Use it or lose it. This also applies to the knowledge of a foreign language that you once acquired. If you don't use a language, it will slowly fade away. The good news is that you can quickly reactivate your knowledge. At least, if you do it the right way.

What can you do yourself?

• Listen to music in French, German, Spanish...
• Watch a film in the language with subtitles, preferably in the spoken language.
• Read a news article in the language. If it goes well, perhaps try a longer article.
• Is it working? Take it a step further.

You can reawaken your dormant knowledge with intensive training in Vught. During individual lessons, you will engage in conversation with a language trainer. During the conversation, they will remind you of words, grammatical constructions and fixed expressions. It's hard work and requires deep concentration, but it's extremely effective. You will go from one “aha moment” to the next and often even gain new knowledge.

You can follow an intensive training course in Vught for as little as two days. Discuss what you can achieve in a few days during a consultation with a language trainer.

At Regina Coeli, we believe that learning a new language is one of the most wonderful things there is. It's like taking your first steps in fresh snow or on a pristine beach.

What can you do yourself?

• For an initial introduction, you can learn online. There are all kinds of websites that offer simple sentences and explain grammar.
• You can find self-study materials in the library or bookshop.
• Get used to the sounds of the language by listening to music or watching a film in the language with English subtitles.

Our language trainers will guide you through learning the language and applying it to your situation as quickly as possible. What do you want to use the language for? That's exactly what you'll learn. If you are a beginner and want to quickly build a foundation in the language and really understand it, we recommend that you take an intensive course or a hybrid course.

You choose your own pace.

• Are you in a hurry? Then take an intensive course from Monday to Friday (or one day shorter).
• Do you have more time? Then a hybrid course with a mix of lessons in Vught and online lessons is a good idea. If you don't like online lessons, you can also spread intensive lessons over a longer period. This way, you can let new material sink in and practise at your leisure.

Even if your grammar is completely correct, your accent and vocabulary betray the fact that you are not a native speaker. Let's start by saying that it is perfectly normal for people to hear where you come from. The real challenge is to communicate as convincingly as you do in your mother tongue. You can work on this in a very targeted way.

What can you do yourself?

• Listen carefully to native speakers, for example in podcasts. What do they say in a given situation? What can you learn from that?
• Ask friends, family and colleagues for feedback. How do you come across?

Refining your pronunciation, showing you how to say something more effectively, demonstrating how you can more easily connect with the cultural code. That's what we're good at!

We give individual lessons and create a personalised programme for you. This can be done during an intensive programme in Vught. You can also take online lessons from a language trainer. Contact us for advice!

Conducting meetings, giving presentations or negotiating with confidence requires something different from asking for directions or ordering a cup of coffee. You need to be able to tell a structured story, persuade others and express your opinion, preferably without searching for words or doubting your phrasing. If you can do this better, your work will become more enjoyable and you will notice that you are more successful.

What can you do yourself?

• Write down sentences you hear around you that you could use yourself. Try to apply them.
• Make a list of words that you use a lot in your work. Use an (online) dictionary to help you.

Our language trainers immerse themselves in your industry and job and work with you on your vocabulary, how to present yourself and how to better fit in with the culture.

We often use role-playing, which allows you to practise situations you encounter in your work at Regina Coeli. Training at our location is most suitable for your goal, but hybrid training, which also includes online lessons, is certainly a good option.

Language is more than grammar and using the right words. Connecting with the culture and using the right body language also help you make more of an impact in an international working environment.

What you can do yourself:

• Read about intercultural differences. Try to recognise them in practice and discuss them informally with your international contacts.
• Observe consciously. How do others conduct conversations? How direct is everyone? How do they deal with silences? What strikes you about non-verbal signals?
• Prepare your communication consciously. Think in advance about language, word choice and context.

If you want to communicate effectively in a foreign language, even in challenging and sensitive situations, we are happy to help. During the consultation, we will discuss what you need to improve your effectiveness. You can learn to tune in better to others, how to lead conversations and how to collaborate effectively across language and cultural boundaries.