My name is Khadijah and I am from America, with Palestinian origins. I am very satisfied with my experience here at the Excellence Center. My main objective was to learn better Arabic, and I can definitely say I have improved significantly. The Arabic teachers and staff are wonderful, and will always go the extra mile for you. I found it to be a seamless experience when traveling to and from the airport and to the center. I am a solo traveler who has just graduated uni. I highly recommend visiting.

I did two weeks of the intensive Arabic language program at the Excellence Centre and loved it.

My teacher Maryam was an excellent teacher, who made all the classes fun and engaging and really taught me a lot. I was a beginner and I asked Maryam if we could focus on speaking in our classes- she knew how to build up my vocab and grammar and in only a short time I started speaking, understanding a lot and being able to have conversations with people.

Everyone at the centre is really lovely and approachable, and if you ever need any support Marwa and Osama are there to help out, and always check in with you. It was easy to meet new friends because the atmosphere of the centre is warm and buzzing with activities, and every morning there is a communal breakfast where you can get to know everyone.

My host family was so lovely and hospitable, and really made me feel at home. The people in Hebron are the most genuinely hospitable and kind people I have ever met. I was invited to people’s homes often and everyone was really interested in speaking to you and helping with learning Arabic. I highly recommend coming to Palestine and immersing yourself in such a beautiful culture and language!

I am Suzan, 33, from Belgium and a language teacher myself. I took a two weeks intensive Arabic class at the Excellence Center in Hebron. My teacher Maryam was great. We were just two students and both of us wanted the same: to practice and improve conversation skills in Levantine Arabic. Maryam did a wonderful job facilitating that, providing us with plentiful opportunities to speak and talk with each other.

In Hebron I lived with a host family that was very friendly and generous. They invited me and my roommates several times for dinner, to sit in the garden or just to talk.

I felt very safe in Hebron. I walked the streets alone during the day and at night and it was completely safe. Palestinian people are also very willing to help when you get lost or have a question.

During my weekends I visited Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem. It was amazing to see other parts of Palestine.

I was only in Palestine for a short time but it was a great experience. I talked to many Palestinians and learned a lot about their lives and how they live under Israeli occupation.

I would definitely recommend studying Arabic at the Excellence Center. And I hope to be back in Palestine sooner than later, inshallah.

My name is William and I am from Canada. I spent one month at the Excellence Center doing the intensive Arabic program. This meant that for three and a half hours a day, from 08.30 to 12.00 I had lessons on 3miyyeh Arabic. I was in a group with one other boy who was at my level, and once he left it was essentially one-on-one lessons. I have found the lessons very helpful, as not only are we in the middle east but also the teachers know a lot on the subject and were always eager to supply words and materials outside the course. Inside the Center was a wonderful environment because everyone is there for similar reasons. It was a good environment to study, or even simply sit in the sun and talk about hat adventures we had been on.

After lessons I would often tag along with the other programs, and most often this meant going to refugee camps or visiting humanitarian groups inside of Hebron. Not only would we get lectures on a wide range of topics from experts, but also would have opportunities to go on trips around the West Bank. Most notably, we went on a trip to the Mar Saba Monastery as well as to Bethlehem. These more ‘fun’ trips were great for building up friendships with other students, with whom I am keeping in touch with after I leave.
On the weekends there is also easy access to the rest of the West Bank and Jordan by means of the service system. Jerusalem is only an hour away, and it’s not uncommon for people to arrange travel together. I personally went to Ramallah, Nablus, and Jerusalem with other students and had a wonderful time.
Hebron is a noisy but peaceful city. It doesn’t have quite the charm that Jerusalem or Bethlehem has, but because tourists are much more uncommon the people are welcoming and always eager to help. It’s not uncommon to be walking along the street when someone starts talking to you, then after a few hours you get invited to a wedding or some other function. Hebron is also quite a safe city, relatively speaking. While the traffic here is certainly dubious, I have never once felt in danger in H1, and even H2 is relatively safe so long as you handle yourself well.

I very strongly recommend the intensive Arabic program here at the Center to almost anyone, and I have had nothing but good experiences.

I did the intensive Arabic course with the excellence center and I must begin by saying that the teaching quality for me was top notch. My teacher was brilliant and in the relatively short time that I studied at the center, I feel as though I have significantly advanced in my Arabic speaking skills. The social scene is great, most of the staff and students were very friendly. I should however make note of a few things to any prospective students. The price of admission is very high due to a number of factors the center's resources are limited. Before you sign up you need to be aware of a few things, for example, if you're a male then you will not be integrated into a host family in the same way that girls are. Hebron is after all, a conservative city. Aside from that the center's biggest issues are organization and transparency so I will say that in order to make the most of your time here, you need to use a lot of initiative such as exploring the city yourself and finding the time to talk to the people here.

Hi, my name is Nicholas. I’m 20 years old, studying Criminal Justice and Political Science at University, as well as Arabic. This summer I participated in the Intensive Arabic Program.

