Intensive Arabic Programs In Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

Hello! My name is Stephanie Carpenter and I am from Germany and England. I am currently doing a four year masters degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies and I came to the Excellence Center in Hebron to improve my Arabic dialect (language skills).

I did a lot of research to find a course that suited me and found that the Excellence Center not only gave a wide variety of options in their courses but also offered flexibility within their curriculum.

Once I found the center, I was determined to go and it was the best decision I made to improve my Arabic.

I had already studied Arabic for one year, and I was a unsure if the classes would match my level but my teacher, Mahmoud and my class was suited me perfectly. And even though I was with the Center for a short time I learned such a lot and laughed a lot in my classes . Every morning I had Arabic from 8:30-12 with breaks for food and coffee and the afternoons were filled with trips to the city of Hebron. On my first day, we went to Al Fawwar Refugee camp where I learned a lot about the reality of living in these areas and the struggles they face daily. This was really important for me as I believe that hearing about their experiences is the best way to get a real understanding of the situation.
Another trip was to the Old City of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, both of which were incredible to see firsthand. In between the big trips we also had some lovely events at the center, including traditional Palestinian music and Maqloubah for dinner. This was a lovely way to chat with others in different programs.

One of the things I loved most about the Center is the kindness and friendliness of the staff, teachers, and students which gives such a welcoming atmosphere. But everyone you meet in Palestine is extremely polite and willing to help whether you are speaking English or Arabic. I’ve never felt unsafe or insecure during my time here and I couldn’t recommend coming to Hebron enough.

Additionally, staying with a host family was such a unique way of getting to know the food and culture of Palestine. I can honestly say from the first day I felt extremely at home and very comfortable which is very important when travelling as a solo woman. I can’t wait to come back again to Hebron and to the center and I will definitely be staying for longer next time!

I had a really great time in Hebron. I studied Arabic and my level has increased greatly. Every step of the way, I had support from my teacher who always tailored the lessons specifically for my needs. Other than just Arabic, living in Khalil was great. People in Khalil are extremely nice and welcoming. It is a great place to be based in within the West Bank. Khalil is a safe city and I never felt under any threat ever. In fact, I expect that you will feel safer in Khalil than in your country of origin

My Name is Dayton. I have a Bachelors in Economics and I participated in the Media and Journalism internship at the Excellence Center in Palestine.
During my time at the Excellence center I toured the city of Hebron. I was able to see many important place in the city as well as meet many members of media, the chamber of Commerce, the Municipal government, Law and activists. I also hade the opportunity to volunteer in English langue classes held at the center for Palestinian youth and take Arabic classes myself. My Arabic classes were rigorous, engaging and a lot of fun! My listening and reading comprehension greatly improved during my time at the center. I also developed the rudiments of conversation skills that I hope to build upon in the future.
The Center is a very warm and inviting environment. I was able to meet volunteers from around the world as well as well as many Palestinians from the community of Hebron. People were full of advice about how to make the most of my internship and how best to navigate the West Bank and Hebron. During my stay, I participated in every site visit that was made available to me. I visited the Ibrahim Mosque, a Russian Orthodox Church, a Kafiyeh Factory, a School for the Blind, A radio station, a TV station, the Old City and to H2. I was also able to visit other cities in the West Bank such as Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho and Nablus.
Living in Hebron was a very pleasant experience. The People are very curious, friendly and generous. People off the street would invite my to have dinner with them or just to strike up a conversation. I never worried about feeling unsafe. If ever crossed the street it was because I didn't want to accept a gift of coffee or some sweets! I most enjoyed and respected the resilient spirit of the Palestinian people and that despite the daily reality of the Occupation; very person that I met was positive about their future.
My Favorite experience in the West Bank was all of it! I was able to learn so much not just about Arabic or Palestinian history but about world history. MY time in the West Bank and in Hebron has left a lasting impression that will affect where I travel and how I live for some time. I would recommend the Excellence center to anyone that wanted to learn more or who wanted an exciting experience.

Hi, my name is Dan, and I come from the UK. I study Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the University of Oxford. I came to the Excellence Centre for three weeks to partake in the Human Rights Internship programme, as I have been interested in the occupation for a long time and really wanted to come and see the situation for myself.

During my time at the centre, I took part in many different activities- including presentations from human rights experts, visits to Palestinian homes and villages, trips to various organisations in Hebron, and fun group activities with the centre.

Upon arriving, I was given three days of Arabic lessons- I had a very limited background in Arabic, I just knew a few words and phrases- but the teaching was excellent and comprehensive, and even after just a few lessons, my Arabic improved a lot- and made me want to learn more! Another thing is that through speaking to the people of Hebron- I learnt more Arabic and found myself able to understand more of what people were saying to me.

