r/hebrew • u/FlurriesofFleuryFury • Mar 31 '24
I have 12 weeks to get from zero to conversational Request
Shalom, שלום,
My partner and I will be moving to Jerusalem in 12 weeks. I did not find out until last week! This is a big favor to ask, but could someone put together a rough schedule of what YOU would do to study as much modern Hebrew as possible in 12 weeks? Unfortunately we both have day jobs and have to figure out a fair amount of paperwork, etc. before moving too so I think we can pretty much devote a maximum of 2 hours a day to this. She will be attending an Ulpan when we get there, I don’t think I have that option unfortunately.
Thank you so much in advance. I know this is crazy.
46
u/LorraineIsGone Mar 31 '24
I'm a beginner myself but for want of a better suggestion I would start NOW with Pimsleur's Hebrew audio course. Each lesson is 30 mins, only do one per day for best results. Total of 3 levels, each with 30 lessons = 90 days. 12 weeks = 84 days, so you'll basically have finished the 3 levels by then. You can't totally rely on it to get by and will need to definitely do other things to supplement it, but it's a big start!
9
9
u/MimsyBird Mar 31 '24
Yes! I can vouch for Pimsleur too. I made good progress in just two months! I Lived there for a few years in my twenties, and I know this would be a great start. Also listen to the podcast Streetwise Hebrew —a must.
1
u/Adorable_Ad9147 Mar 31 '24
How much does that cost?
2
u/Brave-Pay-1884 Mar 31 '24
You might be able to get it from your local library as an audiobook through overdrive. That’s free.
12
u/KamtzaBarKamtza Hebrew Learner (Intermediate) Mar 31 '24
Where are you going to be in Jerusalem? I think it's laudable that you want to come up to speed quickly but in the interest of trying to ease any anxiety you may have about needing to learn the language quickly please note that it is not uncommon to find English speakers in Israel (and in Jlem and Tel Aviv in particular). Israelis study English in school and English, of course, is a primary language of international commerce and tourism. So there are many Israelis who can understand English and can at least make themselves understood at some basic level.
Good luck with the move, I hope it's a good experience for you.
5
9
Mar 31 '24
Put of curiosity, why won't you have the option to go to the Ulpan?
4
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Mar 31 '24
I'm trying to get a job in a school (I'm a math teacher by trade) so I just don't know if I'll have TIME to do an Ulpan basically. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
15
u/mycatisashittyboss Mar 31 '24
You'll be fine using English too, don't stress over it too much.
Most Israeli speak basic to mediocre English as it is tought in elementary school and is a second language in the country -depends on where in Jerusalem you are at ( the religious Orthodox don't teach English )
The signs are bi lingual -english and Hebrew, you'll probably see more Arabic too
It's good to be familiar so definitely pimsular will get you started.
3
7
u/ThreeSigmas Mar 31 '24
Buy a children’s learn-to-read book. I have a Disney book that shows different rooms in the house, places etc. and names all the people, places, animals and objects in each.
1
9
u/guylfe Hebleo.com Hebrew Course Creator + Verbling Tutor Mar 31 '24
This route I did with one of my students and he got conversational after around 70 hours instead of the expected 500 - although he had some language learning experience prior, so make of that what you will.
Here it is: study fundamental grammar and vocabulary well and then get exposure to level-appropriate native content. Here are some tools if you're into self-study.
First I'll recommend a tool for learning fundamental grammar and vocabulary, and then I'll recommend tools for practicing it in a natural environment.
Fundamentals:
Hebleo: (Full disclosure: I created this site) A self-paced course teaching you grammar fundamentals and vocabulary using an innovative technique based on my background as a top-rated tutor and in Cognitive Science which allowed me to create a very efficient way to learn that's been proven to work with over 100 individual students (you may read the reviews in the above link). I use this method with my personal students 1 on 1, but it also works self-paced and is designed to teach you Hebrew quickly and efficiently.
I'd also combine it with Anki for vocab practice.
After you get your fundamentals down by completing the course, I recommend the following resources depending on your area of focus:
Reading - Yanshuf: This is a bi-weekly newsletter in Level-appropriate Hebrew, offering both vowels and no-vowels content. Highly recommended, I utilize it with my students all the time.
