Study Arabic in Palestine

I stayed for five days at the Excellence Center and I studied Arabic with my great teacher Maryam Joulany. After my stay in al-Khaleel I continued my travels to Ramallah, Nablus and Jericho. I never felt unsafe during my stay in Palestine even though I was a lone traveller. It was very easy to get around in spite of the fact that I hadn't done any planning, I didn't have a working mobile phone or any maps. I asked my way around and always got very good help from the people I met and that way I also got a valuable chance to speak and listen to a lot of Arabic.

I learned a lot of 3amiyya both at the center but also from all the Palestinians I met during my trip. Maryam was a wonderful teacher and had many creative ideas on how to teach the language. The classes were very varied and never felt boring. The staff at the center were extremely helpfull and generous and we were for example invited to Maryam's house where we ate wonderful Maqlooba and got the chance to communicate in Arabic in a larger group of people. Me and another student also went out for a lovely Palestinian breakfast with our teachers at a restaurant. We did excursions to many interesting places in al-Khaleel and its surroundings; like Betlehem, the monastery Mar Saba and the Jabal al-Fureidis and got the chance, thanks to Marwa, to visit the observer organisation TIPH. I did not only improve my Arabic, but I also learned a lot about the political situation, the occupation and the hardships that most Palestinians meet in their daily lives. The ambiance at the center was very warm and welcoming, thanks to the dedication among students, staff and teachers.

To live in a host family was also a great experience and gave me a chance to speak and listen to a lot of Arabic (and eat great food).

I am also very glad I went to different cities in Palestine because I felt that the culture and climate varied a lot between the places. My trip from Nablus to Jericho for example was very interesting because even though the two places were just about an hour apart by car they seemed to be totally different.

I will of course recommend the center to others. My stay at the Excellence Center was so enriching in many ways and I hope I get the chance to return to the center and Palestine soon!

Thank you for your generosity and for giving me memories for life!