Learn Dutch at work with your colleagues Learn Dutch at work with your colleagues

THE PROBLEM

English works. Why do more?English works.
Why do more?

You can often do your job perfectly well in English.

That’s not the problem.

It’s everything around it: being unable to follow the corridor conversation, a letter from the gemeente, a supplier who answers the phone in Dutch, or lunch where everyone automatically switches to English as soon as you or another expat joins the table.

For someone who has just moved here, it’s incredibly convenient that almost everyone in Amsterdam speaks English (to some extent). But that’s also exactly what makes learning Dutch so easy to put off: “it’s too difficult”, “it sounds weird”, “it’s not necessary”… you know the excuses.

Learning Dutch gives people access to a part of everyday life that can’t always be translated into English. The thing is: that step doesn’t happen by itself. But a fixed weekly lesson can give you and your team the time and structure to actually work on it.

What makes it click is different for everyone. It may be a word you’ve been hearing at the office for months that suddenly makes sense, a street sign you finally understand, or the moment you realise why some Dutchies say “I’ll learn you something” instead of “I’ll teach you something”.

From that point on, the language starts appearing everywhere.

THE SOLUTION

Me, of course. But why me?

I was once a newcomer myself.

I moved from Buenos Aires to Amsterdam in 2012, when I was 20. I learned Dutch from scratch and then did a Philosophy degree entirely in Dutch.

Over the years, I've studied several languages: Spanish, English and Dutch most intensively, but also French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Esperanto and Latin. I know very well what it feels like to be on both sides of the learning process. And by now, I consider Dutch to be one of my mother tongues.

That linguistic background is useful in the classroom in a very practical way. When I know a participant's mother tongue, I can often use it as a reference point when explaining Dutch: which structures work in a similar way, which work completely differently, and which apparent similarities are likely to cause confusion.

Of course, I can't do that with every language. But with many of the people I teach, I know enough about their linguistic background to recognise likely problem areas early and explain Dutch in terms that make sense from where they're starting.

THE CONTENT

What does the course cover?

Let’s imagine your team is starting completely from scratch. What can you expect?

The Dutch from Scratch programme is built around different themes connected to situations participants encounter in their daily lives.

The first part takes participants from pronunciation and basic communication through introducing themselves, daily routines, numbers, the present tense, food and drink, getting around town, shopping, health, travel, working life and the past tense.

Grammar, vocabulary and speaking exercises are introduced within those themes and return later in a more explicit and technical way.

Once students recognise the patterns behind the examples, we look together at the rules that give the language its structure and form, so they can start building their own sentences with whatever words and verbs they need.

Download the course overview

Does your team already speak some Dutch? Then the programme can start at a different level. Based on what the group already knows and what they need, we first determine the main gaps and learning goals and decide on the approach that will fit the group best.

THE FORMAT

How does the course work?

After more than four years of teaching, I know by now which conditions make the lessons work best:

• Small groups

  I prefer groups of up to six participants.

  That’s small enough for everyone to actively participate and for me to give individual attention within the group where needed.

• Weekly 90-minute sessions

  Lessons normally take place once a week on a fixed day and time, either at your office or online.

  90-minute sessions give us enough room for the different activities in a lesson without making participants lose focus.

• Dutch from the first session

  The language is actively used from the very first session. We start with the different sounds that make Dutch pronunciation so distinctive and then start applying them to words and phrases you’ll actually use outside the classroom.

• Materials developed for the programme

  I don’t follow a standard textbook and you won’t need to buy expensive course books.

  I make the course materials myself, so the different parts fit together, build on what the group has already learned and prepare them for what comes next. Everything in the handouts has a purpose. Nothing is there by chance.

  Once the foundations are in place, the materials can increasingly reflect your organisation: the words, situations and communication your team actually deals with at work.

  Curious what the materials look like?

  Take a look at klankenlab, a free interactive route through Dutch pronunciation made with my own lesson materials and voice recordings.

• Clear follow-up

  I keep track of the course in a shared spreadsheet that you can access from day one.

  There you can see any absences, which topics we’ve covered and how the group is progressing.

THE CONDITIONS

Practical details