Regina Coeli: Learn Dutch with the Nuns of Vught

You have probably heard that you should go to "The Nuns of Vught" if you want to learn Dutch properly. Thanks to their intensive teaching method, you can learn the language much faster than when you only take lessons once a week. Naturally, this is down to the number of instruction hours but also undoubtedly because of the flow you get into during the programme.

Learn Dutch with the Nuns of Vught

Why choose Regina Coeli?

Most Regina Coeli attendees follow a one-week training course. You work according to a well-defined rhythm of private lessons, independent study hours and group activities, which together form your unique training programme.

The trainers are all highly-qualified and frequently have a great deal of experience in the business world in fields such as marketing, HR and technology. Together, you work on learning Dutch based on your current level, what you need it for and your learning style.

Highly-rated courses

The intensive training courses from Regina Coeli are highly-rated by their participants.

In 2023, students who took one of their Dutch courses rated their training as follows:

• The training received an average rating of 9,2 (on a scale of 0 - 10).
• The teams of trainers were even given a 9,4.
• 92% of course participants said they could communicate confidently in Dutch after their training.
• 95% of trainees were highly motivated to put all their knowledge straight to use.

As you can see, those who decided to learn Dutch with The Nuns of Vught reported a high level of satisfaction with their training.

When would you spend a week with "The Nuns"?

However quickly you may learn the language over the course of a week, five days of lessons is obviously not enough to transform a beginner into an accomplished Dutch speaker. To get to that point, you can attend training for different objectives at various points in your learning journey.

Below are a few examples:

• As a beginner: You get a big boost in the language. After a week, you know the basics and can manage in Dutch in simple situations. From there, you can gain experience using the language.
• As an intermediate-level student: You can generally follow Dutch reasonably well and have knowledge of its grammar but cannot yet really speak the language. In this case, we can spend a week working on your active language skills.
• As an advanced learner: You speak the language well, yet Dutch people still speak to you in English. Your accent and minor grammatical errors give you away. Make short shrift of them in partnership with your trainers.
• When starting a new job: A different employer may have higher expectations or tougher requirements when it comes to your Dutch skills. Practise various skills like professional jargon, writing, giving presentations - you name it - at Regina Coeli.

No matter what your language level is, there is an intensive course that is suited for your needs.

Mother tongue or supporting language comparisons

During your training, you mainly speak Dutch, of course, but there are also times when we do fall back on your mother tongue or another language you speak well. Regina Coeli uses that knowledge to help you learn Dutch faster.

They do this in the following ways:

1. Comparative grammar

Your trainer compares Dutch grammar to that of your mother tongue or supporting language. If you speak German, for example, your trainer will show you how the sentence structures correspond. For other languages, the main differences might be up for comparison.

2. Vocabulary similarities

You already know more Dutch than you think. Many words are exactly the same as words in other European languages, or you can derive the meaning from a similar word.

3. "False friends"

There are also words - called false friends or false cognates - that can lead you astray. These are words that bear strong similarities to those in your mother tongue yet mean something completely different. Your trainer will point these words out to you during your lessons so you can avoid those pitfalls.

Regina Coeli: Relax for a while in another language

If the language is fairly new to you, you will not manage to speak only Dutch all week long. That is why the team from Regina Coeli advises you to occasionally chat with others in a language you speak well during your breaks.

There is always someone in-house who speaks the same language you do, and otherwise, there is bound to be another student who is learning your mother tongue. If you hit it off, you might even stay in touch after your course so you can keep practising together!