Who is this course for?
This course is specially designed for employees from municipalities, provinces and the central government who have regular contact with non-Dutch speaking parties and colleagues. This includes aldermen from border municipalities in the Euregion, as well as policy officers involved in European projects. The course is available for groups and individual participants.
What can you expect from this tailor-made language course?
- Training in the language of your choice: English, German, French, Spanish or any other language you need in your work.
- Focus on your working environment: No standard materials, but your own working environment is taken as the starting point. You will practise using official language in the context of your own cases and documents. From meetings to presentations and from business emails to small talk.
- Interactive modes of instruction: Think of role-play in which we simulate realistic work situations and writing assignments that you can use straight away in your day-to-day work.
- Cultural awareness: Learn how cultural differences affect communication and how to deal with these differences successfully.
- Targeted feedback: You will receive intensive guidance and feedback from an experienced language trainer who understands how government institutions work.
Content and approach
We tailor this course fully to your needs or the needs of your team. We start with an intake interview, in which we identify your learning objectives, language level, work situation, and practical preferences. Based on this information, we put together a personalised programme, from an intensive short course to a comprehensive learning programme. Depending on your wishes, this may include the following elements:
- Speaking skills in a variety of work-related situations, including introductions, meetings, phone calls, small talk and presentations
- Written skills required for example for writing emails and meeting reports
- Explanations regarding the political structure and governance culture
- Feedback on pronunciation, word choice, tone and structure of conversations and written communications
- Insight into intercultural communication: habits, sensitivities, and non-verbal signals
The result
After completing this course, you will:
- Communicate with more confidence and conviction in your chosen language
- Have a larger vocabulary and better speaking skills
- Be aware of cultural differences and know how to respond to them
- Have knowledge of the governance culture of your international contacts
- Be able to communicate professionally with international relations, both orally and in writing
- Be better prepared for international cooperation and negotiations