1 Month Intensive Course 2017

My name is Harry, I am a student from the U.K. and this is my second time visiting the Excellence Center, Hebron. When I was here last I volunteered for two weeks, this time around, I partook in the Study Arabic Intensive Course.

I am very pleased with the progress I have made whilst learning at the Excellence Center. Before my course, I could have basic conversations in Arabic and slowly read and write. After 4 weeks of studying, my teacher was conducting the lesson mostly in Arabic and I found that my speech was much more fluid (less "urrrs"). I also noticed that my ability to converse with the young kids had improved a lot (significant because understanding the kids is quite hard).

The community in and surrounding the Excellence Center is wonderful. This is important because travelling to, and staying in, Palestine can be daunting. To my relief, and I’m sure the other internationals, you will only meet friendly and like-minded people at the Center. You will become close friends with the people you live with whether that be other internationals, or a Palestinian family, and this makes the experience very enjoyable. The teachers and staff at the Excellence Center are very welcoming and will help you with any queries or issues you have. I had an issue with the first apartment I stayed at, but the members of staff here sorted it out the next day and I couldn't have asked for a better place to stay.

The Excellence Center provides all volunteers and students the opportunity to visit local sites in Hebron, and also in the West Bank. Some of these visits include a glass & ceramics factory, a Kufiya factory, Al-Ibrahimi Mosque and a camel leather shoe factory. The West Bank is very small which makes travelling to The Dead Sea or Jerusalem, for example, cheap and easy. I, during my four week stay, have visited: The Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho and the Old City of Herbon. Staying with a host family was amazing because I was able to experience these places as the locals would.

I lived with a host family and three other internationals. The internationals and I shared the floor of a house with our host brother. The rest of the family lived on the floors above us. My experience living with a host family was only positive. I am so happy with the family I stayed with as they made me feel very welcome, and like I was part of the family and local community.

My host brother took us on countless trips around Palestine, all the while showing us the best places to eat and introducing us to friends/family. Staying with a host family is very beneficial if you want to learn Arabic as well, as you can practice with them. In general, Palestinian people are extremely welcoming and generous. If you don't drink tea or coffee, you should start before you come here. It is not uncommon to randomly start talking with someone in the street and then by the end of the conversation, be invited for tea that evening and a relative's wedding the following week.

I have stayed at the Excellence Center and Hebron for a total of six weeks over two trips and not once have I felt less safe than when abroad in Europe. However, clashes are not unheard of and can be quite unnerving to see/hear. If they do happen, it’s usually on a Friday, so as long as you are sensible and vigilant there’s nothing to worry about.

Overall, I would thoroughly encourage anyone thinking about studying or volunteering in the Excellence Center, Hebron, to go for it. As soon as I left after my first stay, I knew I wanted to come back, and that is the same of many internationals at the Center. I really recommend the Intensive Arabic Course, as the combination of the fantastic teaching and constant immersion in the language, will swiftly improve your speaking, reading and writing skills. The social aspect of the trip adds to the unforgettable experience.