Interview with client Floris Parlevliet, training & development coordinator at Albemarle.
What is the aim of the course?
“A lot of international employees work at Albemarle, on an expat basis for 3 to 10 years or to settle here permanently. We always offer them a Dutch course, because it ensures greater well-being when you settle in another country. We had previously sent individual employees to the VU for a language course, but now there was a group of 10 employees who could follow a tailormade in-company course together. The participants themselves determined an end goal, based on a personal intake in which the entry level was determined. This resulted in two different groups: beginners and advanced.”
What nationality are the participants?
“Almost all European. Most come from (South) Europe and a few from India and South America.
Is Dutch spoken in the workplace?
“English is not the working language here, but our parent company is American. During the work there is a switch between Dutch and English. Most international employees already speak a little Dutch, but during conversations they lack sufficient knowledge and therefore the nuances in the language.”
How did the employees experience the language course?
“In general, they found it an intensive but well-structured course, with modern teaching methods that made learning natural and fast. And a pleasant and knowledgeable teacher.
The course was held here in-house (as far as possible due to the corona measures) and always consisted of a lesson day and a return day. Those who took advantage of the return day greatly appreciated that. That is the advantage of in-company, then you can agree on everything to measure!”
What do you think of VU-NT2?
“I had a pleasant contact right from the start, I quickly received the information I needed, the service is excellent and both students and myself are satisfied! I can heartily recommend VU-NT2 for both group courses at the VU and in-company. If only you offered language courses in all languages, that would be ideal!”
Reactions from participants
“I am fully satisfied. It's a very good course and the online part works very well. It almost feels as if you don't need to memorize the words the traditional way because once you're finished with the online exercises you remember the words.”
“Good teacher, patient and willing to explain.”
“My goal was to improve my level and to dare to talk in Dutch with colleagues. I think I've improved my grammar and I feel a little more confident.”
“I liked the role-playing and the practice with conversations, because they are most similar to what you do in daily practice, they are real-world conversations.”
“I find all the exercises with speaking in a spontaneous atmosphere, without much preparation, challenging and therefore I have more motivation.”
