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Reviews & Portfolio

Portfolio : Carsol Europe B.V., O.M.A. ,Sundio Group B.V., Mazda Motor Nederland, vmbo Horizon scholen Rotterdam, Vonq, Bibliotheek Maassluis, JvantSpijker & Partners, Vakwerk architecten, RGO Middelharnis

I took the Basic 1 course with Leni, she is a good teacher. She uses dynamic methods to teach Dutch and few students per class, which helped me to get progress in learning the language.
Natália Corrêa Cecchi / Beginners 1 November 2023 (via Google reviews)


Leni has been my Dutch language teacher and cultural guidance last two years. As settling new life in a new country is not always easy, especially while juggling work and family, I was from time to time not in my top condition for language study. Leni has been guiding me patiently and cheerfully. She also brought multiple methods (e.g., short story reading, card games, and role plays etc.) in addition to the textbook-based lessons and made me move forward. My language learning curve is not so steep and still on a mild ascend, but I never felt pessimistic about learnig Dutch or communicating in Dutch. It is thanks to Leni's consistent encouragement. Her forward-looking mindset shall help all learners keep moving, and her feedback (gentle and softspoken yet to-the-point as Dutch :-) ) shall let learners realise what they should do next. I believe the success of language study heavily depends on individual's motivation. If one can drive themselves to improve, or being self-driven, the result follows. Leni is great at coaching individuals to be self-driven while building a solid foundation during lessons. It is always a purely fun time with her, even with a thousand unknown vocabulary and onregelmatig werkwoorden that made me cry!

Shoko Dauwels - private lessons 2022/2023 (via LinkedIN)


Leni is a great teacher who puts a lot of effort into choosing the best materials and techniques to get her students to progress in learning Dutch. She has a very modern teaching style and can adapt the lessons to offer the right amount of challenge to the class.

Francesco Balocco - Beginners 1,2,3 + intermediate February 22 - April 23 (via LinkedIn) 


Love the lessons! Especially the different stories we read and re-create every week, indeed a really fun activity and we could also learning new vocabularies at the same time while reading and writing new stories. I’m having classes after work, though a bit tired after a whole day work, I’m always excited to go to class! :) thank you so much :-)  !! 

P. Chen - Beginners 1, March 2023 (via Google reviews)


I am very grateful to you Leni van Vlijmen. I started learning Dutch for the first time in these courses. I liked that all the material was taught step by step and was informative. I have studied many different topics in Dutch. I really liked the course. With every lesson, I feel improvement in speaking. The classes were fun and exciting. I like the teaching system. Rules are quickly remembered, and vocabulary is replenished. Thanks a lot for the knowledge!
Mariam Sotova - Beginners 1, March 2023 (via Google reviews)

Leni is a wonderful teacher and the lessons are quite fun!

Alpaslan Aksoy - Beginners 1 March 2022 (via Google reviews)


I came to know Leni when I had no clue about Dutch. Leni was really helpful and her way to teach the Nederlans was perfect. Recommended, if you are planning to learn Dutch Leni would be best choice.

Ridvan Babalitas - Beginners 1 March 2022 (via Google reviews)

Great teacher! With Leni I learned Dutch for inburgeringsexamen and to handle real-life situations. First I studied in a group and then I continued with private lessons. It was always very fun, we did a lot of creative exercises that helped us better remember words and grammar. Leni is kind, patient, easy-going, and attentive to details! If you want to enjoy learning Dutch, learn it at your own pace and in a natural way, I highly recommend her!

Andrey K. - private lessons 2021 (via Google reviews) 

Leni was a great Dutch teacher. She is patient and creates a really friendly atmosphere. I felt confident practicing speaking Dutch with her.

Jamie T. - intensive daytime course 2021 (via Google reviews)

I take group and private classes from Leni for already 2 years. Having quite intensive work, I usually take 20 lessons and then make a long pause. And every time Leni helped me getting to the new level of Dutch. Leni is professional, has many years of experience, and adapts the program to the goal and level of a student. She uses fun and creative exercises that help to learn the language more naturally. It helped me a lot with motivation. I recommend her classes to everyone who wants to achieve results in a short time but also to enjoy it on the way. 


Andrey K. - Russia - online private lessons 2020/2021 (via LinkedIn reviews)


What was very useful? 

Reading a book for homework, learning basic grammar, learning new words through games and actions…

 What have you learned during this course or lessons? 

