Why should you study Arabic in Palestine? Palestine is a truly rewarding place to study Arabic. With its unique history, religious history, and climate, there is no place quite like it. The dialect here is unique to Palestine and Jordan, but if you study standard Arabic you should be able to communicate anywhere. Palestine is a beautiful place that is rich in language and culture, offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience should you choose to study Arabic here.
Interaction with the local people is an incomparable way to improve your Arabic whilst you are in Palestine. As with learning any language, there is nothing so enriching about learning a language when in a country of native speakers. Having to use it every day will improve your language quickly in a way in which you would not get the opportunity to at home.
You will have local Arabic teachers at the Palestinian Center, or indeed anywhere in Palestine, who are native speakers with extensive knowledge of the language and training in teaching it. This is an incomparable experience, as local teachers have insight into the language that other teachers do not. This is a system of exchange, as the teachers can enrich their knowledge of English from you as you can improve your Arabic from them. This is part of the beauty of studying the language in Palestine: local people are as keen to improve their English as you are your Arabic.
Be sure to keep a notebook when interacting with local people to note down new words. This is an experience that you simply would not encounter elsewhere, particularly in an Arabic classroom back home. It is advisable to learn a little Arabic before coming over, such as polite phrases, numbers, and – of course – the alphabet. Do not worry if you have not studied Arabic before however, as people (teachers, locals) are always willing to help you.
Being surrounded by Arabic as you would when visiting a country such as Palestine is also beneficial in learning it. It is a difficult language, but with time, devotion, and of course practice, it can gradually be mastered. Be patient with your language learning whilst over here and try to study every day, and in good time you will improve.
Palestine also has a unique social, political, and religious history in which to learn a language, offering some ripe opportunities for learning vocabulary. Coming to Palestine will provide some unique situations and scenarios in which to learn Arabic, for instance visiting a Bedouin camp through the Palestinian Center. With immersion in the culture you will learn Arabic more quickly, and you will have a rich source of new knowledge in the language to take home with you.
