Learning Dutch in Belgium – where to go?
Belgium knows 3 official languages: Dutch, French and German. And if you’re looking for a job in Belgium you’ll soon notice that a lot of the vacancies ask some knowledge of one of these three. Luckily there are a lot of institutions and organisations that offer courses for those wanting to learn. We’ve made a list of organisations and schools where you can learn Dutch.
1.Centrum voor Volwassenenonderwijs: CVO
This centers for adult education can be found in most major cities in Flanders as well in the Brussels area. Courses are available during the day and in the evening. The courses are given in group depending on your level of Dutch.
2.Universitair Talencentrum: UTC
If you’re looking for more high paced classes, you should check out the courses almost all universities in Belgium offer. You’ll learn Dutch in groups with a part of the course that consists of independent study. We highly recommend this one for those who want to learn Dutch on a high level, perfect for future business life.
3.Centrum voor Basiseducatie: CBE
If you’re not familiar with latin characters or if you’re a slow learner, you can take a look at the classes the center for basic education has to offer. The courses take place in small groups and are tailored to your learning speed. Classes are during the day or in the evenings.
4.VDAB (Flanders), Actiris (Brussels) and Syntra
If you’re looking for a combination of learning Dutch and another skill, these organisations can help you out. VDAB en Actiris are focused on helping people to find a job, if you’re just a beginner and don’t know any Dutch, you’ll first have to do a beginners course somewhere else.
5.Berlitz Language school
The Berlitz language schools can be found in Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent (they also have 2 locations in Wallonia). You can follow a wide variety of courses individually or in group, no matter what your level of Dutch is. They also offer online courses.
6.Business Language and Communication Centre: BLCC
If you want to take your Business Dutch to the next level you could contact the BLCC. They offer a wide range of Dutch language courses focused on the business world.
7.Duolingo
Duolingo is an online language-learning platform. It’s free, has an app and allows you to learn a language by using it 5 minutes a day. We recommend using this app together with attending courses from one of the organisations above.
Practice your Dutch with others!
There are a lot of different kind of initiatives that are focused on bringing people together and practicing Dutch. There is a website called “Nederlands oefenen” where you can find initiatives in your neighborhood.
Internationally recognized certificate
Want to test the level your Dutch is at and have an internationally recognized certificate that proves your skills? Then CNaVT could be the right solution for you. For more information you can take a look at their website.
Learning a new language can be hard and sometimes overwhelming, take a look at one of these blog posts if you want to have some fun when learning Dutch:
12 Belgian movies you must watch when learning Dutch
Belgians love their idioms and when you translate them into English, they are weird and funny
15 Dutch words that will put a smile on your face
5 Dutch sentences to use during your Belgian job interview
This article was based on information we found on the website of https://integratie-inburgering.be and our own experiences.