Now I can understand (or at least guess/connect) a lot when I am reading. Listening is still challenging. Also, I have clear idea of structuring the sentences and putting them in tenses. 

What helped you to learn something?

Games but also normal exercises for verbs for example. Working in pairs, stories, reading a book, and I think pronunciation is very important although very difficult.   

What do you think of the lessons, are they interactive enough? Yes!

Supporting materials: were they relevant and well presented?  Yes indeed. 

What do you think about the length and tempo of the training?  

It was good, not too fast and not too often but still we have learned a lot. 

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?  

Yes definitely. It helps with reading and understanding.

Would you recommend this course to anyone? YES.

Do you have tips? Please feel free to give them. 

As I suggested on the class some kind of midterm/final test would be nice in order to reflect where we are and what have we learned. Also, it would be nice if we had more opportunities to practice communication, talking, having a basic conversation. But I guess that comes next when we have the basics. And when there is less people in the class. 

Bojana R. - Serbia - Beginners 1 + 2 course incompany 2021


I took an intensive course for Dutch beginners over the course of five weeks, A0-A2. It was a very nice experience. I really enjoyed working together with the instructor Leni. Her teaching method is very effective. Time well spent!

Maria N. - Russia - intensive day time course A0-A2 2020 (via Google reviews)


Luckily, I have been a student at DutchNL and Leni was my teacher for the last Month with A1/A2 intensive course. I can certainly say that i am having a smooth and a very effective learning experience with an overall a great and fun teacher. I am actually amazed that I was able to understand and have small conversations in this brief period of time.

I highly recommend Leni for people who would like to advance in Dutch in a really short time. 

Mohammad A.H.A. - Syrië - intensive day time course A0-A2 2020 (via LinkedIn reviews)


I did the intensive A2-B1 course at DutchNL. It was a wonderful month. My Dutch has improved a lot and I'm more confident using Dutch now. Leni is a very professional and nice teacher. She is patient and humorous so that I can study Dutch in a very comfortable way. She is also very supportive. Even during the Coronavirus period, she is still willing to give me face-to-face lessons just because I prefer that. I really appreciate that. I also had so much fun during the course. I strongly recommend people who want to improve their Dutch efficiently and quickly, should join DutchNL.

Yang C. - China - intensive day time course A2-B1 2020 (via Google reviews)


Leni is personable, professional and teaches with intent and humor. Because I started the class before the shutdowns due to COVID-19, we had half of the sessions in person and then the second two weeks were online (via Skype). It worked very well and I think that is a testament to Leni's teaching skills and preparation.

Abbie P. - USA  - intensive day time course A0-A2 2020 (via Facebook)


Leni was a wonderful teacher, who was flexible to take me on one of the courses after it had started. In two weeks my Dutch improved a lot, due to her fun and effective way of teaching. If you are looking for a GREAT Dutch course - this is the place!

V. Gacic - intensive day time course B2 - C1 2019 (via Google reviews)  


Goedeavond Leni!
Ik ben Jang, ik heb een nieuws!
Ik ben geslaagd met inburgeringsexamen.
Ik heb echt veel geleerd van jouw les.
Bedankt verder en fijne avond verder ! Tot volgende keer !
Nogmaal bedankt!

Met vriendelijk groet,
W. Jang - (Beginners 1 course 2018)


I took the 4 week intensive course (A0 - A2) and recommend it for anyone looking to dive into Dutch. The instructor Leni is funny, kind and knowledgeable. Throughout the course, we had lots of interesting discussions that spanned beyond the language and more about the nuances of Dutch culture. Pronunciation/enunciation is also covered in detail. There's daily homework involved as well so it would be best if you're able to take a break from other commitments to focus on the class (I was working the entire period and though it's not impossible, it ended up being very long days). Dank je wel Leni, voor de fantastische cursus! Tot ziens!

