How to Learn Hebrew: An Online Course for Beginners and Advanced Learners

Women in front of ComputerLearning Hebrew can be a Herculean task – if you don’t have any idea on how to go about it. By yourself, you may be able to learn it, in the long run; however, why take the long arduous road when you can do this with a little help from an expert? With their assistance, you can learn more quickly and more effectively. Continue reading and you will learn some vital facts and some important tips on how to learn Hebrew. An online course is certainly of great help.

Rosen School of Hebrew

Screenshot Hebrew Course OnlineIf you want to learn Hebrew, you can gain fluency while learning with one of the most prestigious schools of Hebrew – the Rosen School of Hebrew.

You can set your own pace, as each course is suitable for each learner’s needs. Your Hebrew proficiency level will determine what particular course you can start with. As beginners, you will first meet three of the School’s teachers: experienced instructors such as Cheryl Strimple, Shira Cohen-Regev, and Aliza Katzman. They are among the 50 prestigious instructors of Rosen School.

Cheryl Strimple is an MTS degree holder, who specializes in Biblical Hebrew and disability studies, and is pursuing her doctoral degree in biblical studies at the Southern Methodist University. She is the principal author of various significant essays and articles on disability and on the Hebrew Bible.

Shira Cohen-Regev is a Master’s Degree holder in Child Development and is the Academic Developer of Biblical Hebrew at Rosen. She also teaches Hebrew online and offline; including imparting her expertise to new teachers at the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies. Her professional experience has allowed her to develop professional programs for online courses.

Aliza Katzman has a Master’s Degree in Education and Psychology, and also a BA in Art. She has extensive training as a Hebrew teacher and represented Jewish agencies as an emissary. She effectively integrates Modern Hebrew into her lessons, and has successfully taught Hebrew to foreign and local students.

Students on the website talk in their reviews about how competent and knowledgeable the teachers are. Also, how their teaching methodologies are inspiring and interesting. The students also admire the teachers’ concern for students, whatever the course they were enrolled in. Furthermore, the online resources they are using are updated, rich, fun and engaging.

With these top-notch teachers, it’s no wonder that the Rosen School of Hebrew is duly accredited by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Furthermore, you can learn while having fun because the community completely supports you, and you get to work with competent teachers, no matter what part of the globe you are in.

You can interact with students from all over the world, as well. These are the basic advantages of enrolling in any of the courses offered by Rosen School of Hebrew.

Course Descriptions and Syllabus

There are numerous courses you can choose from, depending on your existing ability in the Hebrew language.

Modern Hebrew Level 1

Course Description

This is a basic course that beginners must enroll in, as it starts with learning the Hebrew vowels, simple sentences, and short dialogues. You will be learning the entire Hebrew alphabet, basic sentence syntax, and 400 new words. You could do this with other international students from all over the world, while interacting with them and perhaps re-connecting with your Jewish background.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus is composed of five units; namely: “It’s So Nice to Meet You!”, “You are a Student”; “I am a Student”, “Where Do you Live?”, and “What’s This, Who’s That?” For each of these units, you progress from learning how to introduce yourself, then move on to carrying a conversation with your fellow students, to being able to answer common basic questions, and then the last unit is focused on expanding your Hebrew terms.

Modern Hebrew Level 2

Course Description

In this level, you will learn how to communicate in various settings, such as at the shopping mall, at the restaurant, or at your doctor’s. There will be 350 new words added to your Hebrew vocabulary. You will learn how to use pronouns, adverbs of time, adjectives, present tense, and infinitives of several verbs. You will be trained to read and write complex sentences about your Israeli experiences.

Course Syllabus

In summary, the lessons consist of 4 units: “Hello! Nice to meet you!”, “Doctor, I am in pain!”, “Would you like to work at the bank?”, and “Buying vegetables at the market”. The first unit is where you get to know your teacher and your classmates. You will get acquainted with the names your body parts and various jobs. The same is true with the two last units. Each of these units is designed to hone your conversational skills in Hebrew and exposes you to reading, writing and using your words to compose your sentences correctly.

Screenshot Hebrew CourseModern Hebrew Level 3

Course Description

In this level, you will learn how to conduct discussions in various situations. Also, you will learn more of the culture and other central issues in Israel. You will be given the chance to express your thoughts on these issues. There will be 250 words added to your vocabulary. You would be adding more syntactic structure to your knowledge, and know the past tenses of verbs.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus is composed of four units too: “Present tense verb”, “Simple verbs – Ayin-vav group”, “Where did you live a year ago?”, and “Birthday presents”. These are exercises that connect you to the Hebrew language and the proper way to express simple verbs and present tense verbs. You would know how to state correctly dates and construct correct words for nouns. This course is held two hours every week for nine months.

