The Excellence Center Reviews

I enrolled in a 50 hours group program at Excellence centre. We decided to study mainly the local dialect, which was approved by the centre and facilitated well. Our teacher was a talented young lady.
We used video in many of our classes, which is very good.
We studied the most relevant subjects relevant for our current and future job in an Arabic speaking country.

All in all, very nice and useful experience.

My name is Sila, I am a Canadian Turkish student living in Montreal. I am 21 years old and finished my university baccalaureate in international development and Middle East studies at McGill University. I came to Hebron to teach English to young Palestinians and learn Arabic language and culture. I was a volunteer assistant teacher for a whole month. I taught teenagers boys and girls and young adults too. Their level ranged from beginner 1 to intermediate 2. During this time I stayed with two host families. Both of them were amazing and very welcoming. With these families and the friendly staff of the Excellenxe Center, I have never felt unsafe. Every person I met went out of their way to make me and the other volunteers at ease and safe in Hebron.
During my stay, I visited many places in Hebron. For example, I went to the Ibrahimi mosque many times, to Hebron's Old City and to its famous glass and kufiyah factories. I also went to Dura, which is a town in Hebron. Outside of Hebron, I went to Jericho, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Yaffa.
All in all, it was an amazing experience. A month felt like a week. The people at the center and the host families are so generous, so friendly and so warm that you will want to extend your trip!

Why did I not come here sooner? I took private lessons at the Excellence Center for a week, not only was it affordable but the professors were very accomodating and sought to work with my level. As a student, you also eat with the staff every morning which gives you the opportunity to practice your Arabic.

I participated in the Teach English Speak Arabic program from November, 2014 to February, 2015. I thoroughly enjoyed my time I had spent with the Excellence Center. The staff were great and I never encountered a problem that could not be rectified. They were more than willing to help me and offer solutions to living in a new country. My Arabic teacher was very kind and patient with my lack of foreign language acquisition skills.In addition, the native Arabic teachers were fun to work with also.

I have taught in 4 different countries and I had the best time in Hebron. My students were amazing and very generous. I went to cafes with them, their homes for dinner and their businesses. Moreover, I even went to Bethlehem and Jerusalem with them. They were motivated and eager to learn English; I looked forward to each and every class, because I love interacting with new and stimulating people.

My host family was great and very helpful. I have made some lifelong friends in Hebron and without a doubt will return.

It was amazing experience in Hebron. Everyday we had an amazing time with local Palestinian people. I taught school students, university students and some community members conversational English. The students were amazing.

I also learnt some Arabic, I can say some sentences in Arabic which made my stay much nicer in Hebron.

Its really safe, I never had any problems in Palestine. I was always surrounded with Palestinian people. I also travelled around Palestine. I visited many places from Jenin to Bethlehem to Rammallah.

My stay in Hebron lasted for about two months and the first three weeks were spent learning Arabic at the Excellence Center. I was attracted to the Study Arabic Intensive Program for three reasons :

- a one-to-one teacher
- living in a host family
- cultural activities in the city

... and I was absolutely not disappointed! The people there are warm, welcoming, friendly and laid-back. They took me under their wings right away so I did not feel any homesickness. They are simple and at the ready if we need anything, and they still display a strong professional behavior in their programs and services. I loved my Arabic teacher with whom I had many interesting conversations. I learned as much about the language as I did about the culture, and being hosted in a Palestinian family was perfect for practicing Arabic, and meeting Palestinian people. I've made great friends there thanks to the people I met through my host family.

Hebron is a fascinating place due to its rich history and its wonderful inhabitants.The beauty of the old town leaves you speechless and humbled. The fact that it is still inhabited makes for some extraordinary sight and experiences. For instance, I have been driven around there in a car and I still can't quite get over how that was possible ... the roads are so narrow. Go see and you will know what I mean. That's the sort of fun experience you can enjoy there - and not the least.

Unfortunately it is also invaded by human garbage (israeli soldiers and settlers). As internationals, we are safe there - but it is very important to go and witness the disastrous realities of the occupation. Choosing to visit Palestine is not a random choice - and Hebron is the only city in the West Bank that has settlements within. You can read a thousand books about it but once you get there and see for yourself the settlers having a nice walk around the part of town they stole, wearing rifles on their backs like normal, and the soldiers protecting them and monitoring and intruding on every aspects of Palestinians lives at best (and at worse...), you just cannot fathom how such a thing can be.

In short, if you have the will and the means, do take this course. It is worth it - for the mind, the heart and the intellect.

This was my fourth time to Palestine, but my first time to stay for an extended period. It was probably one of the best decision I ever made. I not only made friendships that will last a lifetime, but I now have a new perspective on life. The center offered many opportunities to visit places in and around Hebron and also allowed for us to do things on our own. The people are amazing and I now feel like Hebro is my second home.

I really enjoyed this programme. Even though I arrived just as the Gaza conflict was developing, I always felt safe in the Hebron due to the my host family and the support from the Excellence center. All the students in the classes were very eager to learn, which made teaching a pleasure. I learned so much about Palestinian culture, history, and daily life, and it was really harrowing to experience the reality of life under Israeli occupation first-hand.

Teaching at Excellence Center was one of (if not the) most fulfilling experiences of my life for a variety of reasons, the biggest one being the people I met there (many of whom I still keep in touch with more than three years later!). Living in Hebron with a host family is a great way to immerse yourself in Palestinian culture. You will be invited into peoples homes, eat delicious Palestinian food, go to weddings, and get an overall feel for daily life.

The teaching program itself is well structured. Excellence Center is used to accommodating many international volunteers with a variety of backgrounds. I had never taught before and found working here to be an incredibly positive learning experience in that regard.

I did not experience any large difficulties in my time at Excellence Center, but it is important to go with a respect for your environment and an understanding that you may not be able to do everything that you would in your home country and you may encounter cultural differences.

If you have the opportunity to work at Excellence Center, go for it!

During my stay in Hebron, I learned a lot: because of my stay at a local Arab host family, I learned a lot about Palestinian culture and family life. Due to the visits with the center manager to various sites of interest in the city, I also learned specific things about Hebron, such as handicraft. Also I learned about the difficulties caused by the settlements in the middle of the city. Visiting certain controversial places was very interesting and educative, but also a very impressive and intense experience.
The Arabic course was very good, I learned a lot because I studied several hours per day.