Mussanif Z. - intensive day time course 2019 (via Google review)

I have just finished a two weeks intensive Dutch learning course with Leni, going from level A1 to A2 with the textbook Nederlands in Gang, and I’m happy to say that my experience was a very positive one. I’ve just moved to the city for the summer, and thought that doing an intensive course would give me a good foundation into understanding Dutch and getting by in Rotterdam. Yes it’s true that most people in Rotterdam speaks English so getting by is not a problem, but it is still nice to be able to understand more of what’s around me. Leni with her patient and encouraging attitude and her chosen textbook has been fantastically useful in this way, the chapters are relevant to everyday life in the Netherlands, and the vocabulary I learnt I was able to use immediately, such as learning to do small talk about the weather and traffic, what to say at the bike shop and getting a gym membership! I found the structure of the course optimum - 3 hours each morning followed by 2-3 hours of homework was just the right level of intensity for me. The lessons are structured around correcting pronunciations, listening lots of speaking exercises which was again perfect for being able to apply the language in practical use. Leni has just moved her classroom to Westblaak in the city of town which is conveniently close to many cafes and shops. In the classroom she also offers water, tea and coffee as well as an endless supply of stroopwaffles! Another truly positive aspect of my experience was that although I had signed up to the group intensive class, it turned out that I was the only one who signed up, and though this meant that I was effectively getting one to one tuition at the cost of group classes, I was a little disappointed at not being able to experience the social aspects of being in a group class and practising speaking and listening with more people. Leni understood this without me raising this concern, and reached out to a former student of hers to join the class with me so that I would have a practice partner and a friend, which greatly enhanced my learning experience as well as feeling more motivated to improve. I was surprised at the amount of progress I’ve made in the past 2 weeks, and am about to try her class for the next level up (A2 - B1). I can not recommend her classes enough if you want to learn Dutch in an encouraging environment!

She Peng T. - intensive day time course 2019 (via Google reviews)

Best teacher ever! Very dedicated and keen on details. Thank you for the hard work!
Ana Sofia V. - private lessons 2018 (September 2019 via Facebook)

Excellent course! After living in Nederlands for quite a few years, and realizing my Dutch is nowhere near as good as it should be, I tried to do something about it. I had tried a couple of beginners courses in the past, but they were the occasional 1-hour per week course, and not very well taught, and it is certainly difficult to keep up interest. I felt an intensive immersion-like course would be more suitable for me, as I would be forced to focus on learning Dutch, and only Dutch.
I appreciated the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the class; sometimes the most helpful parts of classes were the informal discussions among the class in which we could practice conversational Dutch.The written exercises, such as writing formal letters, also helped tremendously with my written Dutch.
I see a very good improvement after I followed lessons with Leni. I would certainly recommend learning at DutchNL! 

Shazia F. - Pakistan - intensive daytime course 2018 (via LinkedIn recommendation)

Leni is a passionate teacher and her lessons focus on all aspects of the language. She is always willing to spend time on what is unclear or more complex to understand. I totally recommend DutchNL intensive course!

Giulia D. - Italy - intensive daytime course 2018 (via Facebook reviews)

I really enjoyed the 6 weeks intensive Dutch language learning with Leni. This course is very effective and goes fast which means you need to learn hard. Leni is disciplined with a sense of humor and she enjoys teaching Dutch. She focus a lot on the conversation, pronunciation, and writing. She likes to associate things that she teach to the things in the real life which you can see and feel. She also use games, playful excises, videos to help you learn and make you feel fun. After this course, my Dutch was improved to a much higher level which I can use immediately in my daily life.  

Janet Z. - China - Intensive daytime course 2018

What have you learned? The past, a lot of vocabulary, the pronunciation of the letters, the separable verbs. 

How did you do that? Attending the lessons, studying in the weekends.

What was important? I think it's important to have a solid base before starting Beginners 2. It's a bit difficult to have all students in the same level, but it would be nicer,

How much time per week? 2 hours + the weekly lesson

What worked for you/did not work for you?- I put up post-its around my house with vocabulary that we learnt. Very useful.- Unfortunately I had to skip 2 lessons so you skip some knowledge too. As the group level was a bit advanced for me. 

What should a person do/not do?- Go to every lesson (try to sign up in a period were you won't skip it).- Save time during the week to review what you learnt- Start using Dutch more and more outside of class. 

Joanna O. Spain - Beginners 2 2018

I took her Intensive Course in the end of 2017. I knew only very basic dutch like how to say "I am Hiroya and I am from Japan". But after taking her course, I can understand some of what people speak and I can reply to that, very slow of course.
The course was quite intense if you want to catch up the speed of the class. I studied about 4 hours a day, sometimes more, after the lesson. Leni taught us something we cannot really get from the book very effectively. We had pronunciation and hearing practice everyday with different sounds. She provided additional or easy understanding method for grammars on the text book. And she was always open to any of our questions. I sent her several grammatical questions by email, and she always replied very quick and explained farther in the next lesson.
I am really satisfied that I took her course and I am willing to take next level lesson as soon as I can. 

