Studying in the Netherlands

[iandominicp77]

Hoi Sue,

Rustig, rustig, rustig......

Ja, it is indeed discouraging... but in a way, it is also a good sign that you can now study dutch in school. It is really different if you have a teacher... I might just have been lucky to have been granted acces to the school in just a short period of time. Waiting time, and how the workers do their jobs differ in every place I think. Just give it a shot.

The exam will be just fine. They will put you to the right group after they get the result of the exam.

Hope to get ANOTHER positive action from you...

Groetjes,
Ian

[Daisy]

I got a call on Saturday from NTI saying that my period of home studies course is up, I had not idea there was a time limit with this dutch course, so that is money down the drain as I have only managed to do half the course.

I visited the De Mondriaan Onderwijsgroep here in Poeldijk and they were very helpful. I was surprised to find that the dutch course was only €100. You have to fill in an application form to register and post it back. You then receive a letter of appointment to visit them again in which you have to do some reading, speaking and writing tests as well as a logical test to see how much dutch you know and how quick you can learn, at the end of the test you pay for the course at the reception with your pin card, you get a copy receipt as well as a carbon copy of your application form, they will also ask for identification like a passport, id card etc so remember to take them with you. I got another letter saying that I start the course "Nederlands voor anderstaligen" on Monday 16th January 2006 and placed in the intensive NT2 h4 group. I will be in a group of approx. 10-15 people. First half of lesson you do computer work and the rest of the lesson group work. My first day is just an introduction about the course and I know that I have to pay for the course book and maybe other materials, but I will find out more on the day. I really hope this is the better option for me. I will also be able to see there is others out there also struggling like me. I will keep everyone posted how I get on. This course is 5 lessons per week, approx 3 hours per session, so I will be there on Monday 1/2 day, Tuesday and Thursday full day. I am so glad to get out of the house and meet new interesting people.

De Monriaan Onderwijsgroep has the following website if anyone is intersting to looking into language and other studies:

http://www.mon3aan.nl

Success everyone and all the best for 2006!!!

Daisy

[Sue]

Hi Ian!

While I was waiting for ROC to get their act together I had found another course. I have to check tomorrow with my current course if I am allowed to do the ROC one. I had to sign a bit of paper before I joined to say that I wasn't doing any other courses so I might have problems. My post was more of a rant about the inefficiency of ROC!

Hopefully it will be no problem because I want to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can!

Groetjes

Sue

Hoi Sue,

Rustig, rustig, rustig......

Ja, it is indeed discouraging... but in a way, it is also a good sign that you can now study dutch in school. It is really different if you have a teacher... I might just have been lucky to have been granted acces to the school in just a short period of time. Waiting time, and how the workers do their jobs differ in every place I think. Just give it a shot.

The exam will be just fine. They will put you to the right group after they get the result of the exam.

Hope to get ANOTHER positive action from you...

Groetjes,
Ian

[Sue]

Hi Daisy!

Well it was nice of the to tell you about the time limit on your first course!

I am glad you found some helpful poeple and managed to get another course sorted out. Good luck with it, let us know how you get on.

I am glad you found one that does 15 hours a week, then you will really get to immerse yourself in the language and learn. Mine is only 2 and a half hours per week and it isn't enough.

Good Luck!

Sue

(I tried to go to the website but I couldn't get the links to work, I will have a look again later!)

[Bieneke]

Good to hear that you all managed to enroll in a Dutch course! Good luck to all of you! Do let us know how you are doing occasionally

Groetjes,

[Daisy]

Hallo iedereen!

It has been a hard week. I was surpised that the other students had started the course a week earlier so I have missed the introduction and four exercises, I have to do these exercises in my own time as homework as well as homework for present lessons.

In the group there is 5 students (including myself), it is nice to speak with people from all parts of the world. The nationalities of these students are turkish, polish, african and spanish and their english is pretty good but we all have to speak dutch all the time in class. We have 3 teachers who are very friendly and helpful when asked if we do not understand something.

Everyone has to take alternative turns in reading out the worksheet questions as well as answering. We also do the written work on our own or in a group and the computer work we do ourselves which is basically what we have covered in the lesson but this is more of listening, speaking and typing in the correct info.

I really like this course as it covers every day things, the basic ways of living, what to say, what to do etc...the worksheets exercises are fun to do as there is crosswords etc/pics, it is not just reading paragraphs all the time and the thing I like about this course the most, you are not just learning words, you first learn about basic sentence structure and standard grammar.

I found out on Friday that the non-eu students will be provided and paid for with the course books and software cds on Monday as it is compulsory for them to study dutch. Since I am from the EU, I have to pay for and order the course books and cds myself, so I will get mine on Thursday from the bookstore, fingers crossed. I think and hope the software will be the same as what we use in class as it is very easy to use.

What we have covered so far is very similar to what is in the course book. The exercises are good because what you have learned so far is continued throughout the exercises to help you remember and not forget. I found it hard at first to talk dutch but now I have done it for a week, I am not so shy as I can talk a little dutch with my new family now. Everyone is so proud of me and I am proud of myself as I have never taken an interest in studying a challenging language before. I hope this enables me to obtain a good job in the future.

