Introduction to short term immersive Arabic courses: Whether it’s for work, study, travel, love or family relatives, many people want to learn the language of Arabic. There’s plenty of ways to do this, of course, but one of the best ways to improve your language level rapidly over a short period of time is with an immersive Arabic course. In this handy guide we will tell you all your need to know about how and where you can take a short term immersive Arabic course.
Where can I take a short term immersive Arabic course?
First of all, we should say that if you are not from the Middle East, it is perfectly possible to take a short term immersive Arabic course in your home country. The Arab diaspora is such that most major cities have Arab populations including tutors who will be more than willing to teach you Arabic. However, we would recommend actually coming to the Middle East to learn the language so that you can improve your level that much quicker with the immersion experience.
Where you go depends on your priorities – if you want to learn Levantine dialect, then you should take a course in Lebanon or Palestine or Jordan, but if you want to learn the Khaliji dialect, then you should head to the Gulf States. Modern Standard Arabic is taught everywhere and you can usually combine it with a dialect.
Who should I take an Arabic course with?
As mentioned, taking a class with an individual tutor is a perfectly valid strategy, but more often the better choice is to do with it a professional, accredited language school, training centre or university that offers classes. You can usually be confident in their teaching and they will have a better network for introducing you to other students or Arabic speakers who you can befriend and practise with later on, once you have finished your course.
Why is the immersion factor so important?
The fast way to rapidly improve your language level is not by your classroom learning, but by your exposure to the target language. An English speaker living in London for example, will learn Arabic much more slowly than an English speaker living in Lebanon (all other things being equally because she will have far fewer opportunities to encounter used language naturally and organically.
This is a key part of language learning as you find out about the language which the locals are actually using, compared with classroom language which can be quite abstract.
Other tips for immersing yourself in the language
Other great ways to immerse yourself in Arabic include watching Arabic TV and films – if you want to learn Levantine dialect, there are some great Lebanese films which make use of this dialect. Equally listening to the radio can help you pick up new words and practise your listening skills. Likewise, reading articles can help with your reading skills and your vocabulary (particularly, if you want to study Modern Standard Arabic).
Taking a short term immersive Arabic course with the Excellence Center in Hebron, West Bank Palestine
The Excellence Center in Hebron (or Al Khalil as the locals call it) in the South of the West Bank offers short term immersive Arabic courses from a couple of weeks in length right up to three months (the maximum time afforded by an Israeli tourist visa).
You will be assigned a personal Arabic tutor to instruct you in the language with up to five hours of tuition per day, focusing on the four core skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Learning in the atmosphere of this Palestinian learning centre, you will have great opportunity to practise the latter two skills with the staff at the centre and also in the wider community of the city.
Modern Standard Arabic and the Levantine Shami
Programmes are offered in Modern Standard Arabic and the Levantine Shami dialect depending on your goals and priorities – most of the locals speak Amiya the local slang, but fussha (Modern Standard) is used for official business and in professional environments. In addition to the Arabic teaching, you are provided accommodation and many of your meals as part of your programme, along with visits to various places in the historical city of Hebron and the surrounding countryside as the basis for the culture exchange which underpinned by the language skills.
Interactions with locals Arabic speakers
The Excellence Center takes students of all levels and all students find their level rapidly rising through the programme and their interactions with locals Arabic speakers here. Best of all is the possibility to make lifelong friends both from the other international students but also from the local Palestinians here as well. The best part of making an Arabic speaking friend is that they can continue your language tuition via WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger with your new friends, even long after you have left Palestine!
Find more about short term immersive Arabic programme
The Excellence Center is highly reviewed by all former students and we would recommend doing your research thoroughly on our website or by talking to Rafat Shantir on the contact details below to ensure that the short term immersive Arabic programme will be a good fit for you. We strongly encourage you to examine former student feedback and testimonials before making a decision with any organisation and you can find plenty of that on our website and on the Go Palestine website as well.
We look forward to receiving you at the Excellence Center soon to take the highly prestigious Short term Immersive Arabic Courses with us at some point soon in the very near future!
How to fly to Palestine?
The easiest way to get to the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine is to fly to:
- Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv Airport (Israel). It takes about two and a half hours from the airport to the Excellence Center in Hebron via shared Taxi.
- You can fly to Eilat airport and then travel by booking a shuttle or taking a bus to Jerusalem and then to Hebron. The whole trip can last between 6-7 hours.
- You can also fly to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan and then cross to Palestine, but it takes more time and is more expensive.
Traveling to and from Hebron, Palestine
You may find all necessary information about how to get to Hebron, Palestine in these three articles:
Reviews from former participants?
The Excellence Center’s Arabic Immersion Programs in Hebron, West Bank, have more than:
- 332 reviews (93%) on gooverseas.com
- 50 reviews (96%) on goabroad.com
- Video testimonials from former students
How to get the application form
Please send an email application request to Rafat@excellencenter.org, with Study Arabic in Palestine as subject line. We will then send you the application form.
Additional information
Please click here (Frequently Asked Questions) to find more information regarding accommodation, visa, and the application process, etc.
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