From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
Dutch is a must for leading a company like Heineken
Frenchman Pascal Gilet has been at the head of Heineken Nederland for quite some time now. From the very beginning, he was determined to only speak Dutch with his colleagues. At first that was in fairly straightforward, simple Dutch, but as time went by, he began communicating in increasingly beautiful and complex sentences. In fact, you can hardly catch him out on mistakes these days. The only thing that betrays his non-Dutch heritage is his French accent.
Speaking business Mandarin is something else entirely
Cat Hai Chiem discovered in his work at Eurail.com that business Chinese differs greatly from everyday Chinese. That was one of the reasons he decided to take a language course at Regina Coeli.
Presenting gifts, the do's and don'ts of Chinese culture
When the British transport minister presented a watch to the mayor of Taipei, her act was described by BBC as a “cultural gaffe”. So why is a “watch” not a good gift in Chinese eyes? And what are the right and wrong choices for gifts to Chinese business associates and friends? The answer lies in the Chinese language.
German is on the tip of your tongue
“Ein alter Affe auf einem Apfelbaum aß einen Apfel auf.“ This is a simple German sentence that many Dutch people have problems getting their tongues around. The reason is that German articulation is completely different to that of Dutch.
Magical words in German
Just as in Dutch and English, German modal particles, which are words that reflect the mood or attitude of the speaker, are magical words.
10 tips for doing business in the United States
Western Europe and the United States seem to be very similar in terms of culture. However, there are some essential points that could be a deal breaker with an American. Here are ten communication tips for if you are planning to or are already doing business with Americans.