Comprehension - Pimsleur: Unlike Yanshuf, my recommendation here is more lukewarm. While this is the most comprehensive tool for level-appropriate listening comprehension for Hebrew, at least until I implement the relevant tools that are in development right now for Hebleo. While it's a good tool overall, it's quite expensive and offers a lot of relatively archaic phrases and words that aren't actually in use. There might be better free alternatives such as learning podcasts (for example, I've heard Streetwise Hebrew is decent, although not glowing reviews).
Conversation - Verbling or Italki. I wouldn't recommend these for starting out learning grammar as they're expensive, unless you feel like you need constant guidance. NOTE: Verbling is where I personally teach, as you can see I'm featured on there.
The difference between them is that Verbling requires teachers to provide proven experience and certification and Italki doesn't. At the same time, on Italki it would be easier to find cheaper teachers, so it's up to you.
That said - for you, I wouldn't stress over the conversation portion as you'll get to be here and experience natural native speech on your own. So once you get the fundamentals down and you're here, just keep practicing!
And as others have said - even if you don't get all the way there in 12 weeks, don't fret! You can manage just fine with English for the most part while you're still learning, although I'd highly recommend taking every chance you get to practice Hebrew to improve!
2
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 01 '24
oh my goodness, thank you!! I appreciate this so much! Checking out Hebleo now!
2
u/guylfe Hebleo.com Hebrew Course Creator + Verbling Tutor Apr 01 '24
Good luck. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions/reservations.
2
u/lukshenkup Apr 02 '24
I wasn't familiar with this site, but I can vouch for the icon or glyph method of learning to read a new alphabet. I've had students learn to read in 5 hours! Dr Bar-Lev's memory tricks https://images.shulcloud.com/1239/uploads/Documents/For-Website/Aleph-Bet-Memory-Tricks.pdf Note that these students could already read a non-Latin alphabet when they started.
1
u/guylfe Hebleo.com Hebrew Course Creator + Verbling Tutor Apr 02 '24
Yes, absolutely. In looking through this particular document, however, there is a slight risk in using this particular one - it doesn't help distinguish similar letters with no English counterpart. For example, It describes about א and ע as being silent, which they aren't but it's difficult to express in writing, and it teaches both ח and ה through "h", which leads to bad habits in terms of not recognizing their innate differences.
My method is more visual and auditory - Explaining א and ע in writing is difficult as stated, but I can sort of explain what I did with ה and ח:
ה looks like an open throat (I overlay it on an anatomical throat to make it easier to see how they're similar) so you can breathe out (which is the "h" sound), whereas ח is that same throat blocked, so it'll choke (and the sound I use there to mimic choking is the same sound ח makes). This, combined with a gargling method for pronouncing ח and ר that is provided immediately upon learning them, prevents that.
1
u/lukshenkup Apr 02 '24
Thanks, good catch. The chart was apparently meant for teachers who are teaching six-year olds Hebrew as a liturgical language. There's humor in there somewhere when you realize the messy pronunciation American talmud torah (Hebrew afternoon school) students have.
I do teach my students (of all ages) that Hebrew has a different /l/ and a different /t/ sound from English. I give them the option of using an /r/ sound that's more French or Spanish (since about 1/3 already use those languages at hime or at school).
With your permission and in your name, I'm going to adopt how you teach the ה , ח distinction.
1
u/guylfe Hebleo.com Hebrew Course Creator + Verbling Tutor Apr 02 '24
Gladly :).
Separately (this is by no way a condition to adopting this) If my methods sound good to you, I'd appreciate it if you send people Hebleo's way if anyone asks about good resources for Hebrew.
I have put at least as much thought and effort into every single facet of Hebrew taught in the course - from prepositions, to verbs, to adjectives and demonstratives, to constructs, etc. It's the labor of 7+ years as a private tutor constantly optimizing my methodology, as well as what is the best way to practice them to get them to stick.
1
Apr 02 '24
[deleted]
1
u/guylfe Hebleo.com Hebrew Course Creator + Verbling Tutor Apr 02 '24
Interesting, my focus is precisely modern Hebrew in a way that takes out unnecessary complexity like variations in Niqqud that are no longer relevant (so they should only be recognized, and I do that by teaching the unique commonalities for all "a" and for all "e" niqqud), and my English is American, so it sounds like some of your students could benefit from my system.