Hiroya I. Japan - Intensive day time course 2017  (via Linkedin recommendations)


I joined the intensive course (every morning except Thursday for 6 weeks) with Leni and it was a really great experience. Leni is fabulous teacher, she is really patience and push you to properly learn Dutch in all the aspects, from speaking to writing. The course is well arrange and, together with the book, it enables you to learn this difficult language and have a great base to allow self improvement also after the course. In my opinion, the money spent for this course are really well invested. 

Daniele M. Italy - Intensive day time course 2017 (via Linkedin recommendations)

I have recently studied beginners level A1 and A2 with Leni at Dutch NL and really enjoyed the lessons. I had spent some time searching for a suitable class and the trial lesson with Leni made the selection easy. The classes are small (maximum 5-6 people) which allows you more time to practice speaking and ask questions. The time spent on pronunciation and interactive learning methods - along with a good bit of laughter during the lessons - really helped me absorbing the language. I am hoping to join the Beginners A3 course during the summer! I have recommended Leni and Dutch NL to friends who are considering starting to learn Dutch. Hartlijke bedankt Leni!

Sinéad O' F. Ireland - Beginners 1, 2 and 3, intermediate 2016/2017 (via Linkedin recommendations)

What have you learned during this course or lessons?
To understand Dutch, pronunciation and speaking Dutch.

What was very useful?
To speak a lot in class. To have a small class. 

Educational material and exercices?
'verhaal' is good and a nice exercise. Roleplay was fun.

What do you think of the lessons, are they interactive enough? Yes.

Supporting material: were they relevant and well presented? Yes.

What do you think about the length and tempo of the lessons?
2 hours is good. It shouldn't be longer.

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?
Yes. Maybe it would be good to repeat last weeks pronunciation. I forget so easily.

Do you have tips or tops?
Maybe it would be good to receive a booklet of some basic grammar. 

Helena B. Sweden - Beginners 1 + 2 2017/2018


What have you learned during this course or lessons?
To give introduction in Dutch, Greetings, Order food in Restaurant, most of the basic conversations.

What was very useful?

Learn in practical way like games, sound, skits etc.

What helped you to learn something?

Skits and Games helped me to speak spontaneously.

Educational material and exercises?

The symbols and pictures, songs, roleplay, games are more than enough to learn.

What do you think of the lessons, interactive enough?

Yes they are very interactive. Leni and her assistant are very interactive.

Supporting materials: were they relevant and well presented?

Yes very well.

Wat do you think about the length and tempo of the training?

It is up to the mark. 

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?

Yes very helpful.

Can you give examples?

Restaurant role play was very good.

Do you have tops? Please give examples.

Leni had her assistant are very well educated in Dutch and know how to teach.

Do you have tips? Please feel free to give them.

The timings 1930 to 2130 for me was sometimes too late due to very cold weather in Rotterdam. Maybe if possible in future it can be preponed. 

Dheeraj K. India - Beginners 1 2017

I studied beginners course 1 and it definitely helped to improve my Dutch. Now I can make simple sentences and I have a better feel of Dutch language. Classes were interesting so the time went fast. Looking forward to attending beginners course 2.

Tomas N. Lithuania - Beginners 1 + 2 2016

Leni was a wonderful teacher. She is very patient and tailors her class to suit everybody's level of ability. She has a way of explaining the language in a very clear and percise way for ease of learning. The lessons are also tailored to suit individual learning patterns, whether you learn by vision, sound or writing, Leni's classes emcompass them all. I would recommend Leni's DutchNL class for those interested in learning Dutch speaking.

Tracey M. Australia - Beginners 2 2016

What have you learned during this course or lessons?
Some good basic knowledge of Dutch.

What was very useful?
What helped you to learn something?
The making of a story helps to understand sentence construction.

Educational material and exercises? (The symbols and pictures, songs, role play, games,)
Some symbols I found difficult to grasp to start with.
  
What do you think of the lessons, are they interactive enough?
Lessons were good, class size was neither too big or small.

What do you think about the length and tempo of the training?
Good length classes.

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?
Yes. My recognizing sounds has improved.

Neil F. UK - Beginners 1 + 2  course 2016/2017


What have you learned during this course or lessons?

