Chantal Janzen's German

The best way to really learn a foreign language is to start using it in the real world immediately after taking lessons. Actress, presenter and musical star Chantal Jansen can attest to that. Just one week after completing her German course at Regina Coeli (‘the Nuns of Vught’), she was already co-hosting, together with Thore Schölermann, the German version of The Voice Kids for German network SAT.1. With seemingly effortless ease, she spoke with contestants and gave interviews to German media who were interested in the seasoned Dutch TV presenter.

Thinking, eating and dreaming in German

Chantal: “After a week like that at Regina Coeli, you think, eat and dream in German. It was fun going ‘back to school’ in such a disciplined environment. I was thrilled with my language trainers—they were so much fun! We focused on the little interviews I would be doing with the children and, naturally, grammar was on the menu as well. I noticed that I hadn’t remembered much from secondary school, so the brush-up was very welcome. My pronunciation was fortunately already good. It’s an advantage that I come from a place near the border. 

What I found terrific was that the trainers had thoroughly researched my work situation. At first I thought they’d done that just for me, but during the lunch break I spoke with a man who told me that his trainers knew exactly what the company he worked for did. They’d figured it all out beforehand.”

A good passive starting level in German

Chantal Jansen’s trainers were Petra Faust and Claudia Gratzer, who both come from Germany. Prior to her training, they watched a few of Chantal’s shows to get a good idea of what she would be facing in Germany. “We knew from her intake that Chantal had a solid starting level in German,” explains Petra Faust. “This meant that we were also able to focus on the nuances of the language during Chantal’s training programme.”

Following her debut, some in the German media said that they find the little mistakes she makes quite charming. “It’s fine for someone who isn’t a native speaker of German to make mistakes in the language. You just have to be good enough to make a good impression and hold your own, and Chantal does that well,” states Petra.

Unexpected twists and turns in conversations

“Linda de Mol set the bar incredibly high for Dutch people who want to make a name for themselves in German television. Chantal realises that perfectly well and worked hard,” according to trainer Claudia Gratzer. “For example, we worked really hard training for the unexpected twists and turns conversations with children can take. Chantal is very conscientious, is open to learning and had prepared well beforehand. Working with her was truly a pleasure.”

Learning a foreign language cannot, of course, be done in just one week. You continue to do so—if you want to maintain a solid level—your entire life. Chantal: “My German sounds quite good, but I still don’t possess the vocabulary of a native speaker. Now I write words down and read German magazines to improve on my own. After a while, I’d like to return to Regina Coeli for a few days to further improve my grammar. The Germans really like that I’ve learned their language at any rate!”