Teach English and Learn Arabic Program

I stayed in Hebron for about five weeks and had a really great time. I taught English classes at La Casa three to four times a week, and took Arabic classes with Aya three times a week. The students were very sweet and respectful and eager to learn. They were really friendly and invited me to their homes, took me to their favorite coffee shops, and gave me a tour of the city. The Arabic classes were awesome -- I feel like my Arabic improved hugely. I came in at an intermediate level with a background in classical Arabic, but I studied the Palestinian dialect at La Casa. My teacher Aya was incredible! She was so kind and patient and a pleasure to spend time with. The entire La Casa staff was very welcoming and accommodating.

I stayed at Lamar Hostel, which is located within walking distance from La Casa. It's a beautiful building with air conditioning, wi-fi, a kitchen, and televisions. It was a great place to stay and very reasonably priced for the quality. I was very comfortable there, and the manager was very friendly. He took us to some protests and cultural events around town, gave us tours of the Old City, and shared his knowledge and stories of Hebron and life in Palestine. Staying at Lamar Hostel felt like being part of a big, welcoming host family.

As a 21-year old American woman traveling alone, I felt extremely safe in Hebron. I frequently walked around the city by myself and never felt unsafe. Palestinians are incredibly friendly and welcoming. I've never met people like them before. I miss Hebron already and hope to go back next summer. I loved this program and loved spending time in Palestine. Everyone should visit this country!

I spent one month with La Casa in Spring of 2016. I did the TELA program and had Arabic classes with Aya. I took Arabic 3 times per week for 2 hours per class and I loved it. The Arabic classes were super helpful. I studied Palestinian dialect and used what I learned in class every day while I stayed in Palestine. I also taught some English classes every week, sometimes alone and sometimes with another teacher. The students are AMAZING. I love that they are mostly University students because we could talk about interesting subjects and they felt comfortable discussing their culture and asking me about mine. La Casa is in the middle of the city, and 2 floors below a coffeeshop which is great. I really liked the staff, everyone was super welcoming and invited me to hangout in the center whenever I wanted.

Now that I am back in the US, I really miss Hebron and want to return. I felt surprisingly safe living there. The people are really nice. I was invited to a wedding and several dinners by students and friends that I met while in the city.

I stayed at Lamar Guesthouse which was beautiful and probably nicer than my apartment at home. My family was shocked when I sent them pics of where I was staying. It definitely made them feel better about me being in Palestine.

I was really happy with the program and I hope to return next summer. I wish I would have done more than one month though. It's hard to see everything Palestine has to offer in one month. Every weekend I travelled around but I still have a long list of places I want to visit- so I will be back! Seriously though -- many thanks to La Casa.

The students and staff at La Casa were extraordinarily kind and helpful. I taught two conversational English courses and also prepared these students for the Key English Test. The immutable adage that you learn as much as you teach could have been written for my experience. As I had never taught before, it was a steep learning curve, but both the students and staff were accommodating and encouraging throughout my time. I highly recommend La Casa for anyone interested in teaching, learning Arabic, or living in Palestine.

I arrived in Hebron on the 1st of September.
As one may imagine, I was worried about all the issues a westerner can be worried about. As time went by I was increasingly surprised of how people were peaceful and friendly with me.
I lived with a Palestinian host family. This makes the experience far more interesting, since you have the opportunity to taste good local food and to see how a Palestinian family daily lives..
Communication was not very easy, since nobody in the family spoke English Some friends helped me when I needed it, but, in the end, this king of issues force you to learn basic Arabic as quick as you can.
Talking about teaching English, I can say that it has been a wonderful opportunity to get into the culture, since every student was willing to know about foreign cultures and to talk about his/her own one.

As an overall judgment of the program I can say I am satisfied of the experience..