How to greet people on first contact, beginning of conversations.

What was very useful?
Using Dropbox is great, so your full attention is in the classroom and not having to write notes after notes.

What helped you to learn something?
The learning is not all serious. Leni makes the lessons fun to attend.

Educational material and exercises? (The symbols and pictures, songs, role play, games,)
All of the interactiveness in the classroom is helpful. Walking and picking items in the classroom when asked. 
  
What do you think of the lessons, are they interactive enough?
The lessons are fantastic, very personal, lots of attention if required from Leni.

Supporting materials: were they relevant and well presented?
There are lots of material around the room of everything you have learned so you can look around when help is needed.

What do you think about the length and tempo of the training?
2 hours per night is perfect, maybe 2 lessons per week instead of 1.

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?
Very useful, it gives you the difference between the spelling and sound.

Scott M. UK - Beginners 1 + 2  course 2016/2017


What have you learned during this course or lessons?

More words, how to talk in past sent, how to interpret sounds, how to create a sentences, basic grammar 

What was very useful?
The grammar, the acting “scenarios” and the stories.

What helped you to learn something?
To actually go to a class every Wednesday. Also the drop box with attachments was useful

Educational material and exercises? (The symbols and pictures, songs, role play, games,)
I would love to see more “one on one” talking exercises. The tempo of the class and the exercises were a bit too slow for me.  
  
 What do you think of the lessons, are they interactive enough?
The lessons were interactive, but I would like to talk more.

Supporting materials: were they relevant and well presented?
Yes

 What do you think about the length and tempo of the training?
Two hours class is perfect, the tempo was to slow.

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?
Not the most useful, I learn faster by focusing on the speaking, reading and spelling rather than hearing and pronounce.

Do you have tops?
I like your energy and engagement as a teacher.

Do you have tips?
More one on one speaking exercises

Fredrika L.  Sweden - Beginners 2 course 2016

Lessons from DutchNL with Leni deliver me from my laziness to learn the language. Every day I can find some excuse not to learn.  Most often I am tired. lessons are cool, changing the pace. I like the playful way of teaching. If I don't know how to pronounce some word, then I try to imagine how would Leni pronounce it. It mostly works. Grammar is grammar, it can not be bypassed. I would make some grammar rules simply, as in my mother tongue (second most difficult in the world after Hungarian), but no one has to requests do that. If have ambient pressure on your neck (the colleagues at work) and they push to me know already something from the Dutch, so this is a good choice ***** . Leni this is my evaluation, have a nice evening.

Miroslav S. Slovakia - Beginners 2 course 2016


I “Googled”  some course in the city center because I live there. Approached me password "Dutch without books" ... super. I liked the tempo and composition of lessons because I'm quite lazy to learn. I like the flexible lessons and different ways of practicing. Leni´s  exercises helped me to look into the grammar and easier to navigate in it. I think that people who are lazy (like me) or make them more difficult to learn languages will suit fine drill method, practicing (grammar in different situations and variations). Positive on the course is that now I begin to understand from the mass of noise around me, the words and phrases of people talking around me :-)

Miroslav S. Slovakia - Beginners 1 course 2016

What have you learned during this course or lessons?
I’ve learned a lot about pronunciation, perfectum/imperfectum tense, conversations and vocabolaries. 

Educational material and exercises? What do you think of it, interactive enough?
We used the book during the course, exercises,. All in all the material used was well done.

Supporting materials: were they relevant and well presented?
Those materials were well presented and nice to learn with them. Was much more easy/funny than a typical lesson only with exercises on the book.

What do you think about the length and tempo of the training?
The length was scheduled ok, and the tempo also.

Were the pronunciation exercises useful to you?
Yes the pronunciation exercises were very useful to me.

Can you give examples?  
We practise a lot with the “stomme e” it was very important for me.

Do you have tops or tips? Please give examples.
Last lesson we used to invent some stories, it was very nice cause using the interactive software to  see the words. Like that is was easier to remember and improve vocabolaries.

Matteo P.  Italy - Beginners 3 course 2016 (not in a group)


Very nice system, improve your knowledge of new words very fast. Works pretty well with people with busy schedule! The atmosfere in the class was always good. I enjoyed the lessons!

