Best Places To Teach English in Palestine: Whether you’re on a gap year, on holiday between university semesters or simply want to build a career in teaching English overseas, Palestine is a great place to teach English. There are many reasons why, including the friendly and hospitable people, the rich history, culture and cuisine, the beauty of the land as well as the many Palestinian students wishing to learn English.
Despite the geopolitical tensions which are prevalent here, there is so much potential in this country and the desire for individuals to improve themselves through training and education is palpable. This means that when you do good work here, the impact you create is all the bigger and more visible.
Keep reading to learn more about best place to teach English in Palestine, including some tips on how to prepare for your teaching trip to Palestine and on preparing yourself for the classroom.
Do I Have To Have A Qualification Or Experience To Teach?
You do not need to have qualifications or experience to teach English in Palestine. However, you are unlikely to receive a paid teaching role without them here. A background in teaching will give you more flexibility to take your pick of the roles on offer. However, doing a volunteer teaching position is an equally viable option if you are looking to begin a career in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) or simply just to contribute to the local community.
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Why Volunteer To Teach English?
Volunteering to teach English has both personal and professional benefits. Firstly, it’s a great way to gain valuable teaching experience and make connections to help you in your future career. It will also help you grow personally by giving you new life experiences and perspectives, while also contributing to society. Additionally, many paid teaching English contracts around the world are 12 months, but by doing a short-term volunteer program you can see if the city or country you have chosen is the right fit for you, without making a long commitment.
Advice On Finding A Program Teaching English In Palestine
The internet is a great place to start researching teaching jobs and volunteer opportunities from the comfort of your own home. We would recommend with any overseas volunteering or work, that you thoroughly research the organization you intend to join. Most organizations have the best of intentions but can be unscrupulous in their treatment of volunteers or low-paid workers.
Additionally, some organizations do fantastic work (or attempt to) but are unable to organize efficiently which then has a detrimental impact on the volunteer. You have to balance the needs of the organization with your own needs to ensure a happy and fulfilling experience. Be sure to research all volunteer testimonials and online feedback before making your decision. You might like to check out Go Overseas, which is a great website to compare available volunteer and internship opportunities.
How To Prepare For Teaching English In Palestine
Once you have accepted a teaching job or volunteer position, you will need to prepare for your trip to Palestine. You will need to arrange things like travel insurance and flights, it’s always good to shop around before purchasing to find the best option for you. For flights, there are no airports in the West Bank, so we suggest you book flights to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV) airport and from there, it’s fairly simple to reach the West Bank.
Research Local Customs And Culture Before You Arrive
Palestine is a fascinating country, full of rich historical traditions and unique cultures. It is likely to be very different from where you come from, so it’s important to do some research before you arrive. It’s particularly important to research the local customs so that you know what to wear and how to behave appropriately.
It is not acceptable for example to wear shorts or drink alcohol in some of the more conservative areas of the West Bank. This is extremely important to consider so you know what to be prepared for, as well as what to pack. Some people also wish to bring gifts from home for their Palestinian hosts, as the majority of Palestinians are Muslims,and any pork or products containing alcohol should be avoided.
Research The Weather So You Can Pack Appropriately
Remember to consider the time of year you plan to volunteer in Palestine, so you can pack appropriately for the weather. For example, winters in Palestine can get quite wet and cold and it’s often colder here than most internationals expect. Having central heating is quite rare in Palestine and the houses are generally built to keep heat out.
This means that in winter, particularly during the nights, it’s often colder inside than outside, so it’s important to have plenty of warm clothing. Summers can reach up to 35 or 40 degrees, although the heat is generally dry, not humid and rain is very rare in summer. So consider these aspects when evaluating your clothing choices!
6 Best Places To Teach English In Palestine
If you’re considering combining your passion for teaching with a journey into culture, history, and adventure, teaching English in Palestine is an exceptional choice. Below, we highlight 6 of the best places to teach English in Palestine, each offering unique opportunities to make a meaningful impact while immersing yourself in Palestinian daily life.
These locations are highly recommended for their welcoming communities, rich cultural experiences, and the chance to connect with students eager to learn English. Teaching in these places not only allows you to gain valuable teaching experience but also provides the opportunity to explore Palestinian traditions, history, and hospitality firsthand.
