Intensive Arabic

My name is Glen Sellers. I am from the United States. I have been studying at the Excellence Center for 11 weeks. It has been a fantastic experience for me. I was concerned that my age (70) may be a problem with fitting in with the other students. Now that I am at the end of my program, I can say that I have fully enjoyed everyday and every activity that the center has done.
Almost every week the center has arranged a special presentation or a visit to an educational site. I have learned so much about the life of Palestinians and the struggles they have with Israel. I did not understand how the land was divided into A, B, and C areas and all the restrictions on travel and work that exist.
I also have learned how safe it is in Hebron. Never have I felt unsafe. The people are so friendly. Even the children greet you and try and talk with you in English. People like to make you feel welcome in Hebron and will help you in amazing ways.
I had the same teacher all 11 weeks. She was always professional and her English was easy to understand. She has a lot of patience and is very skillful as she teaches Arabic. Because of her excellent English skills, she is able to explain the differences between the two languages and how the grammar works. I have met all the teacher here, and they are all well qualified.
The apartment that I lived in was new. The final touches were finished while I lived there. It is a 10-minute walk to the center. The facilities were very nice. There is a kitchen with a fridge and a cooking top. It does have limited cooking pans. The washing machine worked very well. There is a drying rack on the balcony.
I travelled every weekend to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and some other cities. I have always felt safe and found helpful people whenever I needed directions or help with transportation. It is easy to get city to city.
The center has had weekly dinners for the students. It has been a great way to get to know the other students and experience Palestinian food.
The trips to refugee camps, Bedouin camps, and visiting Palestinians in a settlement all were very educational. These are things that seeing them in person has taught me much more than I could possibly learn by just learn by reading or watching a documentary on the topic.
I highly recommend this program. You won't regret your time spent studying Arabic at the Excellence Center. You will definitely love Palestine!