The environment in the centre is so friendly and welcoming. When I first arrived, I was a bit overwhelmed with meeting so many new people- but after a day or two I found myself forming close friendships with people from all over the world and different backgrounds, and now I don’t want to leave! The staff are so nice and friendly, and if you have any issues or questions they are more than ready to help.

With the centre, I visited Fuwwar Refugee Camp, the Palestinian Polytechnic University, Masafer Yatta and Umm Al-Khair village, a Palestinian art exhibition, a blind school, the H2 zone of Hebron, the Old City, and took an amazing hike in the Halhul areal. On top of that, on the weekends I visited Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jerusalem- these cities are really nice to visit, and easy and cheap to get to- especially if you go in a group.

Living in Hebron was an amazing experience. I shared a nice apartment with a few other guys, not too far from the centre. The people here are SO hospitable and most of them love talking to foreigners, even though they don’t speak a lot of English. As a result, I have never felt unsafe in Hebron- it is such a friendly environment that there is never anything to worry about in terms of safety- we rarely lock our apartment door! The food here is incredible, the best shawarma and falafel in the world, for good prices- and there are some more traditional Palestinian dishes that I had the chance to try which were amazing- Maqluba was a standout for me. The weather in Palestine is HOT in the summer, but the evenings tend to be cool and when there is a breeze it is very pleasant. Something that surprised me about Palestine in general is the beautiful range of nature and physical environment- there are hills and valleys filled with greenery and beautiful-smelling olive trees.

One of the highlights for me was the hike in the Halhul area- the scenery was beautiful, the walk was long but rewarding, and then after the walk was done, we all sat down and ate together on the side of a hill overlooking the city- a beautiful view with beautiful people and beautiful food.

The programme has been so rewarding for me, and more than anything else I have just learnt so much! There is something really powerful about coming and seeing the situation for yourself- no amount of reading or research can replace that experience. I have fallen in love with Palestine, and I definitely want to come back to Hebron- hopefully with some more Arabic skills! I absolutely recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone who has any interest in the situation in Palestine, or even anyone who wants to learn Arabic- it’s an amazing place to do it.

"Welcome!", "What is your name?", "Where are you from?". It wouldn't feel like Hebron unless you heard these questions whilst walking around the city. It is one of the friendliest places I have traveled to.
My name is Jack and I live in London. I work for the UK Government having completed a degree in economics.

I spent six weeks at the Excellence Centre learning Arabic. Whilst I started as a complete
beginner, by the end I could have simple conversations in shops, cafes and taxis in addition to reading and writing in the Arabic script. The lessons were well structured and focussed on how to apply the Arabic language, rather than endless grammar. Our teacher was encouraging, engaging, and experienced.

The Centre supplemented our studies with various visits and trips, including visiting a family in the "H2" area of the city and to a refugee camp. The personal stories were very impactful and exposed the situation for Palestinians living under occupation. We also visited a nearby nature reserve where the peace, quiet and views of the countryside provided a great contrast to the bustling city centre.

Studying at the Excellence Centre provided the opportunity to meet people from across the globe and from all walks of life, but with the common intention of learning more about the history, culture and people of Palestine.

My favourite experience - albeit not a unique one in Palestine - was being invited to a family's house for dinner after meeting them on the bus from Bethlehem. As we arrived, huge plates of chicken and rice were brought out from the kitchen and we had a great afternoon eating, drinking coffee and practising our Arabic.

Hebron is a great place to stay. In addition to the friendly people and the huge range of cafes and restaurants, you will witness - first hand - the impact of the occupation on daily life in the city and hear myriad perspectives on how the situation could be improved.
Developing a small amount of knowledge on the complex history and political situation and taking it back to the UK is invaluable. It is also very straightforward to visit other cities from Hebron by bus or shared taxi: we spent weekends in Jericho, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

In summary, I definitely recommend Palestine, Hebron and the Excellence Centre. My six weeks here has gone too quickly!

