Intensive Arabic Programs In Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

My name is Thomas and I am from the Netherlands. I have been at Excellence Center for six weeks and I followe the Intensive Arabic lessons. The lessons were way more varied than I would have expected and offered a broad approach. I thank my teacher Mamom for that with all my heart.In the Netherlands, I focused on speaking, but here also writing and reading were addressed. The lessons have really improved my understanding of the language and they also made me more conscious of what I saw on the streets when it comes to culture, history and habits. Last but not least: I also really have laughed a lot.

Already in the online contact with the Excellence Center, I got the impression that people here will see you as part of their family. That actually was how I experienced my time here. The minute you start to speak a bit of Arabic, you become their "habibi" right away.

In my weekends I have gone to Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem and Jericho. On Friday, I would do a long hike on the countryside, and Saturday I would go into the cities and experience life there. It is a suggestion I would gladly to give to you, because you will also need some rest from all the impressions you will experience. I also had the honour of going to families with interesting stories to tell about how their life is here. Palestine is a special place with so much richess that my six weeks will not be enough. The good thing is that that means I have to come back one day. I am looking foreward to that moment.

I have never felt so safe as I did in Palestine. When you are on the streets, people will offer you coffee or food. Everybody likes to have a fun experience with you, because you are from abroad. I remember occassions when children asked me ten times in a row where I am from. That is what I liked most: the kindness of the people. Some people were able to speak English with me, but most of the time we both had to find a way to communicate with each other. That is a very good way to learn a language by the way.

Palestine, but also its people and the Excellence Center team, all have found a special place in my heart. In order to get an everlasting impression of its richess, I would gladly advise you all to come as well. You surely will not regret it. Not in the least because of all the wonderful people that I have met here and I know you will meet here as well.

I'm Kiley from the US. I participated for 1 week in the intensive Arabic lanugage program. The program was great and my teacher Duha is fantastic! I stayed with a host family near the center. Being immersed at home and in the community helped a lot to make progress with the language. The staff, teachers, and community at the Excellence Center are so special and welcoming. After the first day of being here, I already didnt want to leave! The Center helped organize visits to the Kufiyah factory and the old town of Hebron. I was also able to visit Ramallah, Jericho, and Bethlehem during my week here. I felt safe everywhere I went! Palestine is an incredible place with amazing people! I highly recommend he Excellence Center. I hope to come back to spend more time learning the language and participating in other programs they have to offer!

My time with the excellence center was such a precious experience for me.

I did around 9 weeks of intensive arabic and besides that was able to attend certain trips organized by the center.

Refering to my language classes i was more then lucky to learn with a super professional teacher. He managed to adapt to what i needed from the very beginning.
Because of his experience i could noticably improve my arabic within my stay.
We had super interesting conversations during class and he always managed to keep me motivated in moments i had doubts or was impatient with myself.

During my whole stay i was living with a lovely host family, which made me feel comfortable and welcomed from the first day.
This was my experience with all the khalili people i got to know during my time here: huge hospitality, openess and warmheartedness. After weekend trips to other places in Palestine i was always happy to come back to Khalil, because i enjoyed the atmosphere here a lot.
Ramadan here was an especially festive time that im happy i got to experience.

I really hope that i can sustain the relations i made with the people i got to know during my stay and would love to come back here again as soon as i can.

I have been really impressed with the quality of the Arabic teaching here, and I feel clearer now about what I need to do to become more fluent. I have really enjoyed living with a local family and learning more about life here from them. It has been interesting to be thrown together with a random bunch of internationals from all over the world, and to hear about their different motivations for coming here. We have also had quite a lot of opportunities to do or own thing and explore for ourselves.

I specifically wanted to learn the Palestinian dialect and was excited to be able to find a teacher in Hebron who could provide online learning for me. My teacher was so patient and friendly. She was also very flexible and forgiving of my inconsistent schedule. I am older and was afraid I would be a slow learner but my teacher was always encouraging and positive. I feel like I have made a friend as well as learned a lot. I hope to travel to Hebron and continue my studies in person at the center. I had private lessons and so my learning was individually paced which suited my needs exactly.

I loved my experience here in Hebron. The people are so kind and you can feel the kindness when you are just walking down the street and everyone will wave and smile at you. I felt very safe and comfortable knowing that I had the support of the staff at the Excellence center. It was also a great environment because there are many international students coming and going and everyone is super friendly and open-minded. I would chose this program over an other Arabic program because while studying Arabic you will also be able to learn a lot about the situation in Palestine and experience the culture as well. You will have many opportunities to take day trips to things such as refugee camps and make lots of friends. The cafes are great to study at during the day also when it is not ramadan. My teacher was wonderful. She was very kind and one of the best Arabic instructors I have ever had. I would recommend taking classes here instead of the internships unless you really only want to learn about the situation. If you also want to learn Arabic, take classes and then you will simultaneously learn a lot about Palestine in general. I also loved my host family. If you get a host family you do not like you can switch.

I took Arabic classes at the Excellence for only a week and I learned so much. Not only Arabic, but also about the Palestinian culture and community. All the teachers and staff members are extremely supportive and always offer their help in my learning and time spent here. They are more than teachers, they become your friend. Outside of class, we sit together and talk about life, and at times go out for various acitivities. Everyone has made me feel safe and welcomed. They are also very encouraging in the process of learning Arabic as it is a challenging language to learn.

I love this program and would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in learning Arabic! Although all of my lessons take place online via facetime, I still benefit as though I am learning in person. My tutor Saja is very helpful and accommodating to my schedule. She makes learning Arabic fun, and I have really enjoyed my experience online. I have seen my confidence and skills in Arabic improve so much in just a few months. I am excited to keep learning and can’t wait to use everything I have learned!