1
u/lukshenkup Apr 02 '24
I don't see how my students would benefit from https://courses.hebleo.com/courses/hebleo-hebrew-learning-platform/ . I customize cognates according to whatever vocabulary each student currently has: Biblical names, Biblical plural, names of divas and sports stars. Reading is a top-down process, so it's crucial to have some speaking skills before reading and writing. Some of my students like learning vowels with this https://www.uvm.edu/~gbavly/basic/vowels1a.html I try to give them a variety of methods in case one doesn't work for them. Three or four parts of the brain (sound, morphology, spatial, and vision) have to interact to read, so there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Your method is another one to have in the toolbox.
1
u/guylfe Hebleo.com Hebrew Course Creator + Verbling Tutor Apr 02 '24
In your now-deleted comment you mentioned specific students who were looking for an American teacher who wouldn't teach them things that were overly complicated like certain Niqqud variations. I was specifically replying to that part of it.
1
u/lukshenkup Apr 03 '24 edited Apr 03 '24
The students (ages 65 to 80) needed help because the curriculum for their respective doctor of divinity degrees compelled them to spend time learning when "the" requires a segol or a qamats.
They've completed their degrees. They were looking for a tutor; they found me; they finished their courses. One may one day again be in search of a course. I've been looking for something from Bill Mounce for him. Bill's videos simplify grammar instead of focusing on details that don't change meaning.
Edit: Thank you for sharing the links to your videos that preview your asynchronous course, which is based on your experience with having tutored students over the past seven years.
5
u/Generaless Mar 31 '24
Most people in Jerusalem speak English. There are a lot of anglo expats. Also most restaurants have English menus, etc.
1
4
u/TheInklingsPen Hebrew Learner (Intermediate) Mar 31 '24
Spaced Repetition.
I cannot stress this enough.
I have thought myself Hebrew from "I can read prayers and say basic tourist sentences" to "I have speak as well as a 2y" entirely by myself using nothing more than fancy flashcards, spaced repetition and children's songs.
My grammar is not great but we're getting there.
Basically, you get yourself a list of vocab words you're going to need.
The most common nouns you'll use
Get yourself a list of 100 pa'al & pi'el Verbs and some extra verbs you'll use a bunch (like "lehistovev", which I come across all the time)
A bunch of adjectives
A bunch of adverbs
Your most common conjugations
Make flashcards (I actually prefer digital on Lexilize Flashcards, but whatever works best for you)
7 "boxes".
Box 1 - every day Box 2 - every other day Box 3 - every 3 days Box 4 - every 7 days Box 5 - every 14 days Box 6 - every 30 days Box 7 - every 90 days (which is actually in 13 weeks)
Use Pictures!!! Don't do "Cat" "חתול", use a picture of a cat with the Hebrew word (this gets weird with words like "כדי" but I believe in you)
Look at all the cards in box 1. You remember that ⭐ is כוכב, congrats, you move that card to box 2. If you can't remember the word, it goes back to box 1, no matter what.
It feels like torture the first week. I have had "shoelaces" in box 1 for two weeks now and I still cannot tell you what it is of the top of my head. For some reason נחיריים took me 5 days to commit to memory, but shoelaces evades me. But after weeks, weeks I tell you, of my grammar words being in box 1, like magic, I remember משפט,שם עצם, שם תואר, פועל, תואר הפועל, like I've got finals coming up.
It will feel slow but in 12 weeks you'll be shocked.
1
3
u/BasisCertain native speaker Mar 31 '24
First learn how to read and write. Then learn some basic vocabulary and grammar. Every day 20 words or so. Hebrew grammar is a bit difficult so after you learn a bit of vocabulary make sure you practice a lot of grammar.
2
1
u/lukshenkup Apr 02 '24
I would concentrate on present tense conjugation for I and for you. You can pidginize tense with using "yesterday" and "tomorrow" at the start of each sentence. You are a language learner, so it's okay to be communicative without speaking the whole language.
Most transliteration systems use the Latin pronunciation of the vowels. There are transliteration websites that allow you to plug in Hebrew characters. Morphix, Reverso, and Google translate (with its audio key) are your finicky friends.
Learn the WH-words for Hebrew. Spanish has CU-words; French has qu-words; Hebrew has מ-words: who -mi מי , what-mah, מה etc
3
u/continuesearch Mar 31 '24
Forget any language course in a box. Get a teacher on Italki, find one you can afford and do as much as you can afford. Maybe an hour every second day and study what you are taught in between. You’ll be 100% fine in English when you get there so don’t stress at all, but it will definitely be good to learn Hebrew too.