I’m Francesca and I’ve been studying intensive Arabic at the excellence centre for 6 weeks alongside my husband.
I had studied formal Arabic before arriving in Hebron - I took it as an extra module whilst completing my masters at SOAS university in London. However, 7 years has passed since I finished my masters so it’s safe to say I was a little rusty.
Our teacher was endlessly patient and encouraging, meaning within a couple of days I was already feeling confident enough to try talking to locals in the street. Our lessons were structured enough that our teacher made sure we covered all the basics of the language, but we also had the freedom to pick and choose additional topics to cover or specific areas of weakness we wanted to focus on.
Our lessons were primarily class room based but every so often we did a lesson ‘in action’ visiting various stores in Hebron to engage in dialogue with the local people (all under the watchful eye of our wonderful teacher!).
The excellence centre also took us on a number of trips where we learnt about the history of Hebron, the culture and, of course, the conflict with Israel. We were exposed to many different viewpoints during these trips which helped us to greatly expand our understanding of the situation.
My favourite trip was to a local nature reserve - Wadi Al Quff. It is only 15 minutes drive from the city and yet it feels like a world away. Our hike through the reserve was so peaceful and the scenery is so beautiful - far greener than I had expected! We were also able to visit a huge cave that’s within the reserve and get up close and personal with a local colony of bats. Our hike finished at the top of a hill where we were provided with a wonderful picnic to eat whilst watching the sunset.
During our time in Hebron we stayed with a wonderful host family. We shared an apartment with 3 other girls from the excellence centre but in the same building as our host family. We were able to use their beautiful garden, their swimming pool and practice Arabic with them.
Overall we felt so at home in Hebron. Never in my life have I been to a more friendly and welcoming city. Everyone wants to chat to you, invite you to visit their home, or offer help with anything you need. I will never forget the Hebron hospitality and I’m so sad to have to leave.

Inshallah we will return to Hebron and the excellence centre one day soon.

I wanted to take a moment and thank you and the Excellence Center for a wonderful
experience here in Hebron. 11 months ago, my friend and I decided to take Arabic together at our local community college. We enjoyed it so much we decided to look for a study abroad program. After looking at a few programs recommended by the college, my friend found your program and I’m glad he did.

We compared it to the others that were available and reached out to get more information. Wewere kindly greeted; all our questions were answered, and we decided the Excellence Center was where we wanted to do our study abroad.

When many people found out I was coming for a study abroad program in Palestine, they
expressed concern and warned me about how they thought things were here in Palestine, but I quickly told them I would be fine and not to worry about me. After arriving here, I found I was completely right! The Palestinian people are some of the most friendly people I have ever met.Total strangers will see you looking for something and they will stop and ask you if you need help; everyone you talk to is your friend. I have never felt worried for my safety in Palestine.

My first day I took an assessment of my language skills and was placed in a class with a
wonderful teacher. She really helped me increase my reading, writing, and speaking skills. Other teachers were really friendly as well and were always willing to help students learn, and answer any questions we had. Not only was the language training excellent, but the cultural visits organized by the center were great as well.

My first visit was meeting with an Israeli ex-soldier from an organization called Breaking the Silence. The organization is mainly comprised of former soldiers who saw the mistreatment of the Palestinian people and are educating others on what is really going on. He took us to the Israeli side of Hebron near the Ibrahimi Mosque. He explained about the Israeli settlements and how they are slowly encroaching on Palestinian lands, forcing the people out of their homes and businesses.

My second trip was to a Palestinian refugee camp where we met with some of the refugees and they told us their stories of being forced off their land and about the restrictions put in place on them. We were given a tour of the camp, and it was sad to see the conditions there. It really opened my eyes to things I did not know were occurring.

My third trip was a beautiful hike through a small valley just north of the city. We saw historical sites there and enjoyed the scenery. We even went in a cave! Afterwards we drove up a mountain and had dinner overlooking the beautiful city of Bayt Ula. It was a very nice experience.

I do not regret doing my study abroad here and have grown to love the city and the people. My one regret is that I was unable to stay longer. It saddens me that it is time to return home already.

Most of my time at the Excellence Centre was spent studying Arabic, as I was on the intensive course: after studying in the mornings, I would practice the topics covered into the evening in a cafe, or at my apartment.

I found the intensive Arabic course very useful, and I am grateful to my two teachers, Haya and Daliah, who taught me for my first four weeks and last two weeks. I spoke no Arabic when I arrived, and now I am able to get by in shops and have short discussions with people. I found Haya’s immersive teaching strategy extremely useful in jumping straight into the language. She introduced me into conversational Arabic quickly, and taught me useful expressions and vocabulary. Combined with Daliah’s focused approach—which was more technical and allowed to build on that foundation and hone those skills—I definitely feel like I now have the skills to learn Arabic independently, and build my proficiency going forward.

The environment at the centre was very friendly and relaxed, and I appreciated that a lot: the mix of people was great and everyone was very friendly! I didn’t travel outside of Hebron much: I visited Jerusalem and Ramallah, and found Hebron a very interesting and welcoming city. In Hebron, you need to be ready for people to ask you a lot of questions, but it’s an overwhelmingly friendly place—in fact the thing I liked most about Palestine is the people, almost all of whom are exceptionally welcoming and generous, something that I have always appreciated and will continue to do so.