- People who learned Dutch at school but never really dared to speak, which held them back from getting the promotion or the job they really wanted.
- People who suddenly arrive in Dutch-speaking territory and who pass work onto their colleagues because they speak better Dutch, even though they feel ashamed about it and even though they’re missing out on commission.
- People who moved to Belgium for love, but have to integrate and find a job, talk to their in-laws; those who tried to speak Dutch to their partners, but haven’t succeeded yet despite all attempts.
- People who moved to Belgium for their job or in search of new perspectives. Sadly enough, all the paper work, the bad weather and the Belgian ‘individualism’ don’t really make it any easier on them to get used to the transition or to make friends.
- People whose job is technically in English or in French but whose colleagues do speak Dutch among each other at the lunch table, which makes them feel embarrassed because they can’t join in on the conversation or because colleagues need to switch languages all the time.
- French-speaking people or people from other countries who have learned Dutch at some point but have never used it in the real world, because people don’t understand them.
- …
All our language trainings are tailored.
We can provide private classes, as well as small group classes at your place or at our office (Hello Languages, Antwerp).
Since all our classes are made-to-measure, we don’t have a general class system with traditional lessons. Here are a few important elements to keep in mind:
PRIVATE CLASSES, DUO CLASSES OR SMALL GROUP CLASSES
The absolute maximum number of participants is 8 people per group, but we usually try to limit groups to 4-6 participants. Seeing the importance of keeping the training as discrete and specific as possible, we usually ask the collaboration of the academic institution or the department. That way we can create the perfect groups.
MAKE YOUR OWN GROUP
Most people try to make their own group of 4 where everyone has the same level, the same availability and the same wishes. If someone is looking for group classes, but does not have his/her own group, we will check if it would be interesting to create a new group. In this case, the group can only start once there is a minimum of 4 participants. This can go very fast sometimes, but this can also often take a long time.
NO FIXED SCHEDULE
Students decide for themselves when it would be best for them to have classes. In case of private classes, only the student and the teacher need to agree about the schedule. In case of group classes, it’s important that the entire group agrees about the weekly schedule. We teach every weekday from 8am to 10pm or on Saturdays from 9am to 4pm. Please bear in mind that Saturdays and evenings are extremely popular and often fully booked.
NO FIXED FREQUENCY OR DURATION
Just like the schedule, students decide how often they would like to have classes. We do work with sessions of 1 ½ hours to 3 hours depending on the concentration span of the student, seeing as this usually leads to faster progress. Most people choose to have one or two classes a week. The duration also depends on the level when starting, the learning patterns (to see how fast the student can pick something up) and the desired level at the end (the objective).
INTENSIVE COURSE
An intensive course is only possible for private classes or for students who come as a group on their own. Please note that we select these students very carefully, as an intensive course is not to be advised for just anyone.
NO VISA REQUESTS, NO EDUCATIONAL LEAVE
For now, it is not possible to apply for a visa or for educational leave by taking language classes at Hello Languages. If, on the other hand, you work for an SME, you may be eligible to apply for up to 50% subsidies. For more information, we would gladly refer you to our business page.