Andreas K. Greece - Beginners 1 course 2016

During this course I enjoyed working in a small group. The lessons were interactive, what helped to learn and remember (!) many things and especially words. Learning from pictures made language easier to understand and learn. P.S. I would have preferred lessons to be a bit more fast, and would have liked more practise with speaking. Thank you! it was a great experience.

Egle J.  Lithuania - Beginners 1 course 2016

I attended the Beginners 1 and 2 courses at Dutch.NL. The teaching method used by Leni, a great teacher with many years of experience, was fun and very rewarding.
She used games and visuals to help in memorising the new words, a method that helped a lot especially when starting from zero with the language.
Every lesson was divided in pronunciation, learning new vocabulary, basics of grammatics
(present tense + past tense), games and the mini stories that helped a lot in starting to formulate phrases and answer questions.
The lessons are more oriented in speech and interaction so anyone in the class could actively participate.
I would highly recommend Dutch.NL as a starting point to the Dutch language, especially to who wants to learn it in an enjoyable way, and does not have a lot of time for doing home work.
Thanks Leni for your help in breaking the barrier of the Dutch language and giving a good hand in getting to know the Dutch culture. Tot ziens,

Gabriella L. Italy - Beginners 1  and Beginners 2 course 2015

I am glad to be here to learn Dutch with an instructor who teach friendly, easy to understand and very good resolution. My favorite are all the important lessons. I get a paper every lesson to keep in review time. Thank you very much.

Surat K., Thailand - Private lessons, Beginners 2 course 2015

Completing the Beginners 2 course has been an incredible journey at DutchNL. All the credit would go to Leni for making the course so interactive and enjoyable. Unless other instituitions who concentrate more on exercises and homeworks, Leni believes in practicing dutch by interactions and game plays. One can easily learn dutch here with minimal effort and the lessons would never leave the brain. It has helped me a lot to interact with my dutch friends easily. Breaking the language barrier in the Netherlands, I have observed a phenomenal positive difference towards my integration in this country.Thank you Leni and thank you DutchNL.

Varun A. India - Beginners 2 course 2015

It was a great place to start learning Dutch especially for beginner. The pace follows to the current situation among classmates. The teacher adjusted the methods to match with the group. You can remember vocabularies and sentences and use it right after you finished the class because you practiced it in class with real situation in simulation. For example, the class was arranged as a restaurant; waitress, customers, and cashier. Then you played as a role by speaking in Dutch. Tips: I also want to learn what words and sentences they use in work place.

Kanokporn P., Thailand - Beginners 1 course 2015

In this course we learned the core of the language.  A lot of pronunciation and accent exercises in order to be able to speak properly and to be understood. Socializing conversations like asking the route, clock-watching and  visiting a doctor were important steps in learning the language. In addition we learned the past tense and we started listening exercises. The way of learning and practicing was enjoyable. Games with the words and discussion over stories kept our attention and participation throughout the lesson. I am looking forward to the next course!

 I. Mavrantzas, Greece - Beginners 1,2,3  courses 2015

 After completing the course Beginners 3, I can say that we are not beginners anymore!
I find the course very interesting and practical. We have learnt the things for everyday life and also have got some knowledge in Dutch culture. That is also very important!
Thanks, Leni!
 
Olga S., Russia - Beginners 3 course 2015

"Having completed courses 2 and 3 I can say that Dutch is no longer a closed book. I am able to understand native speakers better and can make myself understood - if not perfectly. Obviously practice makes perfect, and these courses prove a great deal of opportunity for speaking and also, importantly, enough grammar to keep you on an even keel - and no burdensome homework. The approach is structured but playful - it is surprising what you can learn playing word games, alongside dictation and other written exercises. All in all, this is confidence building in Dutch speech."

Linda T. , Ireland - Beginners 3 course 2015


"I have learned a lot of 'werkwoorden', practised the writing quite a bit (which I think improved a little bit). I find it very good, that during the course I learned many casual phrases and terms, which are used in everyday language and I would not necessary hear on a regular course, not to mention the fun 'spreekwoorden' and  'mop van de dag' ! :-) I liked it that the group was not so big, so we all got the attention, and could practise talking with all the games and exercises, which I think is very important.

