1 week teaching English and learning Arabic

I spent 1 week in February 2026 teaching English and learning Arabic at the Excellence Center in Europe (Halle (Saale), Germany). I am a 17-year-old female student from the Netherlands. Overall, I had a wonderful experience, met fantastic people from all around the world, improved my English teaching skills, and learned a bit about Middle Eastern culture (language, cuisine).

Accommodation: I stayed in an apartment in the Südstadt area of Halle (Saale), which was around 25-30 minutes away from the Excellence Center by tram or 50 minutes on foot. It is away from the center, but the commute is straightforward, so this wasn't really a problem. I had my own room, but rooms may be shared if there are more volunteers, and I shared the apartment with 2 other (both female) volunteers who were very nice. There was a shared bathroom and kitchen. Each room had 2 beds or a bunk bed, a closet, and a desk. There are a few rules for cleaning and being quiet at nighttime that are not too restrictive.

The Excellence Center/volunteer teaching time: The Center itself is in the city center, which is convenient for exploring. The volunteers (us 3 girls and 1 other boy) ate breakfast together at 10 in the morning from Monday to Thursday, which consisted of pita bread, hummus, plain yogurt, olive oil, and cut vegetables (tomatoes/cucumbers/bell peppers). I taught 1-3 English lessons of 1-1.5 hours every day except for Friday, when there are no lessons or breakfast for volunteers. (I was prioritized since I was only there for 1 week; some of my fellow volunteers had only 1 lesson a day or less, but this is quite flexible.) I had my 3 hours of Arabic lessons all in a row on 1 day, which was a fun experience. I got to learn some basics while making friends with my Arabic teacher.

The Excellence Center also employs paid teachers who give paid English or German lessons, but there are usually several volunteers at a time who give free English or German lessons to people, usually refugees or children. I taught 4 people in total, 2 young men (around 20 years old) from Syria, and 2 young boys (around 10 years old) with parents from abroad. It was an honor to connect with them, and I definitely felt that I was having a positive impact on their English learning journeys (and I would even go as far as to say their lives). It was also very nice to get to know the other volunteers and paid working teachers at the Excellence Center; this place attracts very nice people.

The city of Halle (Saale): It is a pretty small city, but it is charming and nice to be in. The volunteers got a tour from Rafat, the Excellence Center's director, on the first day, which was lovely. Everything to see in the city center is within walking distance of the Excellence Center. Everything is well-connected by public transportation, especially trams.