Business Spanish for beginners

door Regina Coeli

Have you ever looked into Spanish courses for beginners? Apparently, if you want to learn the language, you can’t get around learning the names of fruits and vegetables, colours and all kinds of sports. But what if you mainly need the language to speak with Spanish-speaking suppliers or customers? Then it’s a bit handier to be able to present your product and write a decent email than to be able to name every fruit and vegetable in the produce section of the supermarket.

At Regina Coeli, you can start learning business Spanish right away, even as a beginner. Not according to a set programme, but a very personal one that's precisely tailored to your needs.

One of our students who wanted to learn Spanish primarily for business purposes was Christian Huising. He works as a policy advisor for the Vallei and Veluwe Water Board. This is, of course, a uniquely Dutch position, but owing to a knowledge-sharing project with Colombia, his position also has international significance.

Asking questions and giving advice in Spanish

‘We always use an interpreter when we’re in Colombia, but I still thought it was important to learn Spanish. I started by studying independently and then went to Regina Coeli to learn how to have conversations, ask questions and give advice. We paid special attention to how you say things. That, of course, included Spanish grammar. There are different ways of saying ‘must’, for example. It’s useful to know how that works. Latin American culture is different to Dutch culture.

Cultural differences with Colombia

Christian already noticed those cultural differences when he was in Colombia. ‘Colombians have quite a lot of knowledge, but for the most part, they take a different approach to their work than we do. It’s very organic and sometimes even chaotic, in my opinion. And yet, they manage to accomplish a lot. And the social side of things is more important than in the Netherlands.’ That has affected Christian in more ways than one. ‘I’ve noticed that I now also ask Dutch colleagues how they’re doing before I get to the point.’

Christian has not been to Colombia since his course in December. ‘I still have online meetings, and I notice a big difference. Sometimes, we communicate in English, sometimes in Spanish. My Colombian counterparts do their best to speak calmly and simply. And that’s going quite well!’

Immediately learn the Spanish you need

At Regina Coeli, you learn exactly the Spanish you need, according to a personal programme. You work towards your goals with a team of native speakers in one-to-one lessons and by doing personal assignments between those lessons.

Would you like to know what we can do for you? One of our Spanish trainers would be happy to share that with you during a non-binding intake.

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