The Excellence Center Reviews

My experience in Halle and with the Excellence Centre has been incredibly memorable. I participated in the Study Arabic and Teach English programs for two weeks and it truly was a wonderful opportunity. I was able to progress in my language learning, gain experience in teaching English as a foreign language, as well as collect so many amazing memories with my host family and colleagues at the center, all of whom have shared their stories with me and allowed me to understand more about their lives as refugees in Germany.
As part of the program, I received many hours of Levantine Arabic tuition with an excellent and very patient teacher. My writing skills especially in Arabic have improved significantly since I have arrived in Halle. I also taught conversational English to enthusiastic students who were all very motivated to improve their skills. It was an excellent chance to explore different ways of teaching English, use lots of resources to aid understanding of everyday conversation and explore useful vocabulary and concepts for the students. Each day, myself and the other volunteers would meet for Palestinian breakfast at the center before the day ahead. This was a lovely time to catch-up, share ideas about teaching, and discuss life in the city, particularly with reference to the refugee population and their integration into the community in Halle. We spent time doing presentations about life in our home-countries too which was a great way to enrich the cultural exchange.
My time with my host-family was a highlight of my trip. They were so kind and welcoming from day one and made my accommodation feel like a second home. The home-stay was a great way to practise my Arabic conversation skills, learn so much about Syrian culture and eat some incredible food too! I was very lucky to meet several other refugees through my host family, listen to their stories and learn about their experiences coming over to Germany. I have been both inspired and humbled by everyone I have met. I have learnt so much since I have been here and made several new friends for life.
I would recommend this program to anyone who is keen to gain experience in English language teaching, learn more about the lives of refugees in Germany, and those interested in understanding more about Arab culture too. Anyone with an enthusiasm for education and cultural exchange, a willingness to be open to new ideas and meet many amazing new people will really enjoy this program.

I am Chaima, I came from the UK to teach English and learn German here in Halle, Germany. My aim when applying for this was to acquire more experience in teaching English abroad and attempting to improve my German by being in Germany and attending one-to-one lessons with a teacher. I was also very intrigued by Rafat’s approach in combining a language and community-led project both in Halle, Germany and in Hebron, Palestine.

Coming to the centre everyday was pleasure. Every morning, we would gather for with all the volunteers and have a typical Palestinian breakfast. I have really appreciated this welcoming tradition that set us well for our day. We would then all attend our respectful tasks of the day.

My experience in Halle has been diverse and culturally rich. I have enjoyed teaching different students from different backgrounds and discussing teaching methods and styles with the teachers and volunteers in the centre. The city of Halle is rich of its people, native of this city, and those who have moved and settled here. During my short time, I have been able to meet people from different countries in the Middle-East, each of them have a story and bring a stone to the edifice that is this place.

I have also had the privilege of observing the way the excellence centre operates. I have come to really admire the space that is given to the community here. The centre provides a safe place for students of all ages to get the help needed after school with teachers or/and other students of higher grades. This place builds a bridge between the newly settled communities and the school system. This truly can build their confidence and help them overcome any language barrier hindering them from excelling in their education.

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weeks here in Halle and come out grown from this experience.

I visited the Excellence Center with the aim of learning more about different cultures as well as some conversational Arabic. It was a truly unforgettable experience. I met amazing people, ate amazing food and came away feeling truly inspired. Rafat has a gift for bringing people together and the Excellence is a hub for a diverse range of lovely folks.
At the time of my visit, the other volunteers were mostly American and we had a lot of fun talking even talking about our own cultural differences (I was trying to teach them proper British pronunciation…).
I was incredibly lucky with my host family who were so friendly and of a similar age. They were very generous with sharing their traditions; including films, music and of course more food!
Teaching English was also very rewarding and my students were always keen to learn - even if they had just worked a night shift at the hospital...
My Arabic teacher was very informative and really tailored the lessons to my level. We had a book, provided by Rafat, which helped to structure the content too and has given me something to look back over. It was also good to be surrounded by German because you couldn’t help picking up little bits of that too.
I would highly recommend the Excellence Center to anyone looking to explore Arabic and German cultures simultaneously and connect with wonderful people.

I had a really great time at Excellence Centre Europe and it was an amazing learning experience. Everyone was very kind to welcome me, and I really appreciated the daily communal breakfast. It was a brilliant way to get to know people at the centre at a deeper level, especially since our activities were largely individual. I had some truly wonderful conversations over these meals, and the food itself was also fantastic.

I was initially apprehensive about coming all the way to Germany from Singapore for this volunteering stint, but I am very glad I did so. I definitely do not regret coming here! Not only are the people great, the Excellence Centre has also set up a good system so that the volunteers, as well as the students, benefit from the experience. I really appreciate the chance to enter into the lives of the students here in Halle and to get to know them on a personal level. Most of my classes were centred around conversation, so I had many opportunities to learn about their lives and to briefly experience the world from their point of view. I definitely learnt a lot from my time at the Excellence Centre.

My experience at the Excellence Centre in Halle was so positive. The whole team is so lovely and welcoming, we shared meals and conversations together. The language classes were fantastic with a really good teacher and helped me to practice my language skills. I studied mainly spoken Arabic, the dialect, but also some reading some written texts. Also my host family was wonderful and I created new friendships. I also spent much time with the Arabic community in Halle outside classes which made it a fantastic experience overall.