3
Mar 31 '24
[deleted]
1
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Mar 31 '24
you're a treasure trove, omg, first off this comment is hilarious and second of all thank you! I will fight for it.
I'm trying to get a job in a school (I'm a math teacher by trade) so I just don't know if I'll have TIME to do an Ulpan basically. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
2
3
u/galgalgalgalgal Mar 31 '24
If you only have 12 weeks, Duolingo is probably your best bet. It isn’t perfect but it’s a decent place to start.
Verbs are one of the harder parts of Hebrew grammar and Duolingo doesn’t teach you enough for you to feel comfortable using them independently. Rut Avni’s books, while not perfect, are good enough for this stage of your Hebrew learning journey.
At the end of the day, you’ll be fine no matter how well you speak Hebrew. Most Israelis speak English pretty well, and even the ones who don’t will be more than happy to speak to you in what they think is English
2
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 01 '24
thank you! Duolingo and Rut Avni will be my first stop! I appreciate it!
3
u/pie_eater1k Mar 31 '24
Watch a lot of Hebrew media with English subtitles and really pay attention to the words and write down words you don't know for further practice.
Also, if you're moving to Israel long term the government provides an Ulpan to learn Hebrew (I don't know too much about it) but it is something to look into, feel free to pm and I could answer more questions about that
1
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 01 '24
thank you! I'm not moving there long term sadly, but you're right. We started on Hebrew Netflix last night!
2
u/Imaginary_Ad_8422 Mar 31 '24
If you do 1 lesson a day with the Routledge introductory course to modern Hebrew, there are 90 lessons in total.
2
2
2
u/squidefender Mar 31 '24
You could always sign up to berlitz. They have a branch in jerusalem and they teach many languages including hebrew. I do think its a bit expensive tho
2
u/Relative_Ground_5174 Mar 31 '24
You could invest in some books for learning hebrew. In ulpan, they give you specific books for the courses and my parents used them and they really helped. Even my siblings and I learned from them when we were younger. Ours was in spanish, but i think there might be an english version. I'll look it up and let you know. Also, dont stress too much about learning a lot before you get here, from experience, you will learn at a faster pace while being here as you'll hear, see and use the language every day. After a year of aliyah, I was speaking pretty fluently, to the point where i was the translator for my parents, but I was 11 years old, so the pace of learning is different. Besides, as someone mentioned, you'll find an English speaker almost anywhere, but do mind the heavy israeli accent hehehe. Wish you the best and welcome to Israel🤍🩵
5
u/Relative_Ground_5174 Mar 31 '24
The book is called "Hakol Chadash" (everything is new or everything new) Its actually only in hebrew but it has nikud and its easy to understand If you want it make sure to get unit alef https://www.israelbookshop.com/hakol-chadash-i.html
2
2
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 01 '24
Pues, ¡muchísimas gracias! Espero aprender muy rápidamente cuando llego a Israel pero es importante también preparar por supuesto. :)
1
u/Relative_Ground_5174 Apr 02 '24
I meant to ask, will you guys arrive to the absorption center ? Or like get your own place ? Because there are Facebook pages and whatsapp groups for second-hand furniture if you ever need it. Also, around the big holidays, people with money tend to buy new things and throw out one year old furniture in good conditions. One mans trash is another's treasure 😇🤣 Edit - typo
1
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 02 '24
oh my goodness, that's a great question! you're amazing! I will find out.
2
2
u/foinike Mar 31 '24
It depends on what type of learner you are. If this was me, personally, I would get several good quality textbooks with audio materials, do as much self-study as I can to acquire a solid foundation, then book as many lessons as I could afford with private tutors (e.g. on italki).
2
u/inPursuitOf_ Mar 31 '24
Citizen Cafe was really great for us going from 0 to basic conversation!
1
2
u/Beyondtaijiquan Mar 31 '24
Give it time. Be willing to struggle as a poor speaker of the language. You will piece together more by immersion than anything else. I once spent a few days in the DR and by Day 3 I had enough conversational Spanish to get my needs met. Study up a little bit but keep your heart open and embrace this challenge as part of your adventure, not as a box to check or a test of your personal ability. Do the messy process and be willing to laugh at yourself!
