Selecting Your Ulpan

In a previous post we mentioned the benefits of learning Hebrew. Actually, an area highlighted was on a personal side, in terms of relationships with future generations and enjoying everything Israel has to offer. In this post, we turn our attention to how to select your Ulpan.

The word Ulpan אולפן literally means studio. It comes from the word aleph or head, representing the place that you go to begin learning or improving your Hebrew.

When learning any new language, there are a number of factors that are important to keep in mind.

1) What is your level or knowledge of Hebrew at present. Do you know the Hebrew Alphabet. Do you know any phrases. Can you read, write, speak. It does not matter where you are beginning, just that you know where you are starting from.

2) What are your needs when learning Hebrew. Someone who spends his or her time learning Torah for example, will probably be able to read and translate Chumash Hebrew but modern and spoken Hebrew could be a big challenge. Someone who is a health professional, if they are going to practice their profession in Israel, will require a good level of Hebrew. Someone who will be studying at school, college, university also requires good Hebrew. Someone who will be working in sales will require a different kind of Hebrew.

3) Keep in mind that the Ulpan you select will have an impact on the kinds of vocabulary you will learn.

4) What kind of learner are you? Do you need a lot of repetition, high pressure of homework? Do you want a teacher who will take the time to mark extra work you do and give you feedback? Are you good with languages or do you need a lot of encouragement

5) For those who have a profession such as medicine, law, computers; once completing your 5 months of ulpan you have the opportunity for an additional אולפן מקצועי Professional Ulpan. Olim who are occupational therapists, physio therapists, nurses, doctors, speech therapists all benefit from a medical ulpan which lasts for 3 months. You will not necessarily be told about this, so ask your aliya counsellor. It is very well worth taking. Although you will not learn nearly enough, you will begin to gain and grasp the medical terminology, anatomy etc in Hebrew.

Many terms are a variation of English and it does take a bit of practice to read an English word written in Hebrew. So if you don't recognize a word, sound it out letter by letter. It could be the word is actually English or another language, written in Hebrew and incorporated into modern Hebrew.

With these few tips in mind, we can begin to select an Ulpan. There are ulpan programs for students, for religious Jews, for those wanting to focus on speaking, for those who want a combination. Do check out that the ulpan you are interested falls under those that the Misrad haKlita will subsidize for you. There are some programs that are private and will expect you to pay. These you can put aside for later if still needed. It is worthwhile to take an ulpan course with an ulpan that Misrad HaKlita will sponsor.

Mercaz Klita has an Ulpan program for the beginning levels. If the ulpan at the mercaz klita (absorption centre) is not suitable for you. You are permitted to change to another one. It just takes finding a more suitable one and bringing a letter from the absorption centre as to what level you are at. Speak to your aliya counselor as to what to do or you can send me a message through this blog. You do not have to get stuck in an ulpan that is not suitable for you.

Aside from the absorption centre, when deciding of other ulpan programs, the first question will be what level you are. If you need a high level, it will not help to attend an ulpan that only offers the first two levels. Likewise, if you do not yet have any Hebrew, start with basics and work your way up, don't try to enter at a level higher or lower than you are as it will only frustrate you and waste your precious time.

I would highly recommend sitting in on one or two classes or a weeks worth of classes at a few ulpanim to decide which one best suits you. This will give you the added advantage of knowing that the style of teaching, the level and the students will all be conducive to your learning as much as you can. Keep in mind the mix of countries that the other Olim are from. If the class if filled with Russian and you are the only English Speaker, you will hear a lot of Russian as the teacher translates for them. This can be confusing as you might not know whether the teacher is translating or it is something in Hebrew you need to learn. If you are good at languages you might pick up some Russian and benefit from this. If you get overwhelmed by hearing a language that is unrelated to Hebrew and your home language, try to find an ulpan where the other Olim are from countries that speak your home language.

In addition to this, there are certain teaching styles tailor made to different countries. Russian Olim need a lot more pressure and strictness. European or English Speaking countries might not enjoy this style.

For those who have selected an ulpan, I do recommend doing the homework and using your Hebrew as much as possible. In another post we will look at some tips to improve your Hebrew.

I hope this information has been useful. If you have more questions, please post to this blog or email Shoshanah directly.

Hebrew - Do I Need To Learn It?

When moving to a new country, it is always advisable to learn the language of the country. Israel is no different. Even though there are Jews here from all over and therefore many languages spoken, there is a national language and it is beneficial to learn Hebrew.

Can you get away without doing so. Yes, but with repercussions, here are two examples:

1) Some years ago I was working with a little girl in South Africa who had come from Israel for medical treatment. Many of her relatives had also come to offer support, amongst them were her two grannies. One of the grannies was a native Israeli, the other was South African and had made Aliya with her husband and children, when her children were teenagers. This granny managed to create a life for herself in Israel even without Hebrew. But, here was a powerful eye opener.

Her son had married an Israeli and Hebrew was the main language spoken in their house. Their children spoke almost only Hebrew and now came a problem. The granny had a language barrier with her own grandchild. She could read stories to her grandchild in English, but her grandchild wanted to hear Hebrew and granny did not manage to read in Hebrew. She could chat to her grandchild in English, thus providing another language for her, but her grandchild answered in Hebrew and granny sometimes needed a translator.

2) When I had been in Israel for about 18 months, I happened to be on a tiyul to certain Kivrei Tzaddikim and the woman sitting next to me had been in Israel for 26 or more years. She too had made Aliya from an English speaking country and had been too busy to do her ulpan. So in all the years she has been here, she just managed without Hebrew.

At a certain stage along the tiyul, the tour guide tapped on the microphone and made some comments about the area we were driving past. He did this in Hebrew and it was a joy to understand what he had said. Looking out the window at what he was describing, my thoughts were interrupted by a tap on my arm. It was my neighbour, the lady who had been here for 26 or more years. "Did you understand him? You look like you understood. Can you please translate for me?"

Being able to converse, read and write in Hebrew is very useful for banking, post office, shopping, talking to Bezek, setting up your internet, Iria, finding good work and more. The truth is, with many of these you can find an option to get around Hebrew. For me, one of the more crucial needs for knowing the language of the country is to feel completely at home. I can think of nothing worse than a language barrier with ones own grandchild, or wanting to understand a tour guide and having to ask someone who has been in Israel for a fraction of the time you have, to please translate.

On a different note, it is a wonderful feeling to take a course related to your profession in Hebrew. Or to walk down the road and have someone ask directions in Hebrew, understand and be able to rely correctly. These kinds of experiences help one to feel as though you belong, while also opening up more opportunities for you.

Misrad HaKlita does cover the cost of Ulpan for 5 months. In addition for those with a medical profession there is a medical Ulpan. I would highly recommend doing these. If you struggle with working out timing of how to fit in your Ulpan with all the things to do in the first few months, do discuss this with your Aliya counselor or you can contact Shoshanah Shear, Occupational Therapist for a consultation to work out how to pace your Aliya, including learning some planning and time management skills.

For those wanting to begin right now, learning a word a day, a sentence a day, join up with Ulpan La Inyan and you can receive an email daily with a word a day. It is fun and very beneficial to get to know new words and build up your vocabulary. They also have classes, you can find out about on their website.