Moving to the Netherlands can be a challenging experience for you as a foreign student or expats. Here are the most common problems you will face.
Language Barrier: One of the biggest challenges when moving to a new country is the language barrier. If the language of the new country is not your first language, you will find it difficult to communicate with colleagues, fellow students and teachers which can make it harder to make friends and participate in social activities.
Cultural Adjustment: Moving to a new country can also mean adjusting to a new culture, which can be overwhelming if you are not prepared or understand what being Dutch means. This can include differences in food, customs, and social norms, which can make it difficult to feel at home in a new environment.
Academic Differences: Another challenges you can face is adjusting to the academic system. This can include differences in teaching methods, curriculum, and expectations, which can impact your academic performance.
Social Isolation: Moving to a new country can also be a lonely experience, especially as you have left behind friends and family. It may take time to build new relationships and feel a sense of community in the new environment.
To help overcome these challenges, it is important to seek support in the new community. This includes connecting with other expats, seeking out language classes, learning about Dutch culture, habits and traditions. All to make you feel comfortable within your new environment.
Our Role at Fit4Taal
Fit4Taal is "Fit for language" in English. We are an online Language school that offers Dutch online courses to professionals and students living in NL.Our name truly reflects how we approach the challenge of learning a new language. We have a unique approach in which we pay specific attention not just to the language technique (grammar, structure and logic), but also to conversation and pronunciation skills. Learning to speak in the specific rhythm of the Dutch helps you to dare and actually use what you are learning in daily life.
Our teachers are 100% bilingual from either English and/or Spanish to Dutch. We work in small groups of maximum 8 students and use innovative digital tools and apps as well as of course books and online study material. We have beginners, intermediate and advanced levels and ensure our students are challenged in each level to improve their skills.
Our Dutch online classes are from 19:00-21:00 or 20:00-22:00 twice or three times a week between Mondays and Fridays. Two hours per class, so a total of four to six hours per week plus one hour of homework. Every level is taught in a module that lasts 10 weeks and includes an exam to ensure you have reached the desired level.
With a success rate of 86% and over 1000 expat students to date, we are also very much a community of professionals in NL. Many student groups engage with each other outside Fit4Taal to practice Dutch, discuss their careers, cultural issues living away from home etc. Last but not least, we are specialized in taking native-English and Spanish speakers to true fluency in Dutch within our innovative and fun environment.
At the intermediate levels, we look into business language that is required for each student in the groups. The conversation and coach classes deal with hot topics in the current business climate (rising costs, social media strategies, energy transition, sustainability etc).
Fit4Taal Summer School
Each summer, we organize a full week of class on site in Rotterdam. These are 7 days that we offer at the end of each level where students apply everything learned from A0-A2 in real life situations. Besides 2 hours of class a day, there are career coach sessions, visits to museums and the amazing port of Rotterdam by boat. BBQ's and a graduation ceremony on the beach. The total immersion in Dutch will solidify the basics you have learnt throughout the course and apply them in real life for a full week. This is also a wonderful opportunity to socialize and build new relationships with fellow newcomers to the Netherlands.
So to all you recent Dutchies…..take the first step and join our Dutch online courses now!
WELKOM BIJ FIT4TAAL!!!!