Where can I learn Dutch in Brussels?
What exactly does the House of Dutch do?
Our main aim is to find the right course for adults who want to learn Dutch. We organise a test to check people's abilities. Then there is also an interview that helps us to discover why people want to learn Dutch, what expectations they have of a course.
All these elements allow us to direct students to the course that is best suited for their requirements. Some 50 Dutch courses are available in adult education across the capital. We work together with 5 different adult education centres.
Some courses are organised here, others the length and breadth of the capital. We also ensure that there are enough places to meet demand. There are no waiting lists for Dutch courses in Brussels!
The House of Dutch was set up to make things easier for students and to provide effective education
That's right. Ten years ago every school had its own Dutch course, but scant attention was paid to making sure each and every student ended up in the course that was best suited to his or her abilities.
In 2003 the House of Dutch came on the scene. What did you change?
We made sure that the sector was organised more efficiently. In this way resources are better spent and students end up in the best course for them.
Everybody who wants to learn Dutch in Brussels can come to us to take a test. We test students’ language potential, their knowledge and discover what the best pace for them to learn Dutch is.
We also do an interview to find out what students expect from a course, what they want to be able to do when they have completed their course and this helps us to point them in the right direction.
Is there a lot of choice?
There definitely is! Lessons usually take 3 hours each, but you can go for an intensive course that means you are doing four lessons a week or you can opt for a more leisurely approach, say one lesson a week. There are short courses, longer courses, something for everybody.
Courses also start at different times of the year and in locations across Brussels. So there's always a course starting soon and one in your neighbourhood. Not everybody is suited to learning in a class environment. We also organise language immersion for young people. The aim is to allow people to do everything in Dutch, but also to master the grammar.
Is learning Dutch popular?
Last year we helped 20,000 students to find a place on a free course. A chief motivation, especially among Francophones, is to find work or to improve your career prospects. In recent years though there has been a big increase in the number of international people who want to learn Dutch.
They often have a different motivation and want to gain more from their stay here, are interested in what the country has to offer culturally. We make sure we find the right course for them. English is often the language they use in their conversations with us. It's also incredible how many German-speakers want to learn our language.
You've also been able to help a lot of people who hoped to learn Dutch through self-tuition.
Figures from libraries across Brussels show that an awful lot of self-tuition courses were being borrowed out. Self-tuition is not ideal because there is less interaction.
We make sure these students find a course that they can juggle with work commitments.
There is also great interest among university students.
Many people from abroad come to Brussels to study at university. We run courses together with the HUB, the Hogeschool Universiteit Brussel, that makes sure that students are able to follow their courses in Dutch.
This training is targeted at the highly-skilled, people who need Dutch in order to study. Students studying at the VUB (Free University of Brussels) can simply take their language courses at the HUB.
One of your aims is to promote the Dutch language.
Yes, it is, but we are very practical people. Brussels is a multi-lingual city and we see acquiring Dutch as a way of making life here more interesting.
International people often want to break out and increase their contacts with their local environment. Some have children at school and want to be able to help them and to know what is going on at their children's school.
You have also set up a project to help learners meet Dutch-speakers.
There's a complaint that is often heard. In Brussels it's often hard to practise what you've learnt or to find somebody you can speak Dutch with. Lots of Dutch-speakers revert to French or English when they meet a non-Dutch-speaker. This is why we set up the Patati Patata project that allows people to meet casually on this basis. By using the www.patati.be website you can find Dutch-speakers who share your love of football or concerts, but there are no photos. It's not a dating agency! The website can count on a lot of interest in residential, eastern Brussels and attracts many international movers and shakers. You will also find Dutch-speakers who have an interest in learning your own language.
What is the best way to start and learn Dutch?
Anybody who is interested in a Dutch course in Brussels is most welcome to drop by. Then we can set up a date for a test. The House of Dutch is located in the Philippe de Champagnestraat 23, 1000 Brussels (pre-metro Anneessens). You can also phone us on 02 501 66 60 or send an email info@huisnederlandsbrussel.be.
All Dutch courses are free of charge in Brussels if you can show that you live in the Brussels Region. Getting course books will set you back between 25 and 30 euros. The House of Dutch in Brussels is not the only one in the country. There are Houses of Dutch across Flanders and there's probably also one in your area!
Gunther Van Neste was interviewed by Colin Clapson