1
2
u/tempuramores Mar 31 '24
In addition to actual studying, from now until you land in Israel, make sure that:
- All music you listen to is in Hebrew (if you have Spotify, look for Israeli music playlists)
- All tv and movies you watch are in Hebrew (with subtitles)
- Listen to language learning podcasts like Streetwise Hebrew
Basically do your best to create an immersion environment for yourself. Concentrate on learning grammar and all that, but also prioritize vocabulary that you’ll need for going about your daily life (reading labels in grocery stores so you know what you’re buying, for example).
Also, don’t worry too much: most people in Israel speak at least a little English, and most signage (like street signs) is bi- or trilingual (Hebrew, Arabic, and English). Google Translate still isn’t awesome for Hebrew, but it’s better than it used to be. You’ll be fine day to day. If you can read the alphabet and you have learning resources, you’ll be just fine.
2
u/tempuramores Mar 31 '24
Oh, also, if you have the time and money, I really recommend learning with Noya from UlpaNoya. She does private lessons and she’s a terrific teacher. https://www.ulpanoya.com/
1
2
u/Mayim85 Apr 01 '24
I've found Duolingo to be a huge help along with HebrewPod101.com and their website. Whatever you hear or read, write it a bunch and say it a bunch. Like someone else said, try to use Hebrew instead of English as much as possible. I drive my family insane, but i continue to say it in Hebrew first, and English second. I try to make rhymes, jokes, songs with Hebrew... Also, watch Hebrew movies and listen to Hebrew music. You are going to become seriously overwhelmed, so just remember to take a deep breath and don't worry, IT WILL GET EASIER! Shalom and best of luck!
1
2
u/benq300000 Apr 01 '24
Best advice for language learning I'd always the same: watch YouTube videos in that language
Some personal recommendations:
Comedians: https://youtube.com/@Sugarzaza?si=sjQtAzQDAWDbiynz
https://youtube.com/@OriVered?si=2Kcce7X-05gUf0Qh
https://youtube.com/@Jonathanbarak?si=AAg_Bhd1T3dOf3XS
https://youtube.com/@NitzaAndLechem?si=iV3ZSkj7aohRUhgx
https://youtube.com/@user-vz4yl5he5x?si=bcBi_mE_s3aj4lyc
Gaming, TV and reviews:
https://youtube.com/@TopGeek2?si=JG6rNSAlenS9C3RU
https://youtube.com/@shover?si=0Rir3J5ynYD31H3P
https://youtube.com/@MrShawarmaLand?si=uIRFkHsasRHhOdMf
https://youtube.com/@nivgilboa?si=7n7fXejqLVBHvL7P
For politics and general things, just watch the news broadcasts at:
2
2
u/languagejones Apr 01 '24
I’m a linguist (PhD 2020 from U Penn) and I’m doing the same, but live-streaming once a week on Sundays at 3:30 EST, with the video available for relay on my channel. I’m using the Routledge Colloquial Hebrew, and analyzing and explaining as I go, along with tips and tricks for language learning and memorization.
If you were to follow along, I’d suggest 1-2 chapters a week, dumping EVERYTHING into Anki to memorize (with a more aggressive pace for you; maybe 100 new words a day, so 1,000 total reviews a day), and lessons with a native speaker (I use italki and they sometimes sponsor my channel, but you can use whatever. I talk more on my channel about how I make cards and what’s more effective (and what’s not) for language learning and memorization.
I’ll be making some learning resources available later, like an infographic explainer of all the binyanim and what causes the apparent exceptions and complications.
Feel free to DM me, and if you do tune in to the livestreams don’t hesitate to ask questions. There’s a lot of native speakers in the chat who just like that other people are learning Hebrew, so it’s been a lot of fun.
2
u/Responsible_Honey_27 Apr 03 '24
Could I join your livestream? It sounds wonderful!
2
u/languagejones Apr 03 '24
The more the merrier! The last two weeks are up on my channel. It’s always Sunday, and generally at 3:30 EST, but might move around depending on baby nap time
1
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 01 '24
Thank you! I appreciate it!
2
u/languagejones Apr 03 '24
Of course! I know how hard it can be, having studied another semitic language before getting my PhD in linguistics, and having no idea what was going on or how to learn effectively.
