Program Reviews

Hello everyone!
I hope that you are doing well. I definitely enjoyed my stay at the Excellence Center! The atmosphere was very welcoming, the staff and volunteers nice and my Arabic teacher amazing! The lessons were fun and very helpful. The city is beautiful and we visited it with one of the staff. They are many Arabic speakers in Halle, which helps focus and learn the language. We also went to the nice city of Leipzig. I truly recommend you to study or volunteer there!
Best wishes from Switzerland,
Joëlle

On my arrival in Germany on a Monday morning in early November I was warmly greeted by Rafat and the other volunteers at breakfast. This was my first time in Germany, and my first time travelling to Europe as an adult so I was understandably nervous upon arriving. Yet, the community spirit at the centre made me feel comfortable and welcome from day one.

Over the course of my stay, I enjoyed teaching English to 5 students coming from Syria, Ukraine and Germany, ranging from 9 years old to 85 years old, each with varying degrees of English. The lessons are held as personal one to one tutoring, so you have the freedom to design and tailor the lessons to each of the students' needs. I found this experience to be very rewarding, as it gives you the chance to build a constructive relationship with each individual.

At the same time I also took beginner A2 German lessons in the centre taught by Muaz alongside fellow acquaintance Caterina. Muaz is a great teacher, who really pushes you to speak your best every lesson. I found my German improved steadily over the course of my stay. I even held a few impromptu classes with Cat where I became the teacher :P The only negative was the scheduling of the lessons. Lessons were not scheduled in advance but rather, during the week whenever Muaz was available. Unfortunately this meant, I often didn't know if I was having a lesson or not until the day before, which became slightly frustrating. I found the same was true with scheduling my students as well. It is fair to say the centre at times can be a little disorganised, but it does not detract from the experience all too much.

For my accommodation, I shared a room with two other volunteers in a flat which belonged to one of the excellence centre staff. I did not mind the sharing experience, and it was fun to have roommates that I could bond with. However, I found the accommodation itself to be on the smaller side for four people. This was true of the kitchen which could only really support one person at a time, and also lacked both a microwave and a proper oven. It was also frustrating that we only had two sets of keys between the three of us, and had to frequently let each other in. However, your accommodation experience will likely differ from mine if you live with a host family.

Far and above the best part of my experience at the centre was getting to know the other volunteers. Each morning we would gather in the dining room to enjoy an Arabic breakfast with the other staff and volunteers. It's a great bonding experience and a fund blend of cultures. Even though, I came to the centre with a mind to learn German, I gained a new insight into Arabic culture and even picked up a few Arabic words along the way. Wallahi.

The centre attracts an amazing type of person, passionate about languages and eager to learn about other cultures. Everyone was so inviting, and together was organised some really fun European excursions, to Berlin, Dresden and even Paris. I will always remember enjoying a baguette by the Seine with James. The centre is also closely linked with the Erasmus Students Network in Halle, and through that social group we were invited to some really awesome parties.

Overall I had a really fun time at the centre and made some very unforgettable memories. I could not have wished for a better introduction to Europe.

After three months at the Excellence Center, I cannot recommend this experience enough to others who are interested in participating. Nurtured by the welcoming team that is always eager to help you, or by the beautiful architecture that surrounds you in the charming city of Halle, the Excellence Center is a special place. I will start by saying that I came to Germany with little no knowledge of German. My teacher, Muaz, helped me so much and was extremely patient as I stumbled through learning a new language. I confidently say that I have learned so much and I am very happy with the results!

I travelled to Germany three months post graduating high school in the United States. Upon arriving to Halle I found myself in a complete culture shock, and felt extremely overwhelmed by the language barrier and differences of the country. The team at the Excellence Center helped me feel welcomed and apart of the community right away. By giving me a tour of the city, helpful advice, and lots of delicious food, I felt at home within the first week. The center ensures that all volunteers are placed with host family’s that are kind and welcoming people. My host, Thomas, has taught me so much about authentic German life. Through weekly dinners and chats over coffee I have learned about the language, history, and culture of Germany. Furthermore, the center does a wonderful job of creating an instant feeling of community between the volunteers. I have come to make some lifelong friendships through the people I’ve met. I have also learned a lot about myself through the experience. I also love the connections I have made with the students from the local university. I have met a lot of international people, and I highly recommend participating in activities with the university if you volunteer here! Lastly and most importantly, the connections I have made with my students has been lovely! Getting to know their stories has really opened my eyes. Watching their English improve is extremely rewarding and exciting for both parties!

