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Brandeis-Middlebury Immersion Program Takes Off at BGU
December 18, 2012
The first participants in the Brandeis University-Middlebury College Hebrew immersion study abroad program have had a great experience speaking rak ivrit – only Hebrew – at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Like with all Middlebury language programs, the students take a pledge to speak only in the language they are studying – both in and out of class.
Hannah Stork and Heather Stoloff took a pledge to speak only Hebrew for a semester at BGU
“We get all the reactions. Some laugh at us. Some help us. People ask why we speak to each other in Hebrew between ourselves when no one is around,” says Hannah Stork, a junior at Middlebury College.*
“One of our classes uses Israeli films and television as a sociological prism. I really like our courses. We learn a lot of words that are connected to what we are studying but are also practical,” says Heather Stoloff from Brandeis University.
Speaking only Hebrew helped the students delve into Israeli society, and Beer-Sheva is especially welcoming.
“It’s a perfect place to learn the language and the culture without the falseness of tourism. The people aren’t used to dealing with foreigners,” says Hannah.
View of video of Hannah speaking in Hebrew (and English) about her authentic Israel experience at BGU >>
See full story on BGU's Web site >>
