Residential private crash courses Dutch, one to one, full immersion, for the higher educated
Intensive full immersion Dutch courses.
1. Beginner courses focus on conversation
skills: understanding and speaking. Hence: right pronunciation and
sentence melody, correct syntax, commonly used
vocabulary, only the
useful grammar essentials. Private teaching, full
immersion, focusing on the necessary
bases for real proficiency. Emphasis on understanding and fluently
speaking Dutch. Conversation centered learning, integrating some news and
other topics you're interested in.
2. Advanced more made to measure courses work up to using: more
demanding, longer clauses, recognizing implicit
meanings and understatements, building up lines of
reasoning, understanding and editing more complex texts,
more fluent and spontaneous conversations on technical, professional
and everyday more complex topics.
Both beginners and advanced private intensives take place in
Averbode abbeys guesthouse. From June,15 to September,15 private
intensive holiday courses in the Pyrenees mountains too.
Crash courses Dutch for the higher educated
How does such a 'learn Dutch retreat' look like
More about
Contact Richard
Crash courses Dutch for the higher educated
The method is based on higher educated
skills: creative dissatisfaction and recognition of structures. Such an intensive full
immersion private crash course allows executive managers,
diplomats, lawyers, and other higher educated to learn Dutch in a week: 5, 7
or 9 days.
That's what Richard's full immersion private residential Dutch
courses claim and
former students witness since
years.
These private intensive immersion Dutch courses are customized. From the very beginning Dutch conversation skills is the thing to develop. - 6 one to one lessons, + 3 hours of extra conversation a day, + 2 to 3 hours of revision on your own (coached revision is possible too) = more than 50 hours of immersion in Dutch - your Dutch improves up to nearly 2 levels in 5 days. If you need to progress more 7 or 9 days private immersion Dutch courses are possible too, all you need to do is contact Richard.
Residential crash courses
- tailored to your personal needs - take place at Averbode Abbey one of our oldest and most beautiful historic
abbeys. It's surrounded by a calm and scenic nature and wildlife area
'Averbode Bos en Heide'.
A study-friendly environment. The abbey brews it's own, of course
Belgian, beer too.
How
does such a 'learn Dutch retreat' look like?
At the start (if you don't start from scratch) Richard will test your level of proficiency
according to the
European Proficiency Scale. Most important is
learning Dutch the way
higher educated native speakers would prefer to hear.
In order of what
makes it easier to understand you this is :
1. correct standard pronunciation and sentence melody,
2. correct sentence
structure,
3. vocabulary,
4. respect of basic grammar rules.
Richard's courses focus on conversational Dutch.
Focusing on understanding and speaking you're of course
learning Dutch grammar, syntax and spelling
too. You discuss test results with Richard and together fix goals
and priorities for your week. This assessment can also be done before. Don't
mind - if you have already some Dutch proficiency - to make an
appointment with Richard for a somewhat longer phone call or online
meeting in Dutch. You'll get a professional feedback on your
strengths and deficits according to the
European
Framework of Reference.
Full immersion private Dutch courses
From the first day on Richard is talking Dutch with you.
This full immersion may be somewhat strange at first but
you'll rapidly discover it's efficiency in allowing you to learn Dutch at your
pace in the shortest possible time.
Such a 'sudden'
immersion in a language you don't know, demands some adaptation from
your brain. Don't worry, you can trust its creative dissatisfaction
response : It will start to
function autonomously, looking for contextual and
nonverbal clues to understand what is said.
That's why this is the best and fastest possible way to learn Dutch
for the higher
educated : you know from experience you can trust your brain's innate
ability to recognize structures.
Private one to one Dutch lessons with Richard your dedicated tutor
Theme-centered
learning Dutch: on every day topics or, in
advanced courses, on those topics you're interested in. Meanwhile you get the help
you need to progress: Richard hands you the
every-day or professional vocabulary you need. Teaches you good
pronunciation and sentence melody. Shows you the right way to express
yourself. Emphasizes on clear 'one idea one
sentence' Dutch and common language.
This is the fastest way to
express yourself in easy understandable good Standard Dutch.
During advanced courses we may use articles,
radio or TV news, recordings, texts on subjects your
interested in, hobbies, work, family-life, home, Dutch
ways of live, ...
.
