From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
Hoooked on Portugal
When Dutch entrepreneur Geesje Mosies taught herself Portuguese as a teenager, she could never have guessed that she would be using the language in the future when managing her Portuguese staff. Nor could she have predicted that she would unleash a knitting and crocheting rage when she learned to crochet out of curiosity in Brazil. This year, she decided to update her Portuguese knowledge at Language Institute Regina Coeli.
The Spanish of Latin America
Spanish is an official language in no less than 21 countries, most of which are located in Central and South America. It is not surprising that Spanish sounds a little different on the American continent than it does in Spain, just like English differs from continent to continent; after all, the English spoken by Londoners is very different to the English spoken by Texans. How big are the differences in Spanish? Do you have to learn other things when you need Spanish for Spain than for Latin America?
The Dutch and time
The Dutch place a great deal of emphasis on time. If you are not originally from the Netherlands, you may have to get used to the fact that the Dutch always arrive on time, do not want to waste it and plan their professional and private lives well in advance. This is also reflected in their language: the Dutch are direct in their communication (in order to save time) and often refer to time. Where does this fascination with time actually come from?
Learn a bit of Chinese to break the ice
If you are planning to do business in China or Taiwan, learning to speak fluent Mandarin might not be your first priority. Sometimes it can be better to first see whether you can get your foot in the door before investing in learning the language. For this reason, Regina Coeli is now offering a short Chinese culture and language course—one which will give you a good understanding of the culture and a bit of language to break the ice.
Speaking Dutch on the job
Do you speak a lot of Dutch with friends, at the sports club or in the supermarket, but cannot imagine ever speaking Dutch at work? Or have you learned Dutch but not yet found an pressing reason to use the language? Then read on, because your work can be the ideal place to learn how to speak Dutch better.
Writing a proper email in French
If your job involves being in touch with French speakers, odds are you will need to write emails at one point or another—in French: courrier électronique, message électronique or simply mail, It is, after all, a great way to send a message quickly. Other advantages to writing emails include being able to find the right words and think about the grammar, and being able to check your message again before sending it. Use the tips and standard sentences below to make it that much easier!