Studying Arabic in Hebron

I’m Francesca and I’ve been studying intensive Arabic at the excellence centre for 6 weeks alongside my husband.
I had studied formal Arabic before arriving in Hebron - I took it as an extra module whilst completing my masters at SOAS university in London. However, 7 years has passed since I finished my masters so it’s safe to say I was a little rusty.
Our teacher was endlessly patient and encouraging, meaning within a couple of days I was already feeling confident enough to try talking to locals in the street. Our lessons were structured enough that our teacher made sure we covered all the basics of the language, but we also had the freedom to pick and choose additional topics to cover or specific areas of weakness we wanted to focus on.
Our lessons were primarily class room based but every so often we did a lesson ‘in action’ visiting various stores in Hebron to engage in dialogue with the local people (all under the watchful eye of our wonderful teacher!).
The excellence centre also took us on a number of trips where we learnt about the history of Hebron, the culture and, of course, the conflict with Israel. We were exposed to many different viewpoints during these trips which helped us to greatly expand our understanding of the situation.
My favourite trip was to a local nature reserve - Wadi Al Quff. It is only 15 minutes drive from the city and yet it feels like a world away. Our hike through the reserve was so peaceful and the scenery is so beautiful - far greener than I had expected! We were also able to visit a huge cave that’s within the reserve and get up close and personal with a local colony of bats. Our hike finished at the top of a hill where we were provided with a wonderful picnic to eat whilst watching the sunset.
During our time in Hebron we stayed with a wonderful host family. We shared an apartment with 3 other girls from the excellence centre but in the same building as our host family. We were able to use their beautiful garden, their swimming pool and practice Arabic with them.
Overall we felt so at home in Hebron. Never in my life have I been to a more friendly and welcoming city. Everyone wants to chat to you, invite you to visit their home, or offer help with anything you need. I will never forget the Hebron hospitality and I’m so sad to have to leave.

Inshallah we will return to Hebron and the excellence centre one day soon.