Intensive Arabic Courses in the Middle East by Engage in Palestine: Arabic is a fantastically rich language stretching back many centuries and intertwined with a unique culture and history. For several reasons, be it culture, business, study, having Arabic-speaking relatives, or pure enjoyment, Arabic can be an incredibly rewarding language to learn. One of the best ways to learn any language is via immersion in a country where the language is spoken. All across the Middle East and North Africa, there are numerous short-term and long-term Arabic language programs available, in a variety of different dialects. When choosing where to study, choosing which dialect you wish to learn is important. 

Once you have chosen the dialect, you can look at available programs. If you wish to learn and develop your Arabic proficiency quickly, taking a short-term intensive Arabic course can help you do this.  Keep reading to learn more about why choosing an intensive mode is beneficial for studying Arabic, why learning in the Middle East is better than learning in your home country, where you can study intensive Arabic in the Middle East, and more. 

Why Choose An Intensive Course For Studying Arabic?

For several reasons, taking an intensive Arabic language course is more advantageous and beneficial than a regular-paced Arabic course. 

More Opportunities For Immersion And Practice 

Firstly, intensive programs give students more opportunities for immersion and practice because classes are usually 4-5 times per week, for several hours each. Whereas a regular language course might only be taught 1-2 times per week for 1-2 hours each session.

Develop Your Skills And Arabic Proficiency More Rapidly

Secondly, students will need to commit and dedicate several additional hours per day to study, to keep up with the fast-paced nature of their course. This can allow students to make faster progress and greatly speed up the development of their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills.

Opportunities For Immersive Activities Outside The Classroom 

Thirdly, intensive courses may provide immersive activities that can include excursions, trips, cultural outings, cooking classes, or homestays, which gives students more chances to use the language in real-life settings, as well as increasing their cultural awareness. 

Seeing Your Progress Motivates You To Continue 

Finally, taking a short-term intensive Arabic course can help a student’s motivation to continue learning. One of the biggest reasons that language learners give up is a lack or loss of motivation when they don’t see quick progress. An intensive course will show students in a very short period the progress they can make with dedication, commitment, and effort. 

Why Taking A Course In The Middle East Is Better Than Your Home Country

Taking an intensive Arabic course in the Middle East can be an immensely gratifying opportunity that you won’t be able to find in your home country. Several advantages to studying Arabic in the Middle East over studying it in your home country. Here we will outline the main two reasons. 

Learn A Spoken Arabic Dialect Instead Of Modern Standard Arabic

Many universities, language schools, and other institutions around the world only teach Modern Standard Arabic. While this can be very useful in the right context, it is not a language that is spoken in daily life by Arab people. So if your primary goal with Arabic is to communicate with others, it is better to learn a spoken dialect. It can be difficult, however, to access courses or teachers to facilitate your learning of a spoken dialect in your home country. This means that the best way to learn a spoken dialect is to pack your bags and go where it is spoken. 

The Opportunity To Learn More Rapidly Through Linguistic And Cultural Immersion 

Studying Arabic in the Middle East will give students the chance to fully immerse themselves in the Arabic dialect of their choice as well as the culture and daily life of their chosen destination. This benefits not only your language learning but may enrich your personal life as well as career prospects. 

Additionally, by living and studying in The Middle East, you can make friends with your fellow students as well as with locals, so you can continue practicing Arabic long after you’ve left the Middle East.

Intensive Arabic In The Maghreb Region

The Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya) can be a really interesting choice to study Arabic, given the rich history that mixes Arab, Berber, and many other influences. French, British, Spanish, and Italian colonialism and Western imperialism have also left lasting impacts, including on the history, culture, infrastructure, and languages of this region. 

One reason this region is so appealing is that there are some amazing historical sites, especially in Tunisia where you can find the remains of Ancient Carthage. There is also much diversity and a range of fascinating cultures, cuisine, and architecture here and it can be quite an affordable destination. 

The main issue with studying Arabic here is that the dialects spoken in the Maghreb are not easily understood by other Arabic speakers. So depending on your goals with Arabic, you may have trouble transferring your Arabic skills to different regions.

