How to Teach English in Palestine by Engage in Palestine: Whether you’re on a gap year, on holiday between university semesters or you 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 teaching 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. 

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 for 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 there are organizations which 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 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 and Visit Palestine, which are both great websites 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 tradition and unique cultures. It is likely to be very different to 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, 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!

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 really have to run the lesson in English to immerse them in the language learning experience. You will need to create 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.

Our Volunteer Teaching Programs

We offer a specific English teaching program, as well as other volunteer programs that involve some teaching to segments of the local community. 

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 Volunteering To Teach English at Engage 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 Volunteering To Each English With Us 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 offering Arabic courses for non-native speakers since 2011. We have developed many Arabic immersion programs and online courses over the years. We use the most advanced teaching methods, which we develop and enhance year after year. Education is an active process always advancing, and you will be part of the development. 

Despite continuous program improvements to ensure the best learning experience, our core goal remains connecting, teaching, and developing individuals. Additionally, we aim to promote and encourage exchange in the local and international communities. 

We continue to strive towards excellence:

In 2022, we ranked as “one of the top three organizations worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities”. We also ranked as “one of the top three language schools worldwide” by Go Overseas. We also received a total of five Go Overseas Community Choice Awards. Among others, Engage in Palestine earned recognition as one of the top Teach Abroad Providers for the category of “benefits”. Besides that, we were also one of the Top Internship Abroad Providers for the categories of “growth” and “support”. 

In 2021, we were one of the top three volunteer programs in the world. Go Overseas awarded us the community choice awards in the categories of “best language school”, “fun”, and “teaching”.

In 2019, we received our inaugural “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards.” This award recognized Engage in Palestine’s positive effect on the global travel community.

Overall, Engage in Palestine is a highly-rated travel company.

• +800 Reviews and ratings (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
• +160 Reviews and ratings on goabroad.com
• Participants’ video testimonials

Summary

Teaching English in Palestine with Engage in Palestine is a valuable and enriching experience, both personally and professionally. In this article, we have included some tips to help you find a reputable organization to work or volunteer with, and some tips to help you prepare yourself for the trip to Palestine as well as entering the classroom. Whether you are looking to volunteer to contribute your time to a worthwhile cause or want to volunteer to gain teaching experience for your future English teaching career, we have volunteer opportunities for you. You don’t need to be a native English teacher to volunteer with us, nor do you need prior teaching experience or a teaching qualification. 

When you volunteer with us, not only will you develop yourself professionally through gaining valuable practical teaching experience, but you will also develop yourself personally while being immersed in a new culture and making new friends. You will get to learn a lot about Palestine and enjoy Palestinian daily life with us and you will also get to learn some Arabic. If you are a current university student, we can even give you credit towards your degree. 

Palestine is a fascinating country with a rich history and culture and we would love for you to experience it with us. If you are interested, we would love to receive your volunteer application and meet you in Palestine!

Find Out More

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Info@ecpalestine.org and on Whatsapp:+972 599 479 880

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