Teach English & Study Arabic in Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

Hello! My name is Michael and I’m from the UK. I’ve been here at the Excellence Center for 3 months, doing a variety of different programs.

For the first month I did the ‘volunteering with Palestinian children’ program. This included providing English lessons at the Center to children of all ages, as well as visiting a number of local schools. I also visited other educational centres and refugee camps in the surrounding Hebron area, providing English lessons to students. This experience was so rewarding and the children of Palestine are absolutely amazing!

For the second month of my trip I completed 2 weeks of intensive Arabic, which allowed me to really practise and improve my Arabic, giving me the confidence to speak more with the local people. My teacher Saja has been amazing! I have really enjoyed my lessons. Saja has been very kind and supportive, making the lessons fun and engaging. She has helped me so much.

For the second month I also took part in the Human Rights Internship which has included visiting a variety of different places and organisations here in Hebron and the surrounding area to highlight the Human Rights situation for the Palestinian people. This has included a number of lectures about the history of Palestine and the current situation here in Hebron and the West Bank. I have visited the H2 area of the city and met a number of people and families living there who have told us about their daily lives lives, describing the difficulties of living in an Israeli controlled area. Some stories have been difficult to hear but seeing it with my own eyes has highlighted the importance of hearing and sharing their stories.

I have also visited places of historical importance, such as the old city and Ibrahimi Mosque and I have also met a number of individuals and organisations within Hebron such as schools for disabled children, the Hebron Center of Commerce, a law firm, hospitals, clinics, a radio station, a film production studio, a keffiyeh factory and refugee camps, that highlight the situation for Palestinians here in Hebron. In the surrounding Hebron area I have also visited Masafa Yatta, an area where Palestinian homes are at risk from demolition by the Israeli Government.

For my final month I mainly did the Human Rights internship, taking part in the activities described above as well as some teaching in local centres and refugee camps.

During the weekends I was able to travel to a number of different cities in the West Bank and Israel including Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Ramallah, Nazareth and Haifa. Palestine is amazing and beautiful! Being able to explore the country was wonderful.

I feel so safe in Hebron and the Palestinian people are the friendliest people I have ever met. During my time here I have lived in a flat with other male volunteers. The flat is nice, spacious and has all of the mod cons for a great stay.

I am a vegetarian, so although many local Palestinian dishes include meat, I was able find vegetarian food quite easily. Some of my favourite foods included falafel, hummus, fresh bread, a large variety of fruit and vegetables and salads.

The Excellence Center environment is so friendly and supportive. The staff have been amazing and supportive, listening to to any concerns you may have. When I wished to change my program slightly to incorporate more Human Rights, this was not a problem. The Center is also a great place to practise you Arabic in a supportive environment.

All of the volunteers at the Center have been from around the globe, so it has been so interesting and enjoyable to meet different people.

My lasting impression of Palestine is of a people who are so hospitable and kind. Despite the challenges of occupation, the people are wonderful. My experience has made me appreciate my life. Palestine is also so beautiful and I hope to return soon. Come to Palestine!

My time in Palestine has been absolutely wonderful. Even though I was the teacher, the stundents taught me more than I could have ever imgined and learing with them was a blessing. It will be something that I will be always grateful for. Whenever I needed help,
I could be sure that the center would do everything in order to help me. I can really recommend the excellence center to other people thinking about going to Palestine. You will be learing arabic, meeting great people and always have people to help you anywhere and anytime. It was an insightful journey!

Hi, my name is Osmn, and I’m from Norway. I have a master degree in teaching and I work as a primary school teacher back home in Norway.
I participated in the programme called Teach English & study Arabic for 4,5 weeks.

At the excellence center I taught at two private funded schools, and also students who study English at the excellence center. It was great fun! I have also participated at the arranged trips they offer to experience different parts of the West Bank.

I have had the best Arabic teacher I could have asked for. Saj’a is one of the most talented teachers I have met, and I have learned so much from her. Her way of teaching is inspiring and I will most definitely try to keep up with my Arabic when I go back home.

The staff and teachers at the center are so lovely, and I have had so many great conversations with them. Teaching with Isaac was very interesting and I have learnt a lot from him. I have also enjoyed being with the other internationals very much.

