My lessons

How I teach

With beginners and intermediate students we usually use a book as the basis for the lessons, thoroughly covering all aspects of learning the language: vocabulary, idiom, sentence construction, the use of verbs and spelling. Or in other words: everything you need to read, listen, speak and write in Dutch. I explain the language, we practise online and go through the homework together, both beforehand and afterwards.

And language is for using! So during class we also focus on your personal interests and we can concentrate on skills that you need for work (such as making phone calls, writing emails and holding meetings).

Practice makes perfect

Language is mainly learned by doing: so keep practising. And be brave! Dare to make mistakes. That’s no problem because that’s how you learn. Do your homework and try to apply the new knowledge you’ve learned in your everyday life. Pick up a newspaper, buy a book or a magazine and visit Dutch language websites. Watch TV, too, and listen to the radio. Immerse yourself in the language and you’ll see that you make good progress.

Better and more enjoyable

Learning is ten times as good when it’s enjoyable, and especially when you can put what you learn into practice in real life.
So I adapt as much as possible to your personal interests.

Shopping (beginners)

Open your fridge, show it to me through the webcam and name the products inside, or take a photo of the contents of your fridge and write down the names of the items.

Small talk

What do Dutch people talk about when they’re waiting for a bus, or standing by the coffee machine at work? You’ll learn words and phrases about, say, the weather, weekend activities or what’s in the news.

Presentation

Let’s say you work in accounts and you have to give a presentation to your team and your manager about the annual figures. There’ll be lots of tables and graphs to explain. We’ll handle the vocabulary you need to describe diagrams, we’ll practise the presentation, record it and go over it. And after you give the presentation at work, we’ll of course evaluate how it went.

Art

Are you an art lover, a music lover or a theatregoer? We’ll handle vocabulary on art forms and learn how to describe something. In the next lesson, we’ll show each other a piece of art, music or drama, describing it and saying why we think it’s beautiful.

House

Perhaps you want to buy a house. We’ll learn all sorts of words that you’ll run into: for sale, an estate agent, 4000 ‘grand’, a viewing, the asking price, to make an offer, etc. We’ll also talk about how the process works in the Netherlands. Is there a ‘Funda’ housing app in your country, and does the contract need to be signed by a ‘notary’, as it does here? Homework: choose two homes on Funda and think of 5 questions you would ask at a viewing.

Football

Perhaps you love football and want to talk about it in Dutch with other fans. We can cover all the terminology (yes, all: I even know what an offside trap is!).

Video

It’s enjoyable to learn from video clips in class. I use all sorts of material, depending on the level and the topic, such as: Sesame Street, children’s educational programmes, the young people’s news, stand-up comedy shows, satirical programmes, talks from the University of the Netherlands, or songs, for which we study the lyrics.

Grammar

For those who enjoy Dutch grammar, I enjoy giving an extra challenge. What about this one: ‘Herinner je je je oude school nog?’

Expats

When an expat comes to work in the Netherlands, he or she may be able to get along just fine speaking only English. Many companies use English, and you can get by in shops, cafés and even at the doctor’s, up to a point. But if you don’t speak any Dutch at all, you will always remain an expat: not understanding the coffee-time chats with colleagues, feeling uncomfortable communicating with neighbours and friends - and it can also make getting a promotion difficult.

Investing in the language will start to pay off from the start: an expat who speaks Dutch feels more at home in the Netherlands than an expat who doesn’t.

Who for?

I teach students with a higher educational background who would like to learn or improve their Dutch. I teach all levels, from beginners (A0-A2) to very advanced (C1-C2) and all skills: speaking, listening, writing and reading. With beginners, I use English where needed to support learning.

If you have already reached a good level, you may wish to concentrate on just one skill, such as doing a course in writing for work, or improving your speaking. I also help prepare students for the national Dutch language exams (Staatsexamen I and II).

Lessons can be taken individually or in small groups. I teach online and also (within Utrecht) at your place of work.

Contact

My Dutch Teacher
Rion Verberne
Grootmeesterplein 44
3554 EE Utrecht

06-24268713

rionverberne@gmail.com
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