An ulpan is a study center for Hebrew. It's designed to teach the language and the culture to adult new immigrants and to build a shared identity so they can be integrated quickly and successfully into the Israeli society.
The ulpan was created in 1948 when a great number of new immigrants arrived to Israel from all over the world. These immigrants brought different cultures, languages and economic status and needed to be assimilated quickly into the Israeli state.
The modern ulpan uses advanced methods and audio-visual aids. The ulpan serves new immigrants for about five months to prepare them for employment.
The Kibbutz Ulpan is a program in 15 Kibbutzim combining Hebrew language study with living and working in the Kibbutz. The program is tailored for young adults of 17-25 years.
The Ulpan program is of 500 hours and lasts 5 months (10 months for an evening ulpan). It’s typically an immersive program, meaning that it is taught in Hebrew. The program is a great head start, but not enough to achieve fluency. Research has shown that more than 1,300 hours are needed to achieve fluency when learning a new language. This is particularly true for learning Hebrew because of its unique writing system.
To achieve fluency you’ll need to combine several methods including self study and working with a teacher such as in an ulpan. For self study, Hebrew Podcasts is a terrific resource—both as a standalone program and as a complement for ulpan study.
Hebrew Podcasts are brilliant. The problem with most Israeli ulpans is that they refuse to speak any English to you even when explaining difficult concepts. A beginner needs some things explained in English if they are going to understand them. That's what makes your technique so great. There are explanations in English so I can understand the concepts. I am seeing a lot of improvement in my Hebrew skills very quickly. Thank you Hebrew Podcasts.
-- Ariella, Jerusalem, Israel
I started to listen to your podcasts a couple of weeks ago. Thank you for your effort and great lessons! I attended an ulpan 10 years ago, in Netanya, but I forgot lots of the vocabulary. Your lessons have helped me refresh the things I already knew and taught me new things. Thank you!
-- Thomas Almnes, Asker, Norway
Please check out Hebrew Podcasts lesson 10 about the Ulpan.