Improve your work and social life by learning to speak Dutch

Do you ever get the feeling at work you’re being left out? Simply because you don’t understand the Dutch language. Are you contemplating learning Dutch to remedy this situation? Or maybe you already know a few phrases but want to take it to the next level. If this or the other scenarios sound all too familiar, maybe it’s time to take your first steps towards learning Dutch.

Do you feel left out at work?

Often, as an expat, you can find yourself in a workplace situation where you converse about work-related topics in English, but as soon as the conversation turns to a more casual affair, the language switches to Dutch and you don’t understand a thing.

This, of course, is not intentional on part of your colleagues, as it’s natural to talk in your native tongue, especially in casual conversation. But this can have an adverse effect on your work satisfaction levels, as well as frustrate social relationships with your co-workers.

Not fully understanding what's going on around you can also mean that you miss out on opportunities to show your knowledge on other projects, or are even completely overlooked for others.

Benefits of learning Dutch

Learning to speak Dutch can be a daunting prospect at first, but once you fully commit to it and reach a certain level of proficiency, a multitude of new opportunities can emerge. Companies here in the Netherlands consider expats with Dutch language skills extremely valuable and possibilities to advance your career, such as promotion or the opportunity to work on new projects, will become far more apparent.

The real fun starts when your vocabulary grows to include slang or quirky Dutch colloquialisms. This means you will be able to build a deeper social connection with your co-workers, leading to greater feelings of inclusion in your work environment. You will also find that the Dutch will have far greater respect and admiration for you, as you embrace their language and gain a better understanding of Dutch culture.

If any of the above sounds interesting to you, maybe it’s time to take the plunge?

New Berlitz course booking platform

The world-renowned language school, Berlitz, recently announced that it has launched a brand new booking platform for its group language courses. The new booking platform offers Dutch and English language courses specifically for small groups of all proficiency levels at the Berlitz language centre in Rotterdam.

Learning in small groups means guaranteed individual attention from your instructor, as well as the ability to practise with your fellow participants, accelerating the learning process. The course materials can also be adapted to suit your specific learning goals and circumstances.

The easy-to-use booking platform makes selecting a course which best suits your needs straightforward, and the best thing is, if you book with credit card, you don’t even need to pay upfront. The innovative booking system has been designed to only process credit card payments when a course reaches the minimum of 3 participants required to complete a group.

This, along super-flexible lesson times – many throughout the daytime and evening – handy SMS reminders, mobile calendar syncing, a central location and an internationally recognised certificate upon completion, makes it a learning opportunity not to be missed.

Secure your place now!

Courses start from September 17 in Rotterdam. To be the first to secure your place and start your language journey toward a more fulfilling and satisfactory work life as an expat here in the Netherlands.

Initially, the booking platform will offer English and Dutch courses exclusively in Rotterdam, but from January 2019, French, Spanish and German group courses will also be offered in Amsterdam, The Hague and Maastricht.