Activities that the Center holds - besides your program of choice - includes some day trips, dinner at the Center on occasion, and opportunity to participate in other programs - in my last week I help teach two English classes to students in a village and I wish I did it more.

On the topic of day trips, though the Center I visited the old city of Hebron and the settlements of Hebron to get a taste of reality for Palestinians in this ongoing conflict. I also was able to visit Der Mar Saba, Batir, and a local ceramics and kufia factory.

The Arabic lessons here at the center have been great. My teacher Maram was very good and I have learned a lot of new vocabulary and the opportunity to speak Arabic for many hours each day helps you get comfortable using what you know and what you have just learned.

Security in Hebron and Palestine is not an issue. Personally, I have felt safer walking through Palestine alone than I have in any city in the United States, my home country.

My overall experience of Palestine and the Center has been great. I was able to speak with locals in their native language, experience a new lifestyle and culture, try new things and meet new people.

Nicholas

I spent 2 weeks in the Excellent Center, studying Modern Standard Arabic. I received 4 hours of teaching (or 3 hours, sans breaks), 6 days a week at the center. Entering the program my Arabic was very basic, only able to read and write with vowel markings, and form the most basic of sentences.
Now I have completed 2 weeks of the Program, I can read texts without vowel markings and hold more advanced conversations with people, both in Arabic and in the local dialect, which I have picked up just by speaking to people on the street - which is very easy to do so as the local peoples are so hospitable.
The Center is located in the city of Hebron, which is very convenient and allows for day trips to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and other then that.
Hebron is a very safe city, and you don't feel in any danger walking late at night to and from different restaurants, coffee shops and your accommodation. I can safely say I felt more secure staying in Hebron then I did in any major Western City.
Whilst getting around may be a bit of an adjustment to Westerners, as Google Maps does not work, the locals are more then happy to show you around or point you in the right direction, and you will soon become used to this.

Ahlan!
My name is Nathalie Hanzlik-Meech and I am from Canada. I am currently a High School student at the American School of Dubai, in the UAE. During the summer of my Junior year, I particiapted in a three-week intensive Arabic program at the Excellence Center in al-Khalil (Hebron). During this time I was able to not only improve my Arabic skills but also meet and befriend like-minded people and experince daily life in one of the most interesting regions of the world. Needless to say, as my last day at the center drew to a close, I felt that I could have easily spent three more weeks.

My intensive Arabic program consisted of three and a half hour classes every morning, with a half an hour break for a traditional (and delicious!) Palestinian breakfast. Having already studied Fusa (MSA) Arabic at my school, my classes at the center focused on the Ammiyah (spoken) dialect. While ultimately following a course book, individual class schedules were flexible and material was taught depending on the needs and requests of the student. I was given opportunities to practice my speaking, reading, writing and listening skills (though the greatest time was spent speaking). As a word of advice, I personally found it extremely helpful to build an English-Arabic dictionary with all of the new words I was learning.

Aside from my goal of studying Arabic, I also was interested in teaching English to non-native speakers in Palestine. After only a week at the center, an opportunity arose that allowed me to tutor a Palestinian lady for the TOEFL English exam. Soon, I was tutoring the lady every day after my Arabic classes for an hour and a half. In addition to this, after becoming fast friends with Palestinan teacher at the center, I found myself assisting in conversational English classes with Palestinian youth. Through these two experiences, unplanned though they were, I was able to discover my love for teaching English while also learn the complexities of the Palestinian situation from first hand accounts.

However, my experience of Palestine stretched far beyond the Excellence Center itself. Day trips were organized by the center and included guided tours of the Old City, the famous Hebron Keffiyeh Factory and a hike through beautiful region nearby to Bethlehem, to name a few. In addition to these trips, I had many adventures which I undertook with other internationals at the center. I had far too many adventures to list here, but a few major ones consisted of deeply exploring al-Khalil, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I have memories of those adventures that I will never forget.

In terms of my experience of life in al-Khalil, I can say with confidence that there are few other people who I have met who are as friendly, welcoming and caring as those in al-Khalil. If you opt to stay with a host family, you will likely be considered a family member by the end of your stay and take with you memories of family dinners, lunches, and family celebrations. In addition to the welcoming atmosphere of the city, I found it to be very safe. With that being said, keeping oneself ‘street-smart’ applies in al-Khalil as it does anywhere else. In terms of the likelihood of experiencing and being involved in political skirmishes, I would say that is very rare.
I would highly recommend engaging with the Excellence Center in al-Khalil if you are someone who wants to learn more about Palestine, the culture, language and current situation there. Perhaps equally as important, I would recommend the center if you are someone open to having new adventures and make memories that will last a lifetime. Even spending a time as short as three weeks will undoubtably leave you knowing far more about Palestine, knowing far more about yourself, and knowing people who you will always remember.