Internship in Palestine

I spent two months in Hebron, Palestine with the Excellence Center, and honestly, it was probably one of the best life choices I’ve ever made. I don’t think I can describe how much this internship helped me to develop as a person and as an Arabic speaker. Through the host family experience and the Arabic courses, I went from someone who could speak some Arabic, but was extremely timid and never did so, to someone who is comfortable having conversations in Arabic, even if I’m not 100% positive on how to say certain things. The Arabic I learned in the classes here is called Khalili- which is the local dialect in Hebron (Khalil in Arabic). Learning this dialect has helped to connect me to the local population, my host family, and helped me to be able to ask questions on the street in a dialect that is familiar to everyone here. However, one can also study Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) if that is what they want to do.

When I first arrived at the Center I was a nervous wreck, I’ve recently arrived in a foreign country, didn’t know what to expect, and didn’t know anyone here beyond exchanging emails. However, I was welcomed here with open arms, by both the staff and the amazing manager and the other volunteers. I was instantly relieved and was greeted by my host family shortly after. After my intensive Arabic courses were over I had different political tours of Hebron filled with information and many different people’s perspectives of the occupation and life in Palestine. From visiting the governorate to seeing the near ghost town of H2, every visit was educational, interesting, and important for my time in Hebron.

For the last section of my time in Hebron, I was teaching English. I mainly had my own classes but did assist other teachers when needed. This section changed my life. I came into this internship wanting to work for my government and left wanting to continue teaching English as a second language in an Arab country (hopefully Palestine). The kids in my classes were mainly interested, at least half the class wanted to be there and paid attention when I was teaching, as a student of foreign languages this is truly a rarity. These students have made me laugh, challenged me, and turned me into a more patient and kinder person. They have shown me that students can be interested in foreign languages and that with the right students teaching is less of a job than a past time. I highly recommend anyone who is thinking about coming to Hebron to teach, learn Arabic, volunteer, intern, etc. to do it. This is a life-changing experience that is not available elsewhere, as in nowhere else is there the welcoming, loving, family environment that the Excellence Center in Palestine provides.