Intensive Arabic In Egypt

Egypt, also located in North Africa, can be a suitable choice for studying Arabic. Egypt is world-famous for its ancient monuments, architectural and anthropological sites as well as history. Additionally, Egyptian Arabic is one of the most popular Arabic dialects due to the large population of Egypt, and the prevalence and popularity of Egyptian films, series, and music throughout the Arab World.

However, there are also a few disadvantages, for example, big cities in Egypt can be extremely busy and have high levels of pollution. Egypt also attracts many tourists, which may detract a little from having a fully immersive Arabic learning environment. Finally, while Egyptian Arabic is widely understood by other Arabic speakers, you may have some difficulties understanding other Arabic dialects. 

Intensive Arabic In The Gulf States

The Gulf Region (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE) primarily speaks a dialect of Arabic known as Khaliji . Learning Arabic here can be a good option if you are interested in business or professional Arabic as the Gulf is a wealthy area, with many lucrative jobs. If you can speak the dialect along with formal fus’ha (i.e. Modern Standard Arabic), you will be well placed to secure a well-paid job in this interesting area.

It is also important to note that it is generally very hot and humid in the Gulf, so be prepared! There are also many expatriates and migrant workers in the Gulf, which means English is widely spoken so it’s not the most immersive environment you can find.

Intensive Arabic In The Levantine Region

For most Arabic students, the best place to learn Arabic is in the Levant or Levantine Region (Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria). This is because Levantine Arabic (also known as Shami Arabic) is the most widely recognizable dialect of the language with most Arabic speakers worldwide being able to understand it. The Levant is also a fascinating part of the Middle East, with it encompassing The Holy Land and part of the Cradle of Civilization.

However, there can be some difficulties in this region. For example, it’s not very feasible to study Arabic in Syria this time due to several factors, including ongoing security concerns and devastating US sanctions. Lebanon is undergoing a severe financial and economic crisis, which can also make studying there more difficult than it used to be. While Gaza isn’t accessible to tourists or students due to the ongoing Israeli blockade and siege, the West Bank of Palestine and Jordan are much more stable options. 

Advice For Finding A Quality And Trustworthy Organization To Take A Course With

When looking for an organization to study Arabic with, be sure to do your research fully before signing up for a program. Firstly, make sure you read the program description carefully and make sure that it meets your needs. 

Next, make sure to choose an organization with good reviews and testimonials from former students. This will help you make sure it is a quality and trustworthy organization and that the experience you are promised will be matched or exceeded to what you receive in reality. This is especially important because you will likely be investing a significant portion of time and money in your intensive Arabic program.

Intensive Arabic Courses In Hebron Palestine With Engage In Palestine 

If you are considering studying Arabic in the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, or close to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, or Tel Aviv, we invite you to study with us. Engage in Palestine in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine, is a well-regarded and experienced organization running short-term intensive Arabic courses for interested learners. 

Our programs range from one week up to three months in length and run year-round. We give prospective students the flexibility to choose the length of their program and their start and end dates. 

At Engage in Palestine, you will be assigned a dedicated Arabic teacher who will teach you for up to five hours per day (depending on the course intensity you choose). We offer an immersive and supportive learning environment for you to begin or continue your Arabic learning journey.

Keep reading to learn more about the Arabic courses we offer, summer programs, the impact studying Arabic with us has, the benefits we give you, and where to find our reviews. 

Our Short-Term Arabic Programs 

We offer a variety of short-term Arabic courses in spoken dialects (Levantine and Palestinian Colloquial Arabic) as well as in Modern Standard Arabic or fus’ha, as it’s called in Arabic. You can even take a mix between them if you would like. If you are unable to join us in person, we also offer online Arabic classes.

Our Different Course Intensities

At Engage in Palestine, we know that Arabic learners have different needs and preferences.

As such, we offer courses in different intensities, so you can choose the best option for you:

Super Intensive Courses

These are our most intensive courses, with 5-6 hours of class (including breaks) per day, five days per week.

Intensive Courses

Our intensive courses will give you 3-4 hours of class (including breaks) per day, five days per week. 