The male dorm was great. Good standards and a great place to chill.

I felt very secure in Hebron, even with the ongoing tension. Most people here are so friendly and you will get a lot of invitations by people on the street to come join them for coffee. I suggest you do it!
The food is of course amazing, especially compared to Norway. I will miss my daily falafel at the corner falafel place.

I really enjoyed the programme, and I will most definitely recommend it, especially for teachers who want to experience teaching abroad.

Me sjåast att!

My time in Hebron has been pleasantly and proufoundly insightful and enjoyable. From the staff and students at the Excellence Center, the local people and the host family, the people of Palestine are extremely hospitable and welcoming.
I have learn't a great deal about the education, medical and human rights presence as well as the cultural values. It has raised awareness in a differenet perspective and I hope to visit Palestine again and stay connected with the countless beautiful people I have met.

I was on the Volunteer Teaching English and Learning Arabic programme for two months at the Excellence Centre. Part of my activities involved assisting some of the local teachers at the centre. The local teachers would teach English grammar rules through Arabic, to ensure that students had a good foundation and understanding of the grammatical rules before I would begin a practice session with the students. This was a helpful experience as I came to the centre with little teaching experience, and I believe that this helped increase my confidence in the classroom. I also enjoyed learning Arabic, and Marwa was a fantastic teacher.
At the centre I was able to participate in some activities such as, a tour of the old town in Hebron, I got to visit Ibrahim Mosque. The centre also organised a trip to Dar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem. I got to meet many international people and local people during my time in Hebron and friendships were formed. During my time at the centre, I was able to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Ramallah. I was able to see and do so much and it was an experience of a lifetime.
During my time in Hebron, I stayed with a host family. This was an interesting experience, as I could really experience Palestinian family life first hand. I would like to thank the excellence centre for everything they do, this is such a vital community centre for the people of Hebron and so many children, young people and foreigners benefit from the centre. Marwa, Osama and all the teachers at the centre do an amazing job. It’s clearly not just a ‘job’ for them, they genuinely care about what they do. I would like to thank them for all their help and support, and I hope to return in the

Hi! I’m a medical student from the UK and just spent the last 2 weeks in Hebron, Palestine with the Excellence Centre. I was involved with both the Teach English Study Arabic (TESA) and Medical Healthcare Programme.

On the TESA programme, I spent a week travelling to a nearby village (paid for by the centre) to teach 2 classes of around 20 kids aged 7-13. Although varying in levels, being able to build a bond with the kids and try and make their lessons as fun and useful as possible was very rewarding. Most of the kids were very eager to learn English which certainly helped make the class environment more fun. Teaching them basic words/phrases also gave me a chance to improve my own very basic conversational Arabic.

My Medical healthcare programme was shorter. In my 5 or so days, I was able to visit 2 hospitals, a nearby refugee camp and listen to a couple of presentations about the healthcare structure in Hebron and Palestine. The visit to the nearby Al-Alia public hospital was the most memorable experience of this programme. The hospital was rammed pack and was certainly in need of additional funds/staff and supplies. It was an eye opening experience but the doctors and staff from each ward were very friendly and happy to take time out to answer any Q’s we had.

The people in Palestine, particularly Hebron were super friendly. I read a lot of people say the same thing before I travelled to Palestine, but having been through it myself I cannot overstate how friendly Palestinians truly are. From teachers/students at the EC to taxi drivers to even street sweepers. Everyone was super happy to talk to foreigners and help out in any way possible. This also means a lot of coffee offerings and even 1 wedding invite from a particular taxi driver lol. Marwa and Osama (the people who run the centre) were extremely accommodating in my short time there. I felt reassured that I could raise any concerns with them at any time. Marwa even cooked a local favourite dish (Mansaf) for my flatmates and I - for which I am super grateful!

Due to the nature of the course and having weekends off, there is also a lot of scope to travel around Palestine which was something I really enjoyed. In just 2 weeks at the centre, I combined my free time and visited Jerusalem, Ramallah and Nablus with a few friends that I made from the centre.

