Teaching Hebrew in a Non-Customary Way
Eliezer Ben Yehuda, father of modern Hebrew, would undoubtedly recognize the language he worked so assiduously to revive. He would also, undoubtedly, be dizzied by the breadth of it — today numbering around 80,000 words.
Dizzying is probably the word that best characterizes how most new immigrants feel about learning the Hebrew language. Which is one explanation why so many of them struggle with the language and are reluctant to either speak it, or do so poorly regardless of how many years they have been here.
Josie Arbel, Director of Klitah Services at AACI (Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel), explains “there are lots of learning styles and many Olim find that the traditional Ulpan formula is a great beginning, but not sufficient to really build conversational skills.”
Elayne, who made Aliyah in 1983 from the United States, admits that while she could read Hebrew and did understand, to some extent, the radio news broadcasts (“I do listen to the news in Hebrew and grasp most of it”), her Hebrew was, at best, “mediocre.” Busy raising her young children, she didn’t have the time to sit down and apply herself to learn to speak Hebrew.
Traditional Ulpans Are Failing
Elayne’s personal experience is backed up with some discouraging statistics. According to studies presented recently to the Knesset’s Immigration and Absorption Committee, sixty percent of immigrants over the age of 30 who graduate from Hebrew Ulpan instructional courses are unable to read, write and speak Hebrew fluently.
Reuven, a businessman and venture capitalist, who made Aliyah five years ago, is convinced the numbers are even higher. “There are so many good minds that just don’t show up at the Ulpan doors and are not included in these statistics.”
Since the opening of the first ulpan in Jerusalem in 1949, more than 1,300,000 new immigrants have graduated from Israel’s Ulpanim.
Today, the basic concept of the Ulpan continues: a certified Hebrew teacher teaches a classroom of students. (Minimum number of students required to open an Ulpan is generally 15 and up to 30). Usually the program runs 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 5 months. The students have two things in common: a comparable level of Hebrew language skills, and their new immigrant status. Anything and everything else can vary: age, background, objectives for learning Hebrew, professions, and the list goes on.
Where is the problem?
It’s easy to attribute the lack of proper acquisition of language skills to the fact that the classrooms are too large, the backgrounds of the students too varied, and the goals too different. But, that’s not the only reason that most student graduates in the traditional Ulpans cannot speak Hebrew.
Is Hebrew such a difficult language that it cannot be taught? Or are the students so much different? Rachel Ben-Nun, 40-year veteran Hebrew language teacher in Israel, the United States and Canada explains that Western immigrants close the gap of understanding much more quickly than other immigrants and therefore their incentive to learn the language is lessened. “Much of Hebrew nowadays takes its lexicon from English, and the Western Aliyah is an intelligent Aliyah, so what they can’t close from understanding the exact wording of the language they can figure out based on their knowledge and life experience.”
Akiva Werber, former Jewish Agency Shaliach in the United States and Head of the Jerusalem Communal Aliyah Absorption Program also attributes the failure of many new immigrants to learn Hebrew to the fact that “many go to ulpan because they want to meet other new immigrants. The ulpan is used for social purposes rather than learning purposes.”
Yet, learning to speak, read and write Hebrew is crucial for new immigrants. According to the findings in the Knesset report, “immigrants’ language problems may have consequences such as unemployment and isolation, which can preclude their successful integration.”
Making Ulpan a Serious and Effective Learning Experience
What this has led to is the closing of many public Ulpans (there is talk from the Ministry of Absorption to stop funding public Ulpans altogether) and the proliferation of private Ulpans.
Ulpan Aviv, one of the newest private Ulpans, has had outstanding success with teaching the language to new immigrants, tourists and individuals who are part of extended programs in Israel.
Gil Pentzak, co-manager with Osnat Rance, explains the thinking behind the establishment of Ulpan Aviv. “Osnat and I were Hebrew teachers with a specialty in bi-lingualism. We saw how superior, one-on-one attention was with students. Ulpan Aviv is based on this concept, and enhanced with customized programs so that students are learning the skills they need to speak, read and write Hebrew in their designated fields. We also make use of MP3 recordings, and Skype for distance learning. And, most important is the fact that our students are actively involved; they are speaking Hebrew with us all the time.”
For Reuven, whose Hebrew skills were “okay, but not great” he did his own research before deciding on Ulpan Aviv. When he made Aliyah in 2004, he did what many other new immigrants did; he registered for an Ulpan. “That didn’t work,” he relates, “largely because I just couldn’t sit still in that class. I was bored. So after a month, I left.” Then, he tried Hebrew online. “You get five people online at the same time, and not everyone is at the same level.” But, he was determined, so he went to investigate the Hebrew-language courses at Tel Aviv University, which he subsequently nixed, for the same reason. “Too many people in one classroom. I knew I wouldn’t get a chance to practice what I was learning.”
Ulpan Aviv offered him everything he wanted, and it kept him interested and engaged.
Hebrew Therapy
Gil is the first to admit that there is also a bit of therapy involved in enabling people to speak Hebrew.