Whether you’re a seasoned teacher or just starting out, these 6 places to teach English in Palestine offer a transformative experience that combines professional growth with personal enrichment. From bustling cities to rural villages, you’ll find the perfect setting to teach while discovering the beauty of Palestine.
1. Travel to Palestine
The Travel to Palestine organization is dedicated to providing tourists with the opportunity to visit Palestine and immerse themselves in its rich culture. This land is steeped in history, renowned for its hospitality, and home to generous and welcoming people. Through the Travel to Palestine organization, you can experience all of this firsthand.
In addition to cultural experiences, they offer summer teaching English programs, allowing visitors to make a meaningful contribution while engaging with local communities and discovering the unique heritage of Palestine.
2. The Excellence Center In Palestine
The Excellence Center in Palestine has over 13 years of experience offering transformative teaching and volunteer opportunities in the West Bank. Founded in Hebron in 2011, the Center provides a wide range of programs, including teaching English to Palestinian students, making it one of the best places to teach English in Palestine.
In addition to language education, the Excellence Center engages international volunteers, interns, and students in cultural immersion activities and community development services. These initiatives support Palestinian children, refugees, youth, women, and other community members in Hebron. By combining teaching with meaningful cultural exchange, the Excellence Center creates a unique environment where educators and volunteers can make a lasting impact while gaining a deeper understanding of Palestinian life and culture.
3. Salam Palestine سلام فلسطينن
Salam Palestine, a community project based in Hebron, Palestine, provides an excellent opportunity for international volunteers to contribute to social and community development initiatives. Recognized as one of the best places to teach English in Palestine, the project enables volunteers to engage with local residents through workshops, events, and outreach programs that promote cultural exchange and strengthen social cohesion.
In addition to teaching opportunities, Salam Palestine offers a variety of Arabic courses, including super intensive, intensive, and non-intensive options, for those staying 1-13 weeks. This combination of teaching, language learning, and cultural immersion makes Salam Palestine an ideal destination for individuals seeking to make a meaningful impact while experiencing the richness of Palestinian life.
4. Engage in Palestine انخرط في فلسطين
Engage in Palestine, based in Hebron, is one of the best places to teach English in Palestine, offering international students and volunteers immersive experiences that combine education with community engagement. Known for its intensive Levantine (Shami) and Palestinian Arabic lessons, the organization provides opportunities to learn Arabic while actively participating in social and cultural initiatives.
Through its diverse programs, participants work alongside local residents to support youth empowerment, women’s initiatives, and the well-being of Palestinian refugees. With its strong focus on cultural exchange and community development, Engage in Palestine offers a unique platform for volunteers to make a meaningful impact while experiencing Palestinian daily life and heritage.
5. Volunteer in Palestine تطوع في فلسطين
Volunteer in Palestine offers excellent winter teaching volunteering programs and summer short-term English teaching projects in the West Bank. These programs are perfect for those looking to teach English while immersing themselves in Palestine’s rich culture and history.
Volunteers can engage in a variety of teaching opportunities, from intensive summer English teaching projects to immersive winter volunteering programs, where they will collaborate with local communities and schools to improve English language skills. These programs provide invaluable teaching experience while helping to advance educational development in Palestinian communities.
Whether you’re seeking a short-term summer teaching experience or a winter volunteering program, Volunteer in Palestine provides an incredible opportunity to teach English, contribute to community development, and gain a deeper understanding of Palestinian life.
6. Study In Palestine ادرس في فلسطين
Study In Palestine offers a broad range of options for teaching English, alongside immersive Arabic language programs. In addition to intensive Arabic courses and summer Arabic programs at multiple levels, the organization provides valuable opportunities for English teachers to contribute to community development while enhancing their teaching skills.
These volunteer English teaching programs are designed for those looking to teach in the West Bank. Volunteers can work with local Palestinian communities and schools, helping to improve the English language skills of Palestinian children, refugees, and youth. In addition to teaching, volunteers will engage in cultural exchange and community-focused initiatives, making a positive impact on local educational development and fostering cross-cultural understanding.
Some Tips For The Classroom
The most important thing to consider is that you will be teaching monolingual classes (i.e. all the students will be primary Arabic speakers), so you have to run the lesson in English to immerse them in the language learning experience. You will need to create an inclusive language-learning community in the classroom that everyone enjoys being involved in. No matter who you are teaching, it’s important to be patient, kind, and flexible.
