Introductory Course in Modern Hebrew:
I. Hebrew Course – Description by Level
🟢 Beginner Level (Alef – א)
Objective: To acquire the basics of modern Hebrew, both spoken and written.
Main contents:
Learning the Hebrew alphabet (letters and vowels)
Reading and writing simple words
Basic vocabulary: presentation, family, food, numbers, days of the week
Construction of simple sentences (verb to be, conjugation in the present tense, question/answer)
First oral interactions (greetings, everyday dialogues)
Introduction to Israeli culture (common expressions, songs, customs)
Methods:
Communicative method with role plays, dialogues, videos, songs
Beginner-friendly visual and audio materials
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🟡 Intermediate Level (Bet – ב)
Objective: To consolidate the basics and develop autonomy in communicating in Hebrew.
Main contents:
Vocabulary enrichment (leisure, work, travel, feelings)
Conjugations in past tenses (past, future) and introduction to irregular verbs
Improving listening comprehension through videos, podcasts and dialogues
Reading simple texts (articles, short stories)
Writing short texts (emails, messages, descriptions)
Discussions on various topics: daily life, current events, traditions
Methods:
Oral and written expression activities
Interactive exercises and role-playing games
Work in small groups
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🔵 Advanced Level (Guimel – ג)
Objective: To master everyday Hebrew, both written and spoken, and to develop ease in various contexts.
Main contents:
Understanding complex texts (literature, press, essays)
Fluent oral expression on abstract and concrete subjects
Argumentation, debate, analysis of opinions
Mastery of advanced grammatical structures
Writing elaborate texts: letters, reviews, stories, opinions
Exploration of modern Hebrew culture, contemporary Israeli literature, and media
Methods:
Conversation workshops, oral presentations
Analysis of authentic documents (films, songs, literary extracts)
Personalized monitoring and correction of written productions
II. Hebrew Alphabet
The Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters, all consonants:
א (Aleph)
ב (bet)
ג (Gimel)
ד (Dalet)
ה (He)
ו (Vav)
ז (Zayin)
ח (Chet)
ט (Tet)
י (Yod)
כ (Kaf)
ל (Lamed)
מ (Mem)
נ (Nun)
ס (Samekh)
ע (Ayin)
פ (Pe)
צ (Tsade)
ק (Qof)
ר (Resh)
ש (Shin)
ת (Tav)
Some letters have a different shape when they appear at the end of a word. For example :
כ becomes ך
מ becomes ם
נ becomes ן
פ becomes ף
צ becomes ץ
Pronunciation
Hebrew uses dots and dashes called "nikkoud" to indicate vowels, but they are not generally used in modern texts. Here are some examples of pronunciation of letters with vowels:
אבא (aba): dad
אמא (ima): mother
שלום (shalom): hello/peace
ספר (sefer): book
Basic Phrases
Hello: שלום (shalom)
Goodbye: להתראות (lehitraot)
Please: בבקשה (bevakasha)
Thank you: תודה (toda)
Yes: כן (ken)
No: לא (lo)
Basic Grammar
Items
The definite article is "ה" (ha). Ex: הבית (habayit) = the house.
Personal pronouns
I: אני (ani)
You (masculine): אתה (ata)
You (feminine): את (at)
He: הוא (hu)
She: היא (hi)
We: אנחנו (anachnu)
You (masculine): אתם (atem)
You (feminine): אתן (aten)
They: הם (hem)
They: הן (hen)
Basic Verbs
To be: להיות (lihyot)
Have: יש ל (yesh le)
Go: ללכת (lalekhet)
Do: לעשות (laasot)
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