In fact, that’s the part that he probably enjoys almost as much as the teaching element. “When I can encourage a person to speak more, his self-confidence grows, he feels generally better about himself, then I know he’ll continue to speak Hebrew and improve his skills in every way, whether he’s part of Ulpan Aviv or not.”
Gil has learned to hone his listening skills as well as his teaching skills. One of the advantages of teaching one-on-one is that a “personal relationship is developed between the student and the teacher.” As a result, the student feels more relaxed, and begins to speak more.
Each teacher-student pair develops a curriculum that meets the student’s specific needs. Course materials are all original, and are developed, again, based on the individual needs of the students.
Elayne, who after living in Israel for 26 years enrolled at Ulpan Aviv so that she could improve her Hebrew skills was impressed from the outset with Gil. “I have to improve my vocabulary in my field (she’s planning on opening a new business). He said he was going to build a program specifically for my needs and in my field, and he did. Now, I’m speaking most of the time, which is exactly what I need.”
At Ulpan Aviv, studies are paced according to the individual’s ability with an emphasis on speaking. The student spends hours speaking, writing, reading and practicing Hebrew including the latest slang words, idiomatic expressions, building vocabulary, understanding conjugations and grammar, and pronunciation (so you’re speaking with a more Israeli accent.) Students are exposed to ‘make believe’ situations and learn not only how to cope in Hebrew, but also learn what the ‘sub-text’ of a verbal exchange may be.
Students range in age from elementary school children through seniors. But, regardless of one’s age, at the end of the day, everyone is speaking Hebrew following Ulpan Aviv’s standard 10-day course.
Making Ivrit Relevant
Ask Anton Goodman, Director of the Leadership Institute of World Bnei Akiva, why they chose Ulpan Aviv to teach Hebrew to 100+ of their participants, and he sums it up in one word: relevance.
“For some time, we’ve been looking for an innovative approach to teach our program participants Hebrew. We found that the Hebrew taught in other Ulpanim was outdated. Our participants weren’t connecting with the people on the street. Ulpan Aviv offered the best program.”
Not only did they provide teachers who spoke the languages of the different participants — from Italian to English but they also designed programs specifically for the Leadership Institute’s needs. For example, prior to Institute participants commencing their work with Ethiopian immigrants, Ulpan Aviv created a series of programs in Hebrew incorporating Eidan Reichal songs and the story of the Ethiopian Aliyah.
“That’s what makes the difference,” claims Anton. “Ulpan Aviv is able to integrate Ivrit in the broader educational content.”
The Jewish Agency’s Masa program, Tafnit and IBC have also engaged Ulpan Aviv to work with their participants who are in Israel for extended programs.
Exporting Ulpan Aviv
Jonathan Sacredoti, 29 years old, was one of the participants in the first overseas course, which took place in London. Ulpan Aviv prepared materials for the group and sent over teachers. “I always wanted to learn Hebrew. I know how to read, but don’t understand. I come to Israel often to visit family and friends.” He looked at a number of programs, but felt that the group approach was just not for him. “You are limited in what you can learn in weekly meetings with 20 other people.”
What he liked most about Ulpan Aviv however, was the balance between grammar (crucial to helping you sound ‘intelligent’ when speaking Hebrew) and conversation. “In most other classes they expect you to concentrate on one or the other, but not Ulpan Aviv.”
Louise, also a London resident, decided she wanted to learn Hebrew so she could better converse with Israelis during her frequent visits. “Ulpan Aviv designed the 10-day course purely for what I wanted. I’m speaking Hebrew, enjoying it, and looking forward to taking another course.”
Of the original participants in the 10 day course in London, 50% have signed up for a follow-up course to take place online or in Israel.
On the Drawing Board
The success Ulpan Aviv enjoyed in London has encouraged them to offer a course in Washington, D.C. And, Gil and Osnat have created a new program for smaller gatherings in people’s homes, where a minimum number of participants with common objectives can meet to learn Modern Hebrew together.
“Everyone has room to improve,” Elyane says. “My kids will be the first to report that my Hebrew definitely improved. They were surprised that not only did I understand their ‘slang’, but I was using it myself.”
“To say that my Hebrew has improved,” Reuven reports, “well that is not the word. Now, I can now hold my own in a conversation. In fact, I have people who are calling me today and saying, ‘hey, I hear you are speaking Hebrew.”
Would they recommend Ulpan Aviv? “They have started a great service” according to Elayne. Reuven, who feels that “the whole idea of how Ulpanim are structured needs to be rethought,” is already signing of for a second course at Ulpan Aviv.
The original concept of traditional Ulpanim was that “new immigrants, arriving from all parts of the world with varying languages and cultures could develop a shared sense of identity and statehood.” They may have a shared a sense of identity, but only 40% are actually able to speak Hebrew well. Graduates of Ulpan Aviv, on the other hand, thanks to the Ulpan’s innovative, modern learning program, are speaking Hebrew fluently, entering the work force with enhanced skills and still enjoying a shared sense of identity.
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