“You also need to have a feel for the language”

 

Django Gantz, a promising student at Amsterdam drama school, was signed up for a placement with the renowned Schauspielhaus Bochum in Germany. Just like his predecessors such as Pierre Bokma and Johan Simons, this meant that he had to fully immerse himself in a German-speaking environment. "I want to be able to talk to them. Not just socially, but also professionally. My pronunciation has to be good, but you also need to have a feel for the language”, explains Django. "It is an interesting theatre. I have a minor role, but I experience everything from start to finish."

"I only had German for a short time at secondary school"

When Django decided to improve his German, he came straight to Regina Coeli. Although he had little previous experience in the language - "I only had German for a short time at secondary school" - he quickly felt at his ease thanks to the Regina Coeli approach. "During the intake I received a link to some good German exercises and the tip of writing vocabulary lists. That was truly worth its weight in gold. That meant I did not start the training from absolute zero."

The personal approach of the language trainers made an impression on him. "What I really liked is that during the intake they asked me what my areas of interest were. They had prepared on this and were able to speak to me extensively in German." This resulted in Django feeling fully seen and heard.

Django was determined to get the most out of his time at Regina Coeli. "When I started with the training, I had been in Germany for three weeks. I was already used to the language around me. That made a huge difference."

"It also does not feel good when everyone has to speak English because I can’t speak any German."

The impact of learning German is great. "I notice how rewarding it is to learn an extra language. Last week I was able to say something in German for the first time. As a result I felt much more a part of the group. When you speak English, you are on the outside. It also does not feel good when everyone has to speak English because I can’t speak any German."

Through his training, Django not only began to have a better grasp of the language, but also to appreciate its nuances and richness. "You can do everything with words in Dutch. In another language you don’t have that yet," he explains. "You want to make nuances and use the riches of the language as well as possible." For Django, speaking the language is freedom: "When I came back to Germany after my training, many things fell into place and I noticed that I was already understanding the deeper layers."

Django is determined to further improve his German. "I will carry on learning. Every day I watch the news in German, work with an app, listen to German podcasts about theatre and above all go and speak it a lot."

"I found the training extremely pleasant and instructive."

The compulsory speaking of German at Regina Coeli was crucial in his learning process: "The fact that you have to speak German during the lessons and language tables is very good. Otherwise I would probably have shied away from it."

Django looks back on his time at Regina Coeli with satisfaction. "I found the training extremely pleasant and instructive." With new knowledge, skills and self-confidence, he is ready to continue his German adventure and intensify his passion for the theatre.