From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
The language of a conference call in English
These days, many companies collaborate in virtual teams or have teams whose members work in different locations. Conference calls can be an efficient, environmentally-friendly way to communicate with one another in those situations. Of course, that is not really rocket science to anyone, but conference calls do come with their own challenges. In this article, we will give you some practical tips and phrases/sentences you can use to get a conversation going and structure it.
The language of Brazil’s carnival
Every year, Carnival explodes onto the scene in Brazil. It officially runs from Sunday to Tuesday, but a lot of partying also happens in the months leading up to Carnival, like at the so-called blocos, street parties in the different neighbourhoods. If you go to Brazil during Carnival, our word list may come in handy.
This is the best vacation I have ever had!
Language Institute Regina Coeli is undoubtedly one of the most international places in the Netherlands. Not only do people from 20 countries work here, but the students who take our language courses also come from every corner of the world. One of those is Cat Dawson, a bubbly American go-getter who is currently studying in Spain and came to learn German in the Netherlands.
New Year festivities in the Netherlands
December is a month of festivities in the Netherlands. It all starts with St. Nicholas which is celebrated by young and old. But almost as soon as he has weighed anchor and set sail for Spain in his trusted steamboat, the Dutch are making plans for Christmas and the New Year. Whereas Christmas is generally a more intimate celebration when families get together for a festive meal, New Year’s celebrations are much more exuberant. How do you survive New Year’s Eve and the countless New Year’s drinks parties that are held in January?
Learning Dutch at the kitchen table and in museums
Most people know Regina Coeli thanks to our “week with the Nuns” concept. At times, clients have somewhat unique training requests, which we do not at all mind because we then get the opportunity to rise to the challenge. Fifteen-year-old Dafna Heule’s programme is a good example of a course that was composed entirely according to the client’s needs.
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.