From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
Ajax trainers initiated in Chinese at Regina Coeli
At the beginning of this year, Ajax trainers Ed Engelkes, Ralf Kebsch, Marc Gosselink and Ian Taylor started developing a youth training programme for top Chinese club Guangzhou R&F FC. In preparation for their deployment to China, the Ajax trainers took a Chinese language course at Regina Coeli in December. It was hard work, but it gave the four men a solid foundation in the language.
Learning a language with a pen in hand
Why would you still use a pen and paper to make notes or write text? Nowadays, you can use the most advanced apps and programs to take notes, edit text, share documents—you name it—on a smartphone, tablet or computer. At Language Institute Regina Coeli, we are also naturally at home in the digital world, and e-learning is a part of every language course. And yet it pays to regularly write the old-fashioned way. We even encourage it in our language courses!
Road map for navigating the Dutch office jungle
It’s no secret that the Dutch are direct and adore succinct communication. For the Dutch, it’s more important to convey a message clearly than to do so with a great deal of tact. They are more task- and result-driven than they are focused on building good relationships. The Dutch are therefore also not big on small talk (koetjes en kalfjes) in a business context. This is because, in the Dutch culture, relationships aren’t necessary for getting the job done—but they can of course help!
25 Dutch management terms that every expat should know
In the average Dutch company, a unique language is spoken at management level: Dutch ‘management speak’. If you deal with a lot of Dutch people on the work floor, you’ll hear these terms being used all the time. It’s then that you might realize that a course in social Dutch may not be quite enough for understanding what in the world someone is talking about.
Five tips for techies when learning a foreign language
Did you have a hard time learning foreign languages in school, or perhaps reduce grammar rules to simple mathematical formulas which led to erratic outcomes? Then it could be that you have an analytical brain. The idea that you are not cut out for learning languages is nonsense. You just learn it differently to the way it is taught at secondary school. Read on to learn how to best approach learning languages.
Five Dutch Expressions
If you already speak Dutch quite well, you are ready for the next challenge: understanding and correctly using Dutch expressions. Expressions are used and abused by the Dutch, so watch out: the Dutch make mistakes with them! If you know the origin of an expression, it is easier to use them correctly. Have a look below at five commonly-used Dutch expressions. Try your hand at using them in your communication!