabic at the Excellence Center. And I hope to be back in Palestine sooner than later, inshallah.

My name is William and I am from Canada. I spent one month at the Excellence Center doing the intensive Arabic program. This meant that for three and a half hours a day, from 08.30 to 12.00 I had lessons on 3miyyeh Arabic. I was in a group with one other boy who was at my level, and once he left it was essentially one-on-one lessons. I have found the lessons very helpful, as not only are we in the middle east but also the teachers know a lot on the subject and were always eager to supply words and materials outside the course. Inside the Center was a wonderful environment because everyone is there for similar reasons. It was a good environment to study, or even simply sit in the sun and talk about hat adventures we had been on.

After lessons I would often tag along with the other programs, and most often this meant going to refugee camps or visiting humanitarian groups inside of Hebron. Not only would we get lectures on a wide range of topics from experts, but also would have opportunities to go on trips around the West Bank. Most notably, we went on a trip to the Mar Saba Monastery as well as to Bethlehem. These more ‘fun’ trips were great for building up friendships with other students, with whom I am keeping in touch with after I leave.
On the weekends there is also easy access to the rest of the West Bank and Jordan by means of the service system. Jerusalem is only an hour away, and it’s not uncommon for people to arrange travel together. I personally went to Ramallah, Nablus, and Jerusalem with other students and had a wonderful time.
Hebron is a noisy but peaceful city. It doesn’t have quite the charm that Jerusalem or Bethlehem has, but because tourists are much more uncommon the people are welcoming and always eager to help. It’s not uncommon to be walking along the street when someone starts talking to you, then after a few hours you get invited to a wedding or some other function. Hebron is also quite a safe city, relatively speaking. While the traffic here is certainly dubious, I have never once felt in danger in H1, and even H2 is relatively safe so long as you handle yourself well.

I very strongly recommend the intensive Arabic program here at the Center to almost anyone, and I have had nothing but good experiences.

I did the intensive Arabic course with the excellence center and I must begin by saying that the teaching quality for me was top notch. My teacher was brilliant and in the relatively short time that I studied at the center, I feel as though I have significantly advanced in my Arabic speaking skills. The social scene is great, most of the staff and students were very friendly. I should however make note of a few things to any prospective students. The price of admission is very high due to a number of factors the center's resources are limited. Before you sign up you need to be aware of a few things, for example, if you're a male then you will not be integrated into a host family in the same way that girls are. Hebron is after all, a conservative city. Aside from that the center's biggest issues are organization and transparency so I will say that in order to make the most of your time here, you need to use a lot of initiative such as exploring the city yourself and finding the time to talk to the people here.