One of our alumni, Amanda, wrote an article on the do’s and dont’s of learning Dutch. Among other things she recommends taking classes at Direct Dutch Institute. Thank you very much Amanda! Here you can read some of the things she said about Direct Dutch. Follow the link below for the complete article or read more testimonials.
”Go to classes. To good ones. This is where I get to recommend my school, and my dear professor Petra. If you are in the area, make sure you ask for her, and enroll in one of her courses because she is really, really good (not to mention fun, crazy and chaotic, all great qualities in my book). In the end where I really learnt was at Direct Dutch……
It was here that the mysteries of how to structure a sentence in Dutch were finally revealed to me.
The idea is to get you talking, but don’t worry, it’s usually less than 5 minutes and these presentations are done at the end of the class, so the ice has been broken, so to speak……
The fact that we had to read, write, talk and study beforehand made all the difference.”
Read the lovely article with tips on learning Dutch
I completed three courses at Direct Dutch and had a great time! I appreciated the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the classes and teachers; sometimes the most helpful parts of classes were the informal discussions among the class in which we could practice conversational Dutch.The written exercises, such as summarizing newspaper articles and writing formal letters, also helped tremendously with my written Dutch and with learning the conventions for formal writing.After my courses, I feel confident in most social and professional situations and have even completed a job interview entirely in Dutch. My teachers, incuding Edith, Petra, and Robyn, were all very helpful, warm, and quite funny. I looked forward to class every week and highly recommend Direct Dutch to speakers of all levels.
Adam Jaffe, Research Fellow, Fulbright Program
I feel much more confident and equipped to navigate my way around Den Haag after having completed the first half of the beginner’s course offered through Direct Dutch. I believe one of the most important elements of learning a language is having the opportunity to practice one’s speaking skills often. Direct Dutch facilitated this both by conducting the lessons in Dutch, and by providing a supportive, small class size environment to encourage oral communication skills. Our teacher was funny, positive, and responsive to our needs. She adjusted her instruction to review lessons that were particularly challenging and she provided each of us with personal feedback that allowed us to grow in our knowledge and fluency with Dutch. I’m looking forward to the second half of the beginner’s course!
Lara Lyons, New resident of Den Haag, Mother of two
Marloes was one of my teachers at the Direct Dutch Institute. I really enjoyed the lessons she gave and learned a lot from her. I liked the fact she took time with the class and happy to go the extra mile to help me with my understanding of Dutch. As difficult as learning a new language is, it is good when someone can make it enjoyable and give you a sense of achievement at the end of it all. I look forward to coming back to Direct Dutch again.
Therese Gaughan, Independent Project Management Consultant
I did the Intensive Intermediate course at Direct Dutch with just over two weeks to go for my NT2 exam. Long story but I had to take this exam at very short notice. Having lived in The Netherlands I had some passive knowledge of Dutch but not enough to complete even a ‘koetjes and kalfjes’ conversation. Two weeks with Petra and I was happily crooning to ‘O O Den Haag’ and ready to subject anyone and everyone to my Dutch conversation. I passed 3 out of the 4 modules of NT2 the first time around and failed 1 by just 2 points (and passed it the second time). I never thought it would be possible but Petra and Direct Dutch helped me make it happen. And with a lot of fun! Thanks to them I even have my own collection of Dutch films!!!
Aruna Subramanian, Founder, A&E Management BV
The atmosphere during my intensive course with Direct Dutch was great! It was friendly, knowledgable and relaxing! Everybody respects each other and tries to learn together! My Dutch skill has improved to be better and better. More importantly after the course I have gained more confidence which I did not have before.
Juan Hendrawan,Knowledge Manager – WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature)
As a student of Direct Dutch I feel that I have made excellent progress in my learning of the Dutch language. I have tried other methods and I feel more successful with their teaching. The teachers are very understanding and really help the students learn one of the most difficult languages.
I’ve made many friends while attending class. I cannot wait to come back to do another session and to see all of my friends at Direct Dutch.
Eric Chappell, Flight Attendant, Delta Airways
I was not the typical Direct Dutch student because I do not live in the Netherlands and do not use Dutch for my job. Even though I travel to the Netherlands and Belgium several times a year, learning Dutch is a hobby. I was looking for an intensive course which would allow me to consolidate what I had learned for the past two years at a rhythm of 90 minutes per week. The level of the course fit my profile exactly.
Material : excellent. Presentation of grammar and vocabulary to start plus recycling activities (verb tenses, spelling). Listening to accompany certain exercises to work on oral comprehension. Writing exercises were very good and were always corrected the same day.
Topics help to learn about Dutch culture and will help those preparing for the NT2 exam.
Mix of grammar, vocabulary, idioms very structured
Daily presentation of newspaper article allowed each student the time to speak on his/her own.
Improvement: the presentation text from each chapter could be on the CD
Teaching style: Two teachers with different styles, very complementary
Lessons structured but we were able to speak and be a bit free while always returning to the task at hand
Atmosphere in class: very good. Students from both groups very friendly and mingled before class and during the break.
The garden, coffee area, snacks provided made it very convivial
Adult learners, everyone serious about working but also fun.
Lots of homework. I spent at least five hours per night. (we were forewarned).
I feel that I improved, especially my vocabulary and my fluency.
Sylvia Renaudon, English Language Consultant Paris, France
Intensive Intermediate Course July-August 2012