Teach English & Study Arabic Program in Palestine

Hello, my name is Audria, and I am from the United States. I have two bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures from Indiana University. During my time at the Excellence Center in Palestine, I participated in the Teach English & Study Arabic program. As an English teacher, I gave multiple private lessons and taught large classrooms with students of all ages and levels. In addition to preparing for lessons and teaching certain classes, I gave a presentation on the experience of teaching for other English teachers at the center.

As for my Arabic courses, I had one or two lessons per week with an Arabic instructor. These courses helped me learn more about the Palestinian dialect and Ammiya Arabic as a whole.

I visited a few sites with the Human Rights Program, including a trip to the Governor’s Office and the Hebron Municipality. Additionally, I went on a few trips with the entire Center, which included a site visit to a mountainous area where we ate dinner together.

The Excellence Center’s environment is very open, caring, and easy-going. The staff and faculty are always willing to answer your questions and take care of your concerns. The Center is quite lenient with your schedule and available to your suggestions and recommendations. Other volunteers are nice and tolerant, as most of them come to Palestine with a similar sense of curiosity, adventure, interest, and respect.

Throughout my time in Palestine, I visited several cities and places. I traveled to Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Bethlehem. I visited more southern parts of Palestine with my host family. The host family I stayed with was lovely and very welcoming. Through living with a family from Hebron, in Hebron, I was given a full immersion to the culture and the language.

In regard to safety, I felt very safe in Hebron and Palestine at-large. Other than normal uncertainties and moments of hyper-awareness that are expected with any travel experience, my time in Palestine was safe and secure.

My favorite thing about Palestine is the people, the Palestinians. Of course, the food and the environments are delightful, but the people are what make Palestine great. My favorite stories are simply of the many laughs and moments I had with the friends I made through the fellow interns and volunteers at the Center.

Overall, my experience in Palestine and with the Excellence Center was beautiful and lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed my time. I highly recommend this experience to others, especially those that want to fully immerse themselves in the culture, language, and the environment.