Interview Preparation - Dutch Tutors & Teachers

My name is Sarah, I am half dutch half Italian and I grew up with three languages because my parents spoke English to each other. I lived the same number of years in Holland as in Italy. Currently I am studying in Groningen, a very nice city in the north of the Netherlands. Over the past two years I have taught Dutch to foreign students living in Groningen and I would love to teach you as well! In Italy I graduated from a "Language Highschool" (Liceo Linguistico) where I learned English Spanish and French language and literature. I have a very big passion for languages. Each language has its own typical expressions and its own sound, and when you learn and understand these you also get to know a different mentality, a different culture, that fascinates me so much. I am a musician and I like and learned to work on the sound of a language, the pronunciation. Dutch has some tricky sounds- like “eu” and “ui”- or “ee” and “ei” - or S-Gravenhage. My lessons will adapt to your level and focus on your needs. I like dynamic, interesting and organized lessons that help you feel more and more comfortable and confident with the dutch language. We will work together on grammar, pronunciation, writing and listening, conversation and getting to know dutch culture as well. I would say try it out to see if it fits you! I am looking forward to help you with your dutch :) Doei, hopelijk tot ziens! Hallo! Mijn naam is Sarah, ik ben half italiaans en half nederlands. Ik wil je graag helpen met jou Nederlands. Zoals je ziet zijn er veel overeenkomsten met het Engels, je zult zien dat het best makkelijk gaat en we zullen zeker plezier hebben! Ciao! Se sei italiano/a posso aiutarti ancora meglio ad imparare l'olandese ;) Igual si vienes de España estoy aqui para ayudarte a aprender Holandes tambien empezando de tu propio idioma :)

I'm a language geek. I'm currently in the process of learning Turkish which is the 8th language I'm trying to tackle. So I know very well how challenging learning a new language can be, how blocked you can feel in speaking and all the other difficulties that come with learning another language. I'd like to help you overcome those challenges by helping you to feel confident and competent when speaking and using your new language. A language is more than the sum of its parts and is not just grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, pronunciation etc. A language needs to be brought alive. I'm quite passionate about languages and I'd love to transfer some of that passion on to you. I'm a native Dutch speaker and a certified language teacher. I've been teaching (English and Dutch) for over 4 years in different countries. I've helped students, of different backgrounds, ages and levels prepare for official exams and have always had good results. I've taught and lived in Italy, Spain and Palestine. At the moment I'm living in Genova, Italy where I'm teaching in the 'old school' way. I have also been a language coach for refugees, when I was still living in the Netherlands. In my approach my students are the center point around which I build a lesson plan. I don't have a fixed teaching style but I prefer to focus on the needs and learning style of each of my students. I use the first class to create an idea of what could work for you. Not everyone learns in the same way. I firmly believe that it's very important that you as a student feel comfortable and that you're enjoying the class, it helps to familiarize you with the language you're learning. Which I think is the main goal when you're learning a new language: you have to make it your own. Not merely study it, but find a way to really connect with it. In my classes my focus is on that. So I do use grammar, but I'll try to explain it in a way that makes sense to you. And there's a big focus on conversation and natural pronunciation. I have a lot of materials that I can share with you, so it's not necessary to buy materials or books, unless you'd really want to.

I try to make my online lessons as cosy as possible. I use the video-conference system, so I can see my students and they can see me; we can talk, we make the exercises together, I explain all the grammar, and if my students have any doubt or questions, I explain it orally which I think makes it easier to be understood. It is as if we were sitting in an office side by side. The only thing we cannot do is drinking a coffee while we study. Besides the lessons, I always send some homework. I will send a book that we follow, and the rest of the material is sent by me by e-mail as well. As soon as it is possible, I advise my students to start reading books in the language they learn, and from the very beginning to start listening to the TV. It is a way of being surrounded by the language. I always insist a lot on the accent, and this helps. I have students with a perfect accent. Listening to the language also helps to open the hears to the sounds, making easier to understand. From the very beginning I also start with small conversations in each lesson. You may believe that all my students are being very successful with this kind of lessons. I have now students from all over the world. Concerning the level my students attain, ofcourse it depends on them. Together we see what your needs are and how fast you want to learn. As for the number of lessons per week, I advise that you should have at least two. Less than two is very little and you have a long break between lessons. It is bad because you don't have any contact with the language and feel that you are advancing very slowly. I am a qualificated teacher in Dutch language and have been teaching for more than 20 years at school and online, groups as well as lessons.