Not only is it important to have a firm grammatical grasp of the English language, but it is equally as important to have great classroom management skills and remain in control of your class. As a teacher, you won’t know everything about English or teaching, but the more experience you get, the more you will learn and improve.
Teaching Young Learners
When working with young learners, your primary task is to engage them in the practice of learning English. If they are bored or disinterested, it is not possible to meaningfully teach them anything. This means playing games, running competitions, and high-energy learning activities to up their participation levels and make sure everyone has fun while they are learning together.
Teaching Teenagers Or Older Students
Working with teenagers or older students requires a different approach to young learners. Students will probably have a better attention span, but you will still need to find a way to keep them engaged and interested so that they can learn and want to learn. Playing the occasional educational game can be a great way to capture your student’s attention and wake them up if they feel bored or tired. Students can also become very competitive, so this can be a great way to increase student’s participation in the class.
However, games should be used sparingly and the majority of the time should be spent teaching students through other activities. It is a good idea to alternate between individual work, work in groups of 2-3, and work in larger groups, and mix the students up so they are not always working only with their same peers.
Palestinian Students May Be Nervous Or Excited When They First Meet You
Many Palestinian students have never or have rarely met visitors from overseas. This is primarily due to the Israeli occupation, which makes it very difficult for Palestinians to travel to other countries and also restricts international tourism in Palestine. As a result, young Palestinians may be nervous when they first meet you and they may take some time to warm up to you and feel comfortable.
In this case, it is important to build a rapport with students, which will not only be enriching for both of you but will help you effectively teach your students. On the other hand, some Palestinian students will immediately be very excited to meet you and speak with you. Students might want to know all about you, however it is important to remain focused and professional, and not spend the whole lesson answering the students’ questions about your life.
Teaching English with Engage in Palestine In Hebron, Palestine
Volunteering with Engage in Palestine can be a great opportunity if you are looking to teach English in the West Bank. (Gaza is not accessible at the time of writing due to the ongoing Israeli siege and blockade of Gaza.)
Engage in Palestine offers flexible programs depending on your existing commitments, goals, and ambitions. There are volunteer posts for those with minimal teaching experience and for native and non-native English speakers alike; from 1-13 weeks (90 days is the maximum time you can stay in Israel and Palestine on an Israeli tourist visa).
Teaching English And Learning Arabic
After you arrive for your program, you will be assigned a liaison manager to oversee your program and a dedicated personal Arabic tutor to oversee the development of your Arabic language learning. The teaching work is widely varied – there are group lessons at our center, private one-on-one lessons with individuals, and teaching in villages and refugee camps around Hebron.
Sometimes you will join a Palestinian teacher’s class as a teaching assistant, other times you will be leading your class by yourself or with another international volunteer. Depending on availability and the time of year, you may also have the opportunity to teach in local schools (a program that’s run in conjunction with the Palestinian Ministry of Education in Ramallah).
What Else Do We Include?
Engage in Palestine provides accommodation (whether it’s a host family for women, or a shared dormitory for men) along with breakfast each day you are at our center. We also organize trips, as part of your program, for cultural exchange and to grow your knowledge about Palestine.
In particular, we organize tours of the H2 area, which is split between Palestinians and Israeli settlers, the Old City of Hebron, the famous Ibrahimi Mosque, and Al Fawwar Refugee Camp, amongst others. From time to time, we organize visits to the Bedouin village Susiya, Massager Yatta, and other nearby villages. You will also have free time and we can help you make transportation arrangements to nearby cities such as Ramallah, Jericho and the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Bethlehem to ensure you see the full vista of this fantastic country.
Develop Your Skills In A Friendly Atmosphere
There is a great and friendly atmosphere at our center between the international volunteers and the permanent Palestinian staff, ensuring you get the best of the internationalist mindset along with the immersive experience of working with native Arabic speakers. All in all, this is a fantastic program to help you develop your professional skills as a teacher, make a difference in a local community living under occupation, and have a fantastic experience for yourself all rolled into one.
