Wonderful Experience at the Excellence Centre

Ahlan wa Sahlan! My name is David. I am from the U.S, but I came to Palestine after finishing my studies in the UK. I spent my month here studying Arabic and teaching English. These pursuits, I believe, have been mutually beneficial; I spend a few hours a week studying Arabic and practicing with my teacher and with friends, and then take several hours to help local students with their English. My language skills have improved drastically during this process. Arabic is an inherently challenging language for English speakers, but thankfully, the excellence c enter adheres to a strategy of pragmatic language learning. I learned “ ‘ammiyya”, the local Palestinian dialect, and was able to start having basic conversations with people that I met in the old city, on the streets, and in shops. My improvement in Arabic was undoubtedly gratifying, and I hope to continue to build upon my progress.
The environment of the center is extremely friendly and supportive. The teachers, managers, and staff are unforgettable. The other volunteers are equally curious and interested in the culture of Palestine and are equally committed to sharing their beliefs and skills with the community. In other words, the atmosphere of the center was completely conducive to learning and growing. Much like the Excellence Center, Palestine is a welcoming and vibrant place. My favorite part of my experience was the friendliness and seemingly innate curiosity of the people (especially my students). It is almost impossible to avoid talking with people over coffee and tea, and eventually becoming friends.
I’ve had so many amazing experiences here; however, my favorite experiences have been in the classroom. Learning to teach has been an incredibly intense and challenging process. However, as time has gone on, I have become more confident and capable in the classroom. On my second day in the class, my students in the village of Sirra asked about my religion. I told them that I was Jewish. I think that this lead to a beneficial conversation in the class and I have grown very close to the students there.
My time here was not only spent in the classroom. I also had the privilege of going on several trips in Palestine. In addition to exploring Hebron, I have been to Jerusalem, Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem and Akka, among others.
Living in Hebron was an amazing experience. I lived in a dormitory with other male volunteers. At first I was apprehensive about not living with a host family, have been really happy at the dormitory. As I have mentioned, the other volunteers like to speak in Arabic and the local family who owns the apartment played a large part in my immersion in Arabic.
At the end of my stay here, I am feeling incredibly grateful to have experienced Palestine through the Excellence Centre. I highly recommend this experience for those people looking not only to learn Arabic but to learn about Palestinian life in the West Bank and to contribute to the local community. I believe that I will continue to benefit from the valuable connections I have made and experiences that I have had.