Intensive Arabic Courses In Germany (1-13 Weeks)

I just finished a two week intensive course for colloquial levantine arabic with Muaz. The classes were extremely helpful and tailored to my level. Not only did I learn new words, phrases, even street slang, Muaz also shared a lot of stories with me, helping me better understand the situation of the Syrian diaspora here in Germany and experience the wealth of culture that can be found in even the smallest falafel-shop. I would definitely recommend the excellence center to anyone interested in learning arabic in Germany

Doing the Intensive Arabic Program in Halle is getting inspired via stories, poetry and songs by teachers who enjoy sharing their passion for the Arabic language and culture. It’s going from the feeling of gluing little words together and hoping it makes sense to having actual (even if still small) conversations in Arabic. It’s getting encouraged to continue exploring and learning. And this in a welcoming and accepting environment. Thank you to everyone at the Excellence Center for these 4 interesting weeks.

The Center is absolutely a lovely experience which I would recommend to anyone interested in learning Arabic! I had two teachers during my 5 weeks in Halle who were both very enthusiastic and helpful. Class size was small which meant that instruction could be tailored to our interests and needs in learning. Cultural education is also mixed in beautifully with lessons in etymology, translating songs and poems, and restaurant visits.
Outside of class, the Center also has an amazing community feeling from the very first day. There were a lot of opportunities to hang out with the other students and volunteers including breakfast every weekday, cafe visits, park hangouts, and weekend trips.
Overall, this is absolutely an amazing opportunity both for learning language and culture and to meet a lovely international community. I have had a wonderful summer and definitely plan to return!

I was very happy with the people I met as well as the instruction I received. My teacher was very energetic and helpful with the teaching. Arabic is a hard language but he made it engaging and interesting. I really enjoyed the program breakfast that we had on the week days. It was a good time to get to speak with people more personally. The weekly football matches were a great opportunity to get out of the school atmosphere and have fun. The public transportation was amazing and very easy to use.

This was an incredible experience for anyone. I have been out of school for about 5 years, and I was nervous about not being able to keep up in class. I didn’t need to worry at all – the class was an absolute blast. Most days the 3 hours of instruction passed before I realized it and I was able to let go of any worry of not being able to speak perfectly and just speak as much as I could in Arabic. My class was the perfect size, about 5 students and the teacher managed to adjust to each of our various levels. I spent 3 weeks of my work time off at the center learning Arabic and not only has my grasp of the language improved greatly, but so has my understanding of the culture and I will be walking away with wonderful friendships as well.
I cannot recommend this program enough – you will experience more than a museum or walking around a city could ever show you. Everyone is there to help – it is a space where people look out for each other both inside and outside the class room. Additionally, we had class outside, we traveled about, talked about the history of Germany and the region. You will never be bored.
One thing I really appreciated was that you can sign up for as many weeks as you have time for. This was perfect for me, as someone who works full time. I ended up getting my own accommodations because I was traveling with my wife who was not doing the program, but I still ate breakfast with the group each morning which was a really special time. The flexibility of the program along with its excellent instruction (I cannot speak highly enough of my teach Moaz – very patient, very kind, very funny) is a wonderful combination.

The center itself felt like home after only one day there, and I am planning on going back to visit before I head back to the states. My tutor (hi Duha!) is amazing, kind, and patient—much like the rest of the staff at the center. Throughout the whole program you have as much independence as you want. The center can arrange tours, site visits, and provide suggestions for spending your time or you can tackle the days as you see fit. Getting around Hebron is simple, even without Arabic. One thing to note is you have to ask people for directions (the staff are very willing to help, too!). Maps don't have the most updated information and cell service can be spotty given the occupation.

I will never stop talking about my week in Hebron. I have been working in Tel Aviv for the past few months, and had a weeklong vacation from work. I have never studied Arabic before and jumped at the opportunity to immerse myself in the language and culture of Palestine. The people were so welcoming and maintain strength and optimism even six months into war.

Excellent programme. My language instructor, Saja, was great fun and particularly helpful with any questions I had. The improvement of my colloquial Arabic skills, with which she assisted greatly, was aided in addition by the plethora of social activities arranged by the Centre. The folks running the Centre are warm, friendly and generous. Because my stay took place during Ramadan, they often kindly invited me over for iftar at their place. Outside of Arabic classes, normally attended in the morning, the overall programme proved highly instructive. The visits undertaken, including to Hebron old town and al-Fawwar camp, were particularly helpful in shaping my understanding of the situation in the West Bank. So was the opportunity to see the more modern side of the city, where the Centre is located. The programme also allows plenty of time during the weekends to explore nearby towns and cities. Teaching English to middle and high schoolers, which is part of the Centre's programme, was an equally rewarding experience, especially as it allowed for an exchange of perspectives with some of the young people in Hebron. I am grateful to all of the wonderful people at the Centre, and I hope to see everyone again soon.

I came to the center to study Arabic intensively for 12 weeks, 3 hours a day. This is the most intense program of study possible, which I did because I wanted to learn as much Arabic as I could as quickly as possible. While I studied Arabic in college in the US, I had not studied it at all in more than 6 years and had forgotten most of what I learned. In three months I went from barely being able to form complete sentences in Arabic to speaking at a higher level than I ever did in college. In short, 3 months at the Excellence Center improved my Arabic more than 2.5 years at a university. This was possible because the instruction you receive at the Excellence Center is either one-on-one or with only a few other students. As a result, you spend much more time speaking directly with your teacher, and therefore have much more time to practice your language skills in a practical environment. In addition to being skilled teachers, the teachers are all friendly and contribute to a pleasant and welcoming environment around the center. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to improve their Arabic skills quickly.