Ulpan (translated as teaching, instruction and studio; in fact it means all three of these) is a philosophy of language immersion and culture inclusion. This educational system was developed, and it is still used today, to teach Hebrew and culture to immigrants in Israel.
With the emergence of the state in 1948 came a massive influx of immigrants hailing from more than 70 different countries. Israels Jewish population subsequently doubled between 1949 and 1951. The lack of a common language began to cause many problems among the new immigrants. Traditional Hebrew language classes were offered to meet these problems; however the classes were too overcrowded and unorganized to meet the large demand.
The breakthrough came with the founding of the first Ulpan in 1949 as a result of intensive deliberations by senior officials of the Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Education. The Ulpans aim was to impart knowledge of the Hebrew language, disseminate Jewish cultural values and educate towards good citizenship.
Today
Ulpan classes were originally intended only for people with higher education. The realities of immigration, however, compelled the program to adjust and open its doors to all newcomers regardless of their level of education. The Ulpanim (plural for Ulpan) are a joint venture of the Jewish Agencys Absorption Department (responsible for premises, facilities and administration) and the Ministry of Education and Culture (which fixes the curriculum, appoints teaching staff and supervises tuition).
The goal of the Ulpan is to provide students with a working knowledge of conversational Hebrew and build a foundation for further language study. In addition to providing essential language skills, Ulpanim offer students an introduction to Israeli society, employment workshops and cultural activities. Ulpan teachers are trained in teaching Hebrew as a second language to adults.
Classes
There are Ulpan programs offered all over the state of Israel with most being public (run by the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption with the help of local communities) and others being privately operated. Prior to or upon his/her arrival to Israel, the immigrant usually turns to the Jewish Agency, which provides him with a space in an Ulpan class depending on his ultimate geographic location, background, existing knowledge of the Hebrew language, etc. Within the first six months after arrival, any immigrant can undergo the study free of charge. The classes are offered at 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. They are generally made up of approximately 20-25 students and meet for an average of four to five hours a day, or a total of 25 hours a week, for a period of 5 months.
Curriculum
The starting point of the Ulpan philosophy is the needs of the students. These are defined as their ability to function in daily life and hold employment. The objective is the students linguistic absorption; in other words, the program strives to provide them with the tools to feel the same sense of involvement and belonging as all other citizens of Israel. Teachers are allowed flexibility when it comes to taking into account their students specific needs.
Primary Ulpan, designed for new immigrants and those with minimal knowledge of the language, provides the students with basic familiarity of the Hebrew language. Given the complex nature of the language, the goal of the study, and diversity in students educational background the curriculum of Primary Ulpan is mostly aural.
Study units are not based on a word or a sentence, but on conversation. Linguistic hierarchy is arranged in a progression from more to less useful rather than from easy to difficult. Primary Ulpan prepares students for more advanced levels of instruction that are available, and the goal of the Ulpan system as a whole is to provide the foundation on which immigrant learners can build further by studying and/or working independently.
What sets Ulpan apart from other existing language classes is its incorporation of cultural and civic studies. Their program includes lectures on Israel and Judaism, one-day seminars on current events, and guided tours to historic and scenic sites.
For more information on Ulpan, please see following bibliography.
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