Home Ulpan - Learn Hebrew in Israel

Hi Kitty,<br/>First of all, I apologize for the experience you’ve had.<br/>Second, I want to thank you for your honest feedback.<br/>After 11 years of activity, the way we do things in the Home Ulpan seems so natural to me, that I probably didn’t make sure we have matching expectations before you arrived.<br/>And I admit that Home Ulpan isn’t suitable for everyone, and it’s possible that if I had been more detailed in our communications, you would have decided not to come.<br/>Before I reply to the points you made, I’ll give you some background for Home Ulpan.<br/> Home Ulpan was born 11 years ago, as a unique initiative in Israel, where the students learn and live in the house of the family that runs Home Ulpan.<br/>This project is unique in Israel (and maybe in the world, I don’t know for sure), where the students both learn and experience the life of an Israeli family, and so, in most cases, their progression in Hebrew is very rapid, since we make sure to talk in Hebrew - starting from breakfast and throughout the entire day.<br/>Now I will respond to your feedback:<br/>- Classes are disorganized<br/>It’s true, the classes are not organized as regular classes, but rather, and this is the beauty of Home Ulpan - they start in the morning with breakfast, where conversation is made in Hebrew and in English, according to the students’ skill level and desire.<br/>After that, the table is cleared and becomes a study desk and in the afternoon, it serves as a lunch table for the students and a table for practice and homework, both oral and written.<br/>In the evening - we eat dinner on the table, so there are no organized classes for all the students ( there is an organized class when there are several levels of study - on the third floor - and accordingly there are additional teachers), and in my view and that of hundreds of students who studied in Home Ulpan, this intimacy gives the project its uniqueness.<br/>-Much of the time is spent by the main teacher/owner telling her assistant teachers what to do<br/>Home Ulpan takes pride in adapting itself to the requests of the various students. There is organized instruction according to skill levels, including a syllabus which is organized according to the number of days of study students have, and textbooks, some which are written by me, suited to their level. <br/>Even so, there are students who have specific requirements (improving their study so they can go up a level in college, or to complete a certain level, learning for a specific exam, learning towards making a business presentation, learning with an emphasis on biblical Hebrew for those who want to read the bible in Hebrew, and more).<br/>In other words, the study is tailor made. This is why a specific matching is necessary for each student, and when there’s a deviation from the study program which is organized according to levels - the Home Ulpan management, which has over 30 years' experience in instruction, will indeed give, throughout the lessons, specific emphasis for a specific subject - this is the reason why students come here year after year, multiple times, sometimes several times in one year, extend their stay in Home Ulpan from two weeks to three, and up to three months.<br/>Here's a link to recommendations in writing which can testify to this:<br/>https://www.homeulpan.com/my-hebrew-courses/intermediate-hebrew-courses/ <br/>https://www.homeulpan.com/maria-dalas-usa/ <br/>“I have a lot of experience with the study of languages, and thus I can say with confidence that<br/>she is one of the truly excellent and gifted teachers that are not at all easy to find…”<br/>- Instructional level goes up and down depending on who is there<br/> In Home Ulpan, we take pride in being able to teach every student in accordance to their level and ability, and to make the most of their potential.<br/>When there is more than one student, and both of them or more don’t know a certain subject, despite the difference in their levels, we encourage them to study and practice together in class and in the afternoon. <br/>The more the students speak Hebrew, including with each other - the faster they make progress and of course enjoy the process.<br/>However, a student who has the option of learning more than the group he’s in - is always encouraged to do so. And this shows in the testimonies and wonders of our students.<br/>Here's a link to recommendations in writing which can testify to this:<br/>https://www.homeulpan.com/my-hebrew-courses/hebrew-courses-for-advanced/ <br/>https://www.homeulpan.com/testmonials/ <br/><br/>