I also found out that my course finishes in July, so heres hoping by then I can talk/write good dutch.

[iandominicp77]

Super he!!!

I guess we have the same thing. I also go to school 5 days a week, 3 hours per day, 2 times selfstudy by the computer.... I am wondering if you are also using Tom Sinkle, Melvin Kozal, etc. in your exercises.... And if you are also using Nieuwe Buren textbook?

Today is the start of my 3rd week in school. It is getting heavier and heavier every week.

Ja, het gemeente betaald voor onze nederlandse taal cursus. I found out that it's 5,500.00 euros per cursist per jaar!!!! Heel duur.... and yet I have observed that some of the students are not really taking the opportunity to study the course seriously.... It's a lot of money going down the drain....

Ian

[Sue]

I would love to do a course where I did that much study. I want to learn there is just not the opportunity for me to do more classes. I had to jump up and down to get these couple of hours a week.

It is a shame that some people in your class don't bother to learn and don't take advantages of the opportunities they have, Ian.

Hope you continue to do well and it gets a bit easier for you!

Sue

Super he!!!

I guess we have the same thing. I also go to school 5 days a week, 3 hours per day, 2 times selfstudy by the computer.... I am wondering if you are also using Tom Sinkle, Melvin Kozal, etc. in your exercises.... And if you are also using Nieuwe Buren textbook?

Today is the start of my 3rd week in school. It is getting heavier and heavier every week.

Ja, het gemeente betaald voor onze nederlandse taal cursus. I found out that it's 5,500.00 euros per cursist per jaar!!!! Heel duur.... and yet I have observed that some of the students are not really taking the opportunity to study the course seriously.... It's a lot of money going down the drain....

Ian

[iandominicp77]

Ja Sue, I will try to stay focus with my study. So far, everything is prima.....

I now think that it would have been better if you would have been in my class instead of the ones who are not taking it seriously

ian

[Daisy]

This is the course books and software cds that I will be getting on Thursday from the bookshop. The software is exactly the same what we use in class.

This is the course book and software cd that I will be using in class and at home.

Code 1 cursistenpakket (takenboek+cd-rom) - leerling-exemplaar Boers ISBN 9006811106 = €82,30

This grammar book was optional but the teacher recommended that we buy it

Klare taal! Uitgebreide basisgrammatic NT2 Jenny van der Toorn-Schutte - werkboek, 88 lessen, inclusief oefencd-rom ISBN 905352746x = €36.90

I have used the above software in class, it keeps a record of your task achievements and at the end of each section of the cd you can also do a test. You can repeat the lessons as many times as you want. The topics covered are fun to watch, listen, speak, read and type.

I had a sneak look at the thick grammar book and cannot wait to get my copy on Thursday

I do not know if you can borrow these books from a library but it maybe worth buying them secondhand as the new ones are quite expensive.

[iandominicp77]

Your study materials Daisy are indeed very expensive!!!!! My 3 books costs 37,50....

I hope you will get what your money's worth with those stuffs...

Dag

[Guest]

Hello everyone!
I live in Holland for a year now and only today I've discovered this forum. I had to find out how things work in Holland all alone. I wish I knew about this site before, it sure would have made my life easyer...
I just wanted to share with you that I've also been a very angry girl when I came here. I had to wait for my intaketoets for months, coz I didn't have 5000 euro to pay for ROC. But it was worth waiting. Tomorrow is my last day. I did the intaketoets good, so i only had to go to school for 3 months. It's a very good school and they can help you a lot. I did most of the studying before my course started (I was bored, so I bought some books for selfstudy), so if you have to wait and have too much time on your hands, this would be my advice for you what to do.
I HAD to follow this ROC NT2 course as a part of my inburgering, so gemeente paid and they paid for my books and for the public transportation.
One more thing. In ROC are different types of groups. Some have different levels, previous education is also something they look at, some learn faster then others (usually it's a group of students in a fast group that in 6-7months from level 0 comes to level 4-5). Enything is possible, but it's really not your dessision.
Take care! Succes!

[Sue]

Ja Sue, I will try to stay focus with my study. So far, everything is prima.....

I now think that it would have been better if you would have been in my class instead of the ones who are not taking it seriously

ian

I wish I was as well Ian - I would get some proper lessons then!

Sue

[Sue]

Ian Ian Ian!!!!! I am so excited!!!!

I took a few exams to assess my niveau level and I got niveau 3 on everything except luisteren which was just under - and I have been accepted for a new group especially for people of niveau 3 or higher who want to improve their Dutch. The gemeente don't usually subsidise such groups because they concentrate all their efforts (and funding) on the newbies getting a basic level of Dutch and niveau 1 - but because a few people have enquired they are setting this up until the summer break in July! It will be classes for 2 half-days per week and another half-day in the computer room without a teacher. We have to pay for the course but it is very reasonable. It starts next week or the week after, she will let us know!

Happy Sue

[iandominicp77]

I am so Happy for you too!!!! Enjoy studying dutch in school now!!!!

Let me know what is it that you will be learning.....

Ian