If you're starting
from scratch Richard uses a manual and, once you
start grasping the basics, uses 'Wablieft' too. A weekly newspaper for
foreigners learning Dutch. 'Wablieft'
informs about last week's news and actual topics among
the natives. Most useful : although printed, Wablieft
uses every-day spoken Dutch. Seeing and reading
commonly spoken Dutch, although you may not be aware of,
your brain notices how Dutch spelling suggests correct pronunciation. Seeing and reading Dutch
aloud helps you abandon English-like pronunciation more easily.
You see what consonants are assimilated by what others and how words
are written. Rather unconsciously your brain grasps regularities in
Dutch
pronunciation.
And, you see the
sentence structure. Seeing sentence
structure makes it more easy to imitate and absorb the way
native Dutch-speakers stress parts of the sentence and parts
of the words. You
see where you can take a breath, to have enough air for
correct pronunciation of those long Dutch vowels, this way respecting
the rhythm of Dutch sentences.
In the residential setting:
Breakfast, Lunch, diner are another opportunity to
practice every-day Dutch you learned that day in an every-day situation.
Starting
to practice conversation with other guests. In the evening you may watch TV-news together.
Relaxed dinner
conversations, acquaintance, exchange, ... . Opportunities
to meet ordinary Dutch speaking people and ask them
everything you'd like to know about the way Dutch speaking
natives are and think, our history, social life, habits and
customs, wit and humor, ... .
Revision and choosing key-sentences
Each afternoon's last lessons are to review vocabulary,
sentence structure, pronunciation and
grammar encountered during morning lessons, breaks or
watching the news. From yours and your
teachers notes you choose key-sentences that may
be more useful
as an extra pronunciation, sentence structure, useful grammar
and vocabulary aid.
These key sentences are used to help you improve your pronunciation,
finding the right rhythm and melody of Dutch sentences. Doing so
almost unconsciously you integrate correct living Dutch sentence
structure and grammar in an almost effortless way.
Free time
Learning a new language is a
demanding mental activity. Having a siesta, taking a
shower or bath, going for a walk to discover the surrounding country-side
and nature ... are necessary to
keep your brain relaxed and awake.
After break you can do
some personal reviewing of notes and key-sentences the way you like.
You may need 2 to 3 hours for optimal results. Essential for learning Dutch fast is to keep yourself immersed in Dutch.
The more you cut of yourself from reading or speaking any other
language, the faster you learn understanding,
thinking, feeling and speaking Dutch.
Don't mind sleeping enough :
during sleep your brain processes and integrates the day's
experiences and what you learned. Students often tell they even
started dreaming in Dutch. After 6 or more private Dutch lessons and
ongoing conversation your brain needs a rest to integrate!
Disconnecting, a good balance between activity and rest, contact and
withdrawal are important to learn Dutch the fastest possible way.
This intensive private one to one made to measure Dutch course is rich and intensive. Letting your thoughts
freewheeling is a way your brain
integrates new experiences. Relaxing,
decanting, without any conscious effort leads to
internal conversation, thinking and even dreaming in Dutch.
Learning Dutch, customized immersion Dutch crash course
Every morning debriefing and feedback to adjust this made to measure Dutch course to your learning. What's getting easier? What's still somewhat difficult? Feedback about conversations with the locals or other guests. It's your made to measure private Dutch course. It can be adapted day by day according to your progress and needs, rhythm and learning pace.
Learn Dutch, full private immersion for the higher educated, last day :
Together you discuss what you would like to review, deepen or train this last day. This may be some pronunciation or intonation, some points of sentence structure, essential grammar or spelling, whatever you need.
Testing for feedback on how to continue to improve your Dutch. Richard uses a similar method as first day to evaluate your progress according to the European proficiency scale. Taking into account goals and priorities you fixed yourself at the beginning of this intensive Dutch immersion week. Testing offers you, a more objective experience of your progress. But most pleasant of course will be your real life experience: your better understanding, speaking fluently and thinking in Dutch.
Summary
Full immersion crash courses Dutch are one to one and focusing on your needs and goals, emphasis on understanding en fluently speaking Dutch, conversation centered learning, integrating those topics you're interested in. These are Richard's ingredients of efficient motivating private Dutch courses. That way you want to meet, share your experiences, opinions and ideas, put your questions, give your answers, ... . As you want to communicate in Dutch about your interests, hobbies, concerns, you want to learn Dutch as fast as you can.
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