Non-Intensive Courses

If you would like to study Arabic with us, but feel like an intensive course doesn’t meet your needs, consider our non-intensive courses. They will give you 3-4 hours of class (including breaks) per day, three days per week. 

Our Location In Hebron

Engage in Palestine is situated in the heart of Hebron, a city on the front line of Israeli Occupation, where Israelis have occupied part of the city and built settlements in the surrounding countryside. A number of our students are attracted due to their interest in the Palestinian issue and can learn much more about the situation during their time with us.

We are located in a part of Hebron under full control of the Palestinian Authority, and there are no Israeli settlers or checkpoints in our immediate vicinity, although you can find them within walking distance. The city of Hebron is safe, with any outbreaks of violence highly localized to certain areas. As a foreigner, it is very easy to avoid this if you choose to.

Studying Arabic Over Summer With Engage In Palestine

If you’re seeking a summer program to study Arabic in the Middle East, Palestine, Israel, or close to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, or Tel Aviv, we encourage you to join us in Hebron. We offer our Arabic students both a warm, welcoming environment and top-notch Arabic teaching from knowledgeable, credentialed instructors.

Summer Intensive Small Group Classes

In summer, starting in June and lasting through September, we run special small-group intensive Arabic programs. Our summer short-term Arabic courses last for four weeks each, and they begin on the first day of each month. We offer these classes in each of the dialects we teach (MSA, Levantine, Colloquial Palestinian Arabic). This means, that if your schedule permits, you can spend up to three months studying Arabic with us in the summer.

Learn In A Small Group Setting

There are typically 2 to 5 people in each lesson, and this small class size allows the teacher to provide each student with lots of individual attention. It also allows for plenty of chances to communicate, debate, and participate to improve your Arabic proficiency. Also, you’ll get to know your classmates better as a result of doing this, and you can always get together outside of class to study or practice Arabic or just hang out. 

What Levels of Arabic Do We Offer?

We offer a variety of levels for our short-term summer intensive Arabic courses. Our classes are suitable no matter your level, and if you aren’t sure of your level, we will happily provide a free placement test for you. For Levantine Arabic and Colloquial Palestinian Arabic (Ammiya), we offer the following four levels: Beginner, Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced. For Modern Standard Arabic, we have the following six levels available: Beginner, Elementary 1, Elementary 2, Intermediate 1, Intermediate 2, and Advanced. 

Our Summer Intensive Arabic Programs Help You Learn Quickly

Due to the immersive and intensive nature of these programs, they help you learn and develop your Arabic abilities quickly. Our Arabic teachers are friendly and supportive, they speak English, as well as being well-qualified and experienced in teaching Arabic to internationals. 

This in addition to being surrounded by native Arabic speakers at our center and in Hebron generally, will give you countless opportunities to hear, use, and speak Arabic in an immersive and authentic setting. 

Spend Your Summer Learning More Than Just The Arabic Language

Spending your summer with us in the West Bank is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire not only the Arabic language but also the culture and practices that are entwined with the language. We will take you on trips and tours to places in and around Hebron that are significant from a cultural, political, or historical standpoint, such as the old city of Hebron, as part of your summer Arabic program.

To make the most of your summer, advance your Arabic abilities, meet new people, and create lifelong memories, we encourage you to join us.

The Benefits We Offer When You Study Arabic With Us

Studying Arabic with Engage in Palestine gives students an immersive and welcoming environment with well-qualified and experienced teachers to encourage and facilitate their learning. But Engage in Palestine offers a range of benefits that go beyond this.  Below, we outline some of these key benefits.  

Incredible Flexibility

We offer much flexibility to our Arabic students. You can choose how long you wish to take your Arabic course (1-13 weeks), as well as when you would like to start and finish. You can also choose the intensity and dialect you would like for your course. If you would like to extend your program or increase the number of hours for your Arabic lessons, we can also accommodate you. 

One-on-one Or Small Group Classes

Depending on availability and your preferences, our Arabic classes are taught either one-on-one or in small groups (2-5 students). This is a huge advantage over larger class sizes because it allows your Arabic teacher to adopt a more personalized and attentive approach, and it also affords you far more chances to practice Arabic and to feel more comfortable. 

