Immerse yourself in the Dutch language and achieve your language goals in just five days
Learning Dutch quickly and effectively: it is possible with an Intensive Dutch Programme. In this tailor-made immersion language course, you learn language skills to match your personal goals. Curious about how it works and how we create an optimally efficient learning experience? We’ve asked teacher Marjo Jaski, who has been running these intensive programmes for In'to Languages with her colleagues for 15 years, to tell us all about it.
What do you need?
An Intensive Dutch Programme is a personalised immersion programme fully tailored to your goals and needs. “We create the programme on the basis of an extensive intake interview,” Marjo explains, “in which we discuss who you are, what your background is, what you need the language for, and with whom and in what situations you want to be able to communicate. Together, we set your learning objectives and create a programme to help you achieve them.”
This goes beyond language, vocabulary and grammar, as Marjo explains: “It's also about pronunciation, intercultural aspects, and any barriers you may experience. In other words, what do you need to communicate confidently and enjoyably in Dutch at work and in your everyday life?”
Simulating situations
The course usually takes five days. A day or half-day is often built around a theme, such as introducing yourself professionally, giving a presentation, or engaging in a meeting. But everyday conversations can also be a theme, depending on your needs. We then simulate real-life situations using role-play. Marjo: “For example, I worked with a professor who had to give a lecture in Dutch, so we practised in a real lecture hall. Meetings are also a favourite role-playing game, because many people struggle with daring to express an opinion during a meeting in Dutch. If possible, we use your own meeting agenda or other materials that you bring in. This makes it as realistic as possible and makes what you learn easier to apply in your real work situation or everyday life.”
Intercultural aspects
Role-play also involves intercultural aspects. “For example, a doctor from Pakistan avoided the coffee corner at work because she was afraid of having to talk to people. She did not know what kind of questions to ask her colleagues, because in her culture it is not appropriate to ask a colleague anything personal. Practising this situation together also helped her become more confident outside the safe training space. She dared to go and get coffee at work once again, and her colleagues no longer found her aloof.”
By simulating real-life situations, you will also become more confident outside the safe training space
Flexibility
Throughout the week, there is room to adjust the programme. “Sometimes during the course, we discover that someone needs something different than what we planned beforehand. For example, not a more extensive vocabulary, but confidence to dare to speak even if your Dutch is not yet perfect. We then adapt the programme together as we go along. This is easy to do because the teachers are at your disposal throughout the week. That is what makes it so special and effective.”
Social aspect
Many novice language learners move up a whole language level in a just one week thanks to the intensive programme. But the course has more to offer than helping you achieve your language and communication goals. “We also help with the social aspect, to connect with others, from how to strike up a conversation to opportunities to expand your social network. For example, I once introduced someone who loved cooking to a cooking club. We are happy to help you to make new contacts, because it is much easier to speak Dutch when you start out speaking Dutch than when you are already used to communicating with someone in English.”
Focus
An intensive language course with In'to really is intensive, Marjo concludes: “In addition to the daily programme with your teacher, we often ask you to prepare an assignment for the next day. We even have lunch in Dutch. We therefore recommend not planning any other activities or speaking another language in the evening during such a week, so that you can fully focus on the programme.”
So an Intensive Programme asks a lot of you, but it also gives you a lot. “At the end, we evaluate which objectives have been achieved and what you can do to apply and retain what you have learned. You will also receive a certificate. All materials, from exercises to recordings of role-plays, will remain accessible in our online learning environment for another year. That way you can continue to benefit from it after the course.”
Marjo is a fantastic teacher. She helped me getting up to speed with Dutch in no time. I can absolutely recommend everyone learning Dutch with her!
Interested?
Are you interested in immersing yourself in Dutch with an intensive personalised programme? Don't hesitate to get in touch to discuss your needs and goals. We also offer intensive programmes in other languages.