Overall, I can not emphasize enough how wonderful this experience has been for me. the Excellence Center has played a really impactful role in my life. Rafat and the team have created a great environment for both the volunteers and students. I highly recommend participating in this program for either all three months or even just a week. You won’t regret it!

I have been taking on-line lessons with Doha Amro for a couple of months. Since I was an absolute beginner, we started with the alphabet. Doha did a great job of introducing and drilling the forms of the letters. She also has presented basic Levantine vocabulary and grammar. And I had the chance to practice what I learned not only with Doha, but also with several of her relatives who made guest appearances during our lessons. I have enjoyed my classes, and I look forward to continuing the study of Arabic.

After three months at the Excellence Center, I cannot recommend this experience enough to others who are interested in participating. Nurtured by the welcoming team that is always eager to help you, or by the beautiful architecture that surrounds you in the charming city of Halle, the Excellence Center is a special place. I will start by saying that I came to Germany with little no knowledge of German. My teacher, Muaz, helped me so much and was extremely patient as I stumbled through learning a new language. I confidently say that I have learned so much and I am very happy with the results!

I travelled to Germany three months post graduating high school in the United States. Upon arriving to Halle I found myself in a complete culture shock, and felt extremely overwhelmed by the language barrier and differences of the country. The team at the Excellence Center helped me feel welcomed and apart of the community right away. By giving me a tour of the city, helpful advice, and lots of delicious food, I felt at home within the first week. The center ensures that all volunteers are placed with host family’s that are kind and welcoming people. My host, Thomas, has taught me so much about authentic German life. Through weekly dinners and chats over coffee I have learned about the language, history, and culture of Germany. Furthermore, the center does a wonderful job of creating an instant feeling of community between the volunteers. I have come to make some lifelong friendships through the people I’ve met. I have also learned a lot about myself through the experience. I also love the connections I have made with the students from the local university. I have met a lot of international people, and I highly recommend participating in activities with the university if you volunteer here! Lastly and most importantly, the connections I have made with my students has been lovely! Getting to know their stories has really opened my eyes. Watching their English improve is extremely rewarding and exciting for both parties!

Overall, I can not emphasize enough how wonderful this experience has been for me. the Excellence Center has played a really impactful role in my life. Rafat and the team have created a great environment for both the volunteers and students. I highly recommend participating in this program for either all three months or even just a week. You won’t regret it!

I have been taking online (Levantine) Arabic classes for the past few months, and it has been amazing! I was concerned at first about how well I would learn a new language in a virtual environment, but it's been great so far. The best part of the online classes is my teacher, she is kind, patient, and her style of teaching makes the lessons easy to understand for a native English speaker with zero prior Arabic language experience. Also, I am based in the US and most language classes here cost at least three times as much as the classes at the Excellence Center and don't offer 1-on-1 instruction. I plan to continue taking online classes with the Excellence Center for the foreseeable future and hope to visit the Center in Palestine!

To begin, I have had a wonderful time here in Halle. I initially was just looking for something to do during my winter break at university, but what I found in my two weeks here at the center was nothing short of an exceptional experience.

From the moment I got off the train, two volunteers were there to meet me and help me back to my host family. The next night, I went out to dinner with the other volunteers and students at the local university and was amazed at how instantly people were welcoming and kind. Honestly, the community fostered here at the center cannot be understated. Some of my favorite memories from my time here are just hanging out with the other volunteers at the center or going out to dinner.

As for my lessons, I had students as young as seven and as old as 80 - and each one was a formative experience for me as a teacher! Even though I was only here a short while, I felt I had built a real bond with my students. My highlight as a teacher was probably saying goodbye to one of my students after our last lesson together; she got me a gift and gave me a hug goodbye! I was so touched that in only two weeks it seemed we had mutually left an impression on one another.

In regards to my language learning, I took German courses here at the center. My lessons with Muaz were truly amazing. I think one of my weakest spots when it comes to language is getting out of my shell or not feeling nervous about making stupid mistakes and simply going for it. Muaz created such an open environment in our lessons that I felt I could truly say whatever and push myself to create more complex sentences and such.

In close, the mission and work here at the Excellence Center is commendable, and Rafat's dedication to and vision behind the center is unmatched! I would highly recommend a visit here at the Excellence Center and will fondly look back on my time here.

My four week intensive Arabic experience with the Excellence Centre in Europe has been wonderful. All aspects contributed to an enriching journey.

