BethBC’s English teachers’ volunteers: “Come and See”

While schools are out for the summer, and students are on vacation, our campus is full of life for the third summer in a row. This is due to the ESL program on our campus! We would like to welcome them, as this program has been made possible by a group of volunteer ESL teachers from the USA. Students are coming from around the Bethlehem region to learn English and establish new friendships.

We’ll leave you with amazing testimonies from our English teachers this year:

 “As a first-time visitor to Palestine, I was very impressed with the hospitality of the locals. The Bethlehem Bible College staff and faculty were especially helpful and kind to us.  Also, the local people we met, while shopping and touring, were so welcoming. We even got invited into a couple homes in just one month’s time. We listened to a wonderful lecture from Dr. Isaac on the situation of Palestine. I truly gained a new perspective on the people of this area of the world and the issues affecting them. I will return home with a much fuller understanding of Palestine than I had when I arrived.

As for our teaching, I thoroughly enjoyed my students in the class on TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). These students are preparing to study abroad for master’s or PhD programs and they are extremely motivated. Over the course of 4 weeks, their English skills grew and developed, as they practiced for 2 ½ intense hours every day. We also had some in-depth conversations and made some friendships, continuing on the foundation set by former foreign Christian teachers from around the world. I am grateful that Bethlehem Bible College is doing such great work – reaching out to their local neighbors, regardless of belief, and preparing their own students for a life of service for the Kingdom.”

-English Teacher from West Virginia with experience teaching English in China

“My experience at the Bethlehem Bible College has been nothing short of astonishing. The big smiles and welcoming demeanor we saw the minute we arrived, set the tone for a positively impactful Summer English Program. The staff was extremely kind. Mrs. Claude’s constant coordination, making sure we had everything we needed, was greatly appreciated. Mrs. Rita and Mr. Alaa’ also went above and beyond to make sure we were always well-fed and comfortable in the Guest House. Many thanks – or in Arabic, shukraan liljamie.

I had the opportunity to teach Level 2 English for the Summer Program and witnessed instrumental progress with each student. The students respected us and were so ambitious to learn English. The various projects we facilitated for the students to apply their English-speaking abilities into real world situations, were full of their pure determination. I feel truly blessed to be given the opportunity to teach such bright, kind, and strongminded students at this amazing Bible College.

As a foreigner and this being my first visit to Palestine, I was honored to teach at BBC – a truly outstanding institution. I am a proud to not only know that the BBC exists, but to have seen firsthand their high standards and their positive impact on this community. I am excited to share this great news with my family and friends across the globe and I hope to have the opportunity to return to the beautiful Holy Land and to the Bethlehem Bible College soon.”

-English instructor from Colorado

“My time teaching English at Bethlehem Bible College was a great experience.  I really enjoyed meeting the students and building relationships with them.  One of the highlights for me was our unit on Culture.  We taught them about American culture and they taught us some Arabic words and all about their culture.  The students also taught us popular Palestinian games and we taught them popular American games. We all laughed a lot and had a lot of fun together.

Our level 2 English students were hardworking, dedicated, and motivated to learn, which made them a joy to teach.  Even though we had students varying in age from 13 years old to 19, they all got along well and by the end of the course, they all were best friends with one another.  I will never forgett my time teaching English for the summer at Bethlehem Bible College.  I feel like I came away with more than I could ever have given.”

-English teacher from Pennsylvania, currently a long-term English teacher in Vietnam