One concern I had going into Palestine was safety. It’s completely understandable given the media portrayal but I am 100% convinced when I say Hebron is safer than London in every way possible. The people are incredibly funny and cannot remember coming across/witnessing anything confrontational at all. The only sense of tension I got was when visiting the occupied areas near Ibrahimi Mosque.

Some things I would tell volunteers to expect before they come would be to be prepared for the surprisingly high cost of living in Palestine. Due to the political and economic situation in Palestine, costs and prices alike have gone up. It’s not uncommon to pay £15-£20 for a meal. However, I would still urge to do so and help out the local communities who are still struggling very much. Another things would be not to expect a 5* hotel accommodation. I think I got quite lucky with a very nice apartment for my accommodation, but I heard of less fortunate situations. Do not have your expectations for living arrangements through the roof, especially considering the very reasonable price of the course. Lastly, if you are planning on coming it would be in your own best interest to learn as much Arabic as possible beforehand - this will make your lessons and interactions with locals a lot more enjoyable and fruitful.

Overall, I couldn’t recommend the Excellence Centre enough. If you are lucky enough to have the opportunity to see Palestine and visit the Excellence Centre - please do it!

My name is Nizar Farsakh. I am a seventeen year old Palestinian American who has
participated in the Volunteer and Teach English program at the Excellence Center. The
Excellence Center has given me an extremely positive experience here in Hebron. Thanks to the Excellence Center I have been given the opportunity to participate in a large variety of activities during my stay in Hebron, such as insightful lectures given by staff, introductions to Palestinian art forms, and community bonding events. These activities centered around establishing a deeper understanding of Palestinian culture and their current situation under occupation. In addition to these multiple activities the Excellence Center provided me with
many opportunities to practice my spoken Arabic with staff members, which greatly helped
improve my Arabic during my stay in Hebron.
The environment of the Excellence Center is extremely positive and constructive. During
my time volunteering I worked with the most wonderful students who truly wanted to learn
English and learn more about the multitude of volunteers working them. These students helped sculpt a very positive environment for both students and volunteers. In addition to this, staff members and other volunteers created a positive working environment by taking time to know each other outside of the classroom. Often, I have found myself conversing with other volunteers and staff members for hours after the center closed and lessons ended. The
Excellence Centers positive environment greatly contributed to making my stay in Hebron
extremely enjoyable.
Besides the multiple activities planned by the Excellence Center for volunteers, the
Center prepared multiple trips for Volunteers. These trips included trips to Palestine market places, tours of the Old City of Hebron, and other adventures in the Hebron area. Overall, these trips where extremely insightful and gave volunteers the opportunity to see first hand what life is like in Hebron. In addition to these Excellence Center planed trips, volunteers often got
together on their own to plan their own trips over weekends to places like Jerusalem and
Bethlehem.
Living in Hebron was extremely enjoyable, I lived in a small apartment with two other
volunteers who where extremely pleasant to stay with. Over the first few days of my stay in Hebron many misconceptions of the place where easily dismissed. The people here where extremely nice and I even made friends with many of the shop owners on the street we lived on. In addition to this, I had absolutely no concern over my safety while I was In the Palestinian sections of the city.
Over the course of my stay I found that my favorite aspect of Hebron was its people.
The people here are extremely nice and love to talk to you and get to know you. The hospitality of the people of Hebron is unmatched and you’ll often find yourself invited for a cup of coffee by shop owners as you go exploring in the city.
As for my favorite memory of my time here in Hebron, I believe it was when I was given
the opportunity to visit the Al Fawwar refugee and get teach English to the amazing children there. These children where extremely nice and loved learn about us volunteers and play fun games with us. I greatly enjoyed teaching in Al Fawwar and other villages near Hebron, and they are among my greatest memories from my stay in Hebron.
After visiting Palestine and working in the Excellence Center my lasting Impression of
Palestine and Its people is of an extremely gentle and kind people living under a harsh and brutal occupation. I recommend the Excellence Center to everyone as I believe that through working in the Excellence Center you are given the opportunity to truly learn about the people here and the state of Palestine.
Overall, my experience at the Excellence Center was extremely eye opening and I
recommend for everyone to visit Palestine.

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