Volunteer With Us And Teach English Over the Summer
If you are looking for volunteer or teaching opportunities over the summer months in Palestine, we invite you to join us during the summer months from June through September. If you are a university student or anyone else with a summer break and you’re looking for an in-person teaching English experience, our summer programs are especially ideal for you. We can even provide current college or university students with academic credit towards their studies due to our collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Education.
Join us in the summer to grow your skills, gain practical experience, travel, meet people from all over the world, and immerse yourself in Palestinian culture.
The Benefits of Teaching English in Palestine
There are many benefits of volunteering with us. Firstly, we are very flexible. You can choose how long you wish to volunteer for, anywhere between 1 to 13 weeks, you are also free to choose when you would like to begin and end your program.
As part of your volunteer program, you will have the opportunity to gain a range of valuable English teaching experience. Additionally, you will receive three hours of Arabic lessons per week (including all learning materials), taught by one of our wonderful and knowledgeable Palestinian teachers. We also provide you with accommodation (either with a Palestinian host family or in an all-male dorm), breakfast for each day that you are at our center, and occasional dinners. Also included are organized trips to the sights of Hebron like the famous Ibrahim Mosque, the glass factory, and the kuffiyeh factory, along with local organizations or areas of political or cultural significance.
In addition to being immersed in Palestinian culture during your time, the combination of permanent Palestinian staff and temporary international volunteers, interns, and students at our center makes for a fantastic melting pot of different cultures and influences which ensures you will thoroughly enjoy your time here.
Finally, you will have two days off per week, leaving you with plenty of time to organize your trips to explore the fascinating nearby cities and places such as Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jericho, and the Dead Sea. You will be able to explore by yourself or with the new friends that you will undoubtedly make here.
These are just a few of the benefits of studying with us!
The Impact Of Teaching English In Palestine
With all of our volunteer programs, we aim to make a long-term difference for both the Palestinian local community and you, through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. Our programs are well-researched and targeted to ensure they foster shared learning for both our community and you. Volunteering is a unique opportunity for you to genuinely make an impact on your life and the lives of local Palestinian students and the wider community.
During your volunteer English teaching program in the West Bank, you will gain so much more than just experience teaching English and the opportunity to grow your skills. You will get to study some Arabic and learn a lot about Palestinian culture and customs as well as the political situation in Palestine, while being immersed in Palestinian daily life. You will have many opportunities while outside the classroom to practice your Arabic naturally and authentically as well as engage with Palestinians while navigating your new life in Hebron.
Additionally, when you volunteer as an English teacher, you will not only be teaching students, but they will also teach you. You will have the opportunity to help students improve not only their English and communication skills but also their self-confidence as well. You will be able to give students much-needed practice communicating with fluent or native English speakers, as well as engaging in cultural exchanges with them.
Reviews and Awards
Engage in Palestine has been honored with several prestigious Community Awards, and it has been recognized as the Best Language School and Top Volunteer and Internship Program Provider for the years 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. For more details, please visit our profiles on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com.
- +840 Reviews and ratings (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
- +170 Reviews and ratings on goabroad.com
- Participants’ video testimonials
Summary
Teaching English in Palestine is an incredibly rewarding experience, offering both personal and professional growth. Whether you’re seeking to contribute your time to a meaningful cause or gain hands-on teaching experience for your future career, there are numerous opportunities in the best places to teach English in Palestine. From bustling cities like Hebron and Nablus to smaller, close-knit rural communities, Palestine provides a unique environment to connect with local students and immerse yourself in its rich culture.
At Engage, we offer placements in some of the best places to teach English in Palestine, where you can make a real difference while exploring the country’s fascinating history and daily life. You don’t need to be a native English speaker, have prior teaching experience, or hold a teaching qualification to join our programs. Our opportunities are open to anyone with a passion for education and a willingness to help others.
When you teach English with us, you’ll develop invaluable professional skills by leading lessons, managing classrooms, and shaping your teaching style. These placements, located in the best places to teach English, also offer personal enrichment through cultural immersion, opportunities to make lifelong friendships, and the chance to learn some Arabic.
Contact Us
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
WhatsApp:+972 599 479 880
Website: https://ecpalestine.org/
EC Website: https://excellencenter.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter
Tags: English teaching programs in Palestine, Teach English to refugees in Palestine, Top volunteer programs to teach English in Palestine, Volunteer teaching English in Palestine