Modern Hebrew Level 4

Course Description

In this level, you would be immersed amidst Israeli culture through provided readings of literature and Israeli history. Discussions will be held with the students expressing their thoughts about the topic. This will sharpen your speaking skill, and confidence in speaking Hebrew. A total of 300 new words would be added too, and you’ll learn the future tenses of verbs. You would also compose complex sentences and prepositions and expand your syntax know-how.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus includes the following units: “Let’s Speak Hebrew”, “Lunch Break”, “Buildings”, and “The First Kibbutz”. Immersing yourself in the Israeli culture is part of your learning process. Practicing to speak Hebrew will sharpen your skill, and using your knowledge of the language in each of the units as indicated in the titles will help you learn. This is conducted two hours weekly for nine months.

People Inside a Shopping Mall
Photo by Yanny Mishchuk on Unsplash

Modern Hebrew Level 5

Course Description

This level delves deeper into your understanding of your Hebrew roots. Hence, you will be reading Hebrew literature, listening to beautiful poetry, proverbs, and recordings. As you gain more intensive knowledge, you will be practicing in expressing yourself more proficiently in reading and writing. You will learn an additional 300 words; learn how to compose complex sentences, read the time, and use nouns plus modal verbs properly.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus is composed of The “Aleph Beth”, “I Don’t Know Why?”, “I Would Like You to Talk Hebrew to Me”, and “I Waited and Waited…” You have to learn the Hebrew alphabet, and engage in conversations with other students. It’s expected that you will have gained sufficient knowledge in talking Hebrew to other people, aside from your student group.

Modern Hebrew Level 6

Course Description

Level 6 is for advanced learners, who are able to use all 1,700 words in writing complex sentences, to use verb tenses correctly, and to integrate all the rules of grammar of the Hebrew language. In this level, you are expected to know more than the basic Hebrew terms, and to be actively using the words appropriately.

Course Syllabus

There are also four units in this level: “The Woman who Brought Cinema to Jerusalem”, “We Should Speak Hebrew”, “Painting, Sculpture and Design”, and “Falling in Love and Getting Excited.” You will start becoming involved in more complex exchanges of ideas amidst the Israeli way of life and common day to day occurrences. Your will be able to engage in discussions about the arts, and expressing your emotions using proper terms. This is also scheduled two hours per weekly for nine months.

Modern Hebrew Level 7

Course Description

This level involves an in-depth understanding of Israel; its educational system, updates in digital technology, economy, religion (Judaism) and the interesting stories of well-known Israeli personalities. You’re required to read newspapers about significant events in Israel. Through these readings, you can learn advanced syntactic compositions and learn how to compose using correct Hebrew grammar. Consequently, your fluency in the Hebrew language would further advance as you practice your skills.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus is made of four units; namely: “Nice to Meet You”, “Any Volunteers”, “Israeli Money”, and “Why a Tomato is Called a Tomato in Hebrew”. Just like the other chapters, you will learn more and hold a discussion about the Israeli community, the society, its finances, and other significant issues that matter to you and your people.

Modern Hebrew Level 8

Course Description

Level 8 is the final course in Modern Hebrew; and thus, by then, you should have gained mastery of the Israeli culture, and the Hebrew language. You would be able to read and discuss newspaper articles. Likewise, you will have learned how to read the contents of Hebrew websites online and be able to discuss social and contemporary Israeli topics. You will also learn to write fluently about these contents.

Course Syllabus

This is the final level of Modern Hebrew, and it would include all the knowledge you have learned from the previous courses. This involves reading, discussing and writing about Israeli news around the world: politics, science, religion & state, society and the environment.

Tips on How to Learn Hebrew

· Practice, practice, and practice. The cliché, “Practice makes perfect”, is true. You will have to use the Hebrew language often to be able to retain the words you have learned.

· Be diligent and resourceful. Keep studying and using resources that are available to you. Explore how you can maximize your learning process.

· Engage with other students, teachers, and the Israeli community all around the world.

· Make use of the extensive learning resources in the library, and do not limit yourself to what your teachers provide. Although these are sufficient and updated, going out of your way to learn from the community is best.

· Be genuinely interested in the Israeli culture, so your courses would be more fun, and you can acquire more information through actual exposure. Immerse yourself every chance you get.

· Have fun while learning. Science has proven that when students enjoy learning, they can retain the knowledge acquired longer than those who don’t.

Our Final Say:

Feel free to know more about the facts and tips on how to learn Hebrew. Signing up for these online courses would surely facilitate your goal of acquiring mastery of the Hebrew language in the quickest time possible. Furthermore, you can earn full HUJI credits and a certification from Rosen after you have completed these courses. Hebrew University of Jerusalem fully accredits these courses as they fulfill all the requirements of accreditation.

Learning Hebrew does not refer only to the language, but also participation in the entire Israeli community of around 15,000 students and 50 certified Hebrew teachers. You will enjoy having live discussions with teachers and classmates in real time. It’s a convenient way of learning that you may want to take advantage of.

Furthermore, you can go back to the lessons at your own convenience, as they are all recorded. You may want to practice every day by interacting actively with your Israeli community – online and offline.

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