Overall, I had an incredible experience with the Excellence Center and their "Teach English, Study Arabic" program. Between my time spent at the Center, the cultural immersion with my host family, and traveling throughout Germany, I cannot recommend this program enough. It's kinda long so skip around, but here's my experience and some practical things to consider:

The Center - Incredibly welcoming and supportive. We have family breakfast every morning and spend the day teaching, learning, and meeting new people. The Arabic classes with my teacher, Muaz, were all customized to my language level. I've studied written Arabic (MSA) for a few years, but I have no experience with the spoken dialect (Ammiya). He found the right balance for my learning that focused on real life scenarios - by the end of my three weeks, I felt confident starting conversations in dialect. The teaching hours are also flexible to accommodate what you want from the program, whether that is to teach more or have extra time to explore Germany. You won't be short on resources for studying Arabic/German or learning new teaching methods. And if for some reason you are? Just ask Rafat and he'll give you more.

Knowing German - Halle is a great place to practice German at any language level! If you don't have experience with German yet, that's all good - a few weeks before you come though, I would recommend learning a little on Duolingo or a similar app just to get down a few basics. Most people in Halle speak a little English but aren't fluent, so they'll usually be patient as you try to speak broken German before switching to English. There's never a shortage of people to help you navigate though, I often went with people from the Excellence Center to try new food places or explore around.

Staying with a host family - Definitely one of the most rewarding parts of my time in Germany! I stayed in an apartment with my host family and three of their kids. I absolutely loved the family style meals (with incredible home-cooked Arabic food) and social events when their friends would come over. Also, you can converse in English but it's great to get extra language practice - I spoke mostly German and a little Arabic with my host family.

Living in Halle - Halle is a smaller city, connected by train to the a lot of different areas. I visited Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, and Stuttgart during my three weeks. It's a great place to live and spend the week, then on the weekends there's lots of time to explore Germany.

Length of program - The Excellence Center lets you do 1-12 weeks, but I'd definitely say aim for longer if you have the time. I did three weeks, but wish I had more (1-2 months would have been ideal for me) because it flew by. This might also depend on your language abilities - more experienced learners may be content with a few weeks of travel, but if you're a newer learner, it might be more valuable to do a longer visit so you have time to learn and then practice your language skills.

Time of year to do the program - I visited during my college's winter break, from mid December to mid January. Because I volunteered during the holidays, there weren't as many people (both volunteers and students) at the Center which is something to consider. However, Germany's holiday season is truly beautiful, all of the Weihnachtsmärke were up (including one in Halle's city center) which made for a unique and fun experience!

Traveling during COVID - I was actually pretty surprised what I could do given the restrictions across the country. At this time, Germany was a red zone, but exploring the country was still very easy because everything is connected by train (Just need mask and vaccine card/negative test for most things). One consideration though, if you're thinking of volunteering for 1-2 weeks, I would try to see if you can do 3 weeks (or even just spend a week traveling around Germany, then go volunteer). That way, if you end up getting quarantined for COVID, it only affects part of your trip.

My experience learning Arabic in Palestine was rewarding; I became conversational with the assistance of two knowledgeable teachers, Shahd and Marwa. The learning materials were abundant and relevant for the daily topics. When not studying, I toured Al-Khalil (Hebron) and Bethlehem, meeting local people in restaurants and shisha bars. As part of the program, there is an opportunity for solo travel alongside guided tours to refugee camps and other cultural sites such as Al-Ibrahimi mosque, Banksy's famous Walled-Off hotel and the Church of the Nativity; the site of Jesus' birth!

I took weekly Arabic lessons at Excellence Center while living in Hebron for almost 1,5 years. When I returned to Norway, I was able to continue learning Arabic online with my teacher from Excellence, Marwa.

I immediately felt at home in Excellence Centre. The teachers and the administration in the centre are very welcoming, helpful and professional. Marwa is a very knowledgeable and kind person, and the lessons with her are always fun and useful. She also did her best to accomodate the lessons and material according to my needs and interests.

Altough I prefer face-to-face lessons, taking online lessons have worked out really well. I can recommend it especially to those with prior knowledgeable of Arabic.

Really blessed to join the online program. Rafat was always available to answer any queries to make the whole process run smoothly. Dua'a my teacher is great and so patient. We work together to arrange a schedule suitable for both of us. I have learned so much already and it's only been 3 months. I hope to continue and improve my Palestinian Arabic skills! Being of Palestinian heritage I feel an affinity to this dialect which I love. I definitely will recommend to family and friends. Thank you Excellence Centre.

My experience at the Excellence Center in Hebron (Palestine) was awesome.
Teaching young students and laughing with them was worthwhile and energising. Although my stay was short, it was full of unexpected surprises, such as hiking and having the best picnic ever with young teachers amid ancient olive groves, barbecuing with a super friendly staff in a vineyard surrounded by spectacular views, staying with a generous and happy local family where I tasted delicious dishes, exploring the old city and its market, and learning conversational Arabic that would help me get by!! The whole experience was amazing.
The only thing I regret is not staying longer. Hopefully next time.
Shukran guys!