The teaching has been first class -- I went from knowing nothing about Arabic to being able to hold smalltalk. In four weeks, I've learnt to conjugate simple tenses well enough to speak about the present, past, future, and desired actions. Of course, I can read and write it just as well. If you are a beginner like me, you will be taught with a tight lesson plan and materials if you ask for it. You can also request for a more target-focus approach -- going directly to whatever specific objectives you have.

The friends have been amazing too. For example, we went together on weekend trips to Berlin, Paris, and Prague. 3/3 weekends passed in great fun and discovery, so it wasn't bad at all. It was pretty diverse. In the group we have current college students, pre-uni gap-year students, recent and mid-recent graduates too.

Most people here speak some German, so it'd be helpful to request to have a lesson or two at the beginning of your session to be for German. (I can attest to the rigour of the German coursework too -- after an hour, I could compose sentences with adjectives and prepositions about the present and the future/desire.)

The host family was very welcoming. l hung out with them right away, even with limited language capabilities, we talked about history, international relations, religion, and personal lives. Accomodation for me was a whole room to myself. I would recommend. Though I didn't cook much, the kitchen was available to use.

My four week intensive Arabic experience with the Excellence Centre in Europe has been wonderful. All aspects contributed to an enriching journey.

The teaching has been first class -- I went from knowing nothing about Arabic to being able to hold smalltalk. In four weeks, I've learnt to conjugate simple tenses well enough to speak about the present, past, future, and desired actions. Of course, I can read and write it just as well. If you are a beginner like me, you will be taught with a tight lesson plan and materials if you ask for it. You can also request for a more target-focus approach -- going directly to whatever specific objectives you have.

The friends have been amazing too. For example, we went together on weekend trips to Berlin, Paris, and Prague. 3/3 weekends passed in great fun and discovery, so it wasn't bad at all. It was pretty diverse. In the group we have current college students, pre-uni gap-year students, recent and mid-recent graduates too.

Most people here speak some German, so it'd be helpful to request to have a lesson or two at the beginning of your session to be for German. (I can attest to the rigour of the German coursework too -- after an hour, I could compose sentences with adjectives and prepositions about the present and the future/desire.)

The host family was very welcoming. l hung out with them right away, even with limited language capabilities, we talked about history, international relations, religion, and personal lives. Accomodation for me was a whole room to myself. I would recommend. Though I didn't cook much, the kitchen was available to use.

My experience at the Excellence Centre in Europe

As I write this, I’ve been staying at the Excellence Centre for three months, teaching English and studying both Arabic and German. I’ve got nothing but praise for every aspect of the Centre, the staff, their mission, the learning experience, and the accommodation.

At the Centre I stayed in a shared house with two other volunteers and a member of the Centre staff. The accommodation was excellent for a shared room, and the people were welcoming. On the living experience at the Centre, the place has a real community atmosphere; the Centre feels like one big family, especially when we’re all enjoying breakfast together in the mornings!

The quality of language tuition at the Centre is also very high. I studied German for the first part of my experience, and then switched to studying Arabic, both of which were taught by the fantastic Muaz Albaid. He’s a brilliant teacher, with a knack for explaining the most difficult linguistic and cultural concepts in a way that makes them seem as simple as can be, as well as being great value to have around. Through his tuition, I’ve improved my skills in both languages faster than in any other learning situation I’ve had before. The other teachers at the centre are also excellent, for example Ali Moshmosh, also very talented and highly multilingual. The lessons are very professional and of a comparable standard to what I’ve experienced as a university student. The small class sizes also improve the experience, with lessons tailor-made for your level and language goals.

Rafat is the life and soul of the centre, as well as the driving force behind its mission, with an infectious passion for his work, shared by every other member of staff - ultimately, the reason the Centre exists - to have a positive effect on the refugee community in Halle (Saale) by making language learning more readily available to those who don’t necessarily fit into the mould of the German system. This is a task at which he is succeeding beyond all expectations. I was really gratified to see that I and the other volunteers were having a visibly positive effect on our students, and it was great to see them develop over the time that I was teaching them.

As a volunteer, you have complete control over your schedule and how you teach your lessons, which are generally one-to-one, while also being supported by the vast experience of the Centre’s staff and the resources of the organisation - this really makes the experience as beneficial as possible for both students and teachers. Personally, I had the opportunity to form relationships with my students over my time at the Centre, and I’m quite sad to say goodbye to them.

In conclusion, I would recommend the Centre to anyone who wants to make a real positive impact here in Halle (Saale), anyone who wants to improve their language skills in German or Arabic under professional, high-quality tuition from people who really care about their mission, or simply anyone who would like to enjoy the community atmosphere and see the good work that Rafat and the others are doing here.