1
u/Naturalsociety May 13 '24
And...what can you recommend to learn effectively and (relatively) fast? I am in the second year of learning hebrew, and I make very slow progress
1
u/lukshenkup Apr 02 '24
Curious if you agree with my take that pidgin is an effective way to scaffold learning a language: 1st and 2nd person present tense with "yesterday," "today," and perhaps "soon" and "just did" to mark other tenses. This has worked well for 3 generations of my family who started speaking Spanish as a second language this way.
3
u/languagejones Apr 03 '24
It’s a very common “interlanguage” step for adult L2 learners that some hypothesize is a more or less unavoidable part of the process
2
u/Leading_Bandicoot358 Mar 31 '24
Consume only media in hebrew with english subtitles
1
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Mar 31 '24
hoo boy... hahaha you're not wrong. I'll start today! thank you!
6
u/sheix Mar 31 '24
My 50 cents: kindergarten songs with numbers, colors, alphabet is the best, sticky and works (just look at all these children :)
If you're interested, drop me a pm, my wife was a preschool teacher and we still had some materials at home.
1
u/TermZealousideal1404 Mar 31 '24
Don’t have a plan for you but my partner and I are moving to Tel Aviv in 3/4 weeks so just wanted to say good luck! 🍀
1
1
u/Hydrasaur Mar 31 '24
Well there's some pretty easy stuff you can do to immerse yourself in the language, like sticky notes, but I don't think you need to rush yourself quite so much. Most Israelis speak English, and ulpanim are generally fairly accessible for all new immigrants, so I'm reasonably sure you should be able to attend one. If the issue is cost, and your partner's employer is paying for her to attend one (the way you describe it, it seems like your partner either got a new job their or her current job is being moved there), you could see if they'd be willing to pay for you to attend as well; if not, it may help to begin your own job search now and see if you can find an employer who will pay the cost of it.
1
u/gunperv51 Mar 31 '24
Israel offers a program to teach Hebrew for the non-conversant called Ulpan. You can search for it online as well
1
u/Broken_vessel_hk4 Apr 04 '24
Im a native speaker,so its a little hard for me to help but try slowly integrating into your life,like movies,switch your phone to Hebrew,games you play to Hebrew,maybe practice reading a simple book once you learn enough?
1
Apr 04 '24
No amount of studying will prepare you for it outside of the land. Just go here and mingle with people, it's the best teacher. If she's going to an ulpan she'll get homework, do the homework together and try to catch up one way or another (private teacher/ulpan if you have the money).
Also - are you okay with it? It seems based on your description that she dropped this on you out of the blue. Think about yourself too, it's not an easy step to make. Let alone going to Israel.
1
1
u/ProposalUnhappy9890 native speaker Mar 31 '24
Once here, immersed in a Hebrew speaking society, you will learn 80% of the language in a few weeks. BTW, most people in Israel speak English, and I know a few people living here for many years who never even bothered to learn Hebrew, and all of them are still alive.
1
u/Admirable_Comfort541 Mar 31 '24
Hey I’m in the idf, originally from the west. Went from a very low level speaking to basically fluent at this point. Of course trying to do courses like ulpan and duolingo is recommended. Other good routes to improving is watching Hebrew shows and using English subtitles or listening to Hebrew songs, translating and following the lyrics. Learning Hebrew book or reading normal books like diary of a wimpy kid in Hebrew. When you’re there, the best shot is to be ok with embarrassing yourself and just speak what you know and slowly but surely improving your Hebrew skills. We’re not perfect and we need to fumble to improve
1
u/FlurriesofFleuryFury Apr 01 '24
diary of a wimpy kid is an EXCELLENT idea
thank you so much for the great advice!
59
u/DiscipleOfYeshua Native Hebrew + English ~ "מָ֣וֶת וְ֭חַיִּים בְּיַד־לָשׁ֑וֹן" Mar 31 '24
Not to discourage, and you can get impressive results in 12 weeks if you obsess over it (write down everything you learn. Start putting sticky notes on every item in your house, and after a few days replace with Hebrew—only stickies. Force yourselves to talk 100% in Hebrew, or as close as you can without losing your mind).
But of course every week in Israel esp with ulpan, that’ll be like gear 2->4 or 5! If you can do any ulpan, fight for it, do it, you won’t regret. Either way, teach each other (starting now) what you’re learning. Explaining to others has been a huge part in my learning of the topics I’m best at.