The Opportunity To Engage With The Local Palestinian Community During Your Program 

You will have numerous opportunities to interact with local Palestinians during your Arabic course. For example, sometimes as part of your Arabic lessons, your teacher may take you out into Hebron to learn and practice your Arabic in a real-life setting. We also include tours and visits in and around Hebron to see tourist sites, various artisan factories, local artists, refugee camps, various local organizations, and more. The aim is to show you culturally, politically, or historically significant places, to broaden your knowledge of Hebron, and to allow you to understand Palestine, its culture, and the issues facing Palestinians more thoroughly. You will also have chances to practice your Arabic and converse with locals during these visits!

We Provide Accommodation For You 

Engage in Palestine will provide accommodation for you for the duration of your Arabic course. 

Female students will generally live with a local Palestinian host family. It can be challenging to place male students with a Palestinian host family, due to the conservative nature of Hebron, although it is sometimes possible. If you have an interest in this option, let us know as soon as possible. Otherwise, male students will share an all-male dorm that we organize. 

If you would prefer private accommodation, we can either advise you or arrange this for you, however, it will incur an additional cost.

As Well As Breakfast

Additionally, we provide daily breakfast (except Fridays) for all of our participants. This gives you a chance to try traditional Palestinian food and to make sure you are nourished and prepared for your Arabic lessons.

Explore Palestine In Your Free Time

For students taking our super-intensive or intensive Arabic courses, you will have two days off per week (generally Friday and Saturday), while non-intensive students will have four days off per week. So you will have more than adequate time to study, rest, and explore. On your days off, you can take trips to nearby cities on your own or with our other international participants. 

There are a range of different local and international cities you can visit, including Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho and the Dead Sea, Nablus, Tulkarem, Qalqiliyah, Jenin, Haifa, Eilat, Tel Aviv, Masada, Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Tiberias, Nazareth, Netanya, Safed, Amman, Aqaba and Wadi Rum. 

Other Benefits We Offer

We know that traveling abroad to study can be daunting, so we provide pre-departure support for you, as well as ongoing in-country support once you arrive. Engage in Palestine can provide current university students with academic credit for their Arabic courses towards their studies upon request. We have a collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Education that allows us to offer this. Finally, we provide all of our Arabic students with a certificate upon completion of your course.

The Impact Of Studying Arabic With Us In Palestine 

Through all of our short-term Arabic courses and volunteer programs, we aim to make a long-term difference for both the local Palestinian community and you. Studying Arabic with Engage in Palestine in Hebron, Palestine can have a meaningful impact on both the individual learner and the local Palestinian community. Through cultural and language immersion, you will as a student get a greater awareness of Palestinian culture and the problems that Palestinian society faces. You can have an impact on local Palestinians’ lives and participate in cultural exchanges by building relationships.

This can make your time in Hebron more rich and fulfilling and can also have a positive on local Palestinians, who may have never been able to travel or meet many people from other countries. Additionally, You will get the chance to hone a variety of abilities while studying Arabic in Palestine. You can develop your cross-cultural communication skills, as well as other abilities like critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability. These will positively impact you in a variety of professional scenarios as well as your personal life.

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

In Conclusion

One of the best dialects to learn is Levantine Arabic, as it is the closest to Modern Standard Arabic and is therefore the most recognizable dialect. A great organization for studying Levantine Arabic is Engage in Palestine, located in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. At Engage in Palestine, students will learn Arabic in a friendly, welcoming, and immersive environment. Students will have the support of their Arabic teacher to foster their learning in one-on-one or small group classes. Engage in Palestine provides students with a lot of flexibility and options when it comes to their short-term Arabic courses.

For example, students get to choose the course intensity, which type of Arabic they would like to study (from those on offer), as well as the length of their program (from 1-13 weeks) and the start and end dates. This is in addition to a host of other benefits, such as daily breakfast (except Fridays), pre-arranged and included accommodation, trips, and tours of the local area, and much more. Students will also have many chances to make friends with our other international participants as well as locals. We hope to receive you at Engage in Palestine soon for one of our short-term intensive Arabic programs!

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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