Ildiko O. Hongary, Beginners 3 course 2015


"Studying at DutchNL has been a very knowledgeable journey. I was in for Level 2 beginners course this year from January to March. I did learn a lot of new words, framing sentences with correct grammar in past tense and present tense. Spreekwoorden (idioms) were a lot of fun and helped bringing me one step closer to Dutch culture. Usage of pictures, stories and games helped me storing the knowledge in long term memory and that too, without any extra homework ! Leni is a great teacher and she focuses on every individual in the class equally to make sure everyone is learning. This institute is highly recommended if you want to have a fun - filled quality learning."

Shalika S., India - Beginners 2 course 2015

"Everything is in Dutch so I was challenged to speak the language during every lesson. I think that is good. I feel like playing from beginning to end. Ten lessons went fast. It is true what they say: Things go fast when you are having fun.
"Alles is in het Nederlands, dus ik werd uitgedaagd tijdens elke les om de taal te spreken. Ik denk dat het goed is. Ik voel me als het spelen van begin tot eind. Tien lessen ging snel. Het is waar wat ze zeggen: Dingen gaan snel als je plezier hebt"

Rochelle J.T., Philippines - Beginners 2 course 2015


"It was a great experience learning Dutch at DutchNL. The methods of teaching by movements, imitations, stories and games were very helpful to learn and retain all these new words and phrases in my memory. During the lessons a text of words and images depicting these words, was recorded about what was taught in the classroom and it was sent to the students. This was a good way to review what we had learned in classroom! I would recommend anyone who wants to learn Dutch to try the classes of DutchNL. It is fun and rewarding!"

Ioannis M. , Greece - Beginners 1 course 2015

I joined the class in the middle of the course only. Therefore, I attended only 5 lessons but  found them very useful. Time ran very fast during classes as it was fun. I loved the games and Leni's method of teaching. I will certainly join the next course if there is any...
Thanks a lot, Leni!

Olga S., Russia - Beginners 2 course 2015

DutchNL makes learning very interesting and long lasting because of it's entertaining and interactive ways! If anyone wants to make a start at speaking Dutch without cramming books and doing home works, then this is the place to go. The games, stories and the role plays make you learn things and get them stored in your long term memory! The course totally met my expectations.

Shalika S., India - Beginners 1 course


"Leni is a great person. I love her creativity and the way she transforms a complex language like dutch into a well articulated and fun content using meticulously designed methods, improvised roleplays and props. What I liked most about being her student was her enthusiasm and happiness in imparting the knowledge of dutch language with us all. This makes her a great person to be around and makes learning atmosphere very interactive and playful in many ways. I would highly recommend everyone to go through this learning experience."

Anurag B., India - Beginners 1 course

Again it has been a pleasure following your course Leni! With a lot of new games and ways of learning. It needs to be fun to learn a language as an adult, and by learning it the 'kids' way, makes it fun. If there should be time/participants for a 3rd course, I'm in :-).

Mia J., Denmark - Beginners 1,2 and 3 course 2014

Hi Leni,
This is our feedbacks on the dutch course:
We are glad to choose the Dutch course from Dutchnl. We have found that the course is well structured, easy to follow, clear and concise.
We enjoyed every minute during the course especially the week with the role play that we have to participate. Leni was very helpful and has helped us with explaining in details on where and when to use the certain words and sentences. The course has benefited both of us and now we are more confident to engage with basic conversation in our daily life.
I would highly recommend Dutchnl to whoever wants to learn basic Dutch.

Regards
Fairuz (and wife) A., Malaysia - Beginners 1 course


The main thrust of the course is to get students to open their mouths and speak Dutch. In this the teacher does an admirable job: enough grammar is explained in simple terms to help get over some of the usual hurdles - the explication of verb forms was especially clear and vocabulary was systematically expanded (spreekwoorden amusing and necessary!).
The hardest part of learning a language is speaking and being understood. It does take practise, and maybe the course could introduce a bit more spoken drill - too often students are left off the hook with one word answers. However, het verhaal and the games are very good for spontaneity. I very much enjoyed the course and it did help me a lot with trying to speak - still need a lot of practise, and confidence comes slowly (misschien helpt soms een biertje of twee).

Linda T., Ireland - Beginners 2 course


Learning with DutchNL is a well-paced, comfortable, practical, informative course.
Leni and Evelyn are very patient, thorough teachers, providing practical exercises and notes with each lesson. I appreciate being part of a small, interactive class, and being able to ask questions each step along the way.
The notes from class and our follow-up homework is relevant and valuable as a take-away. I will keep all of my notes!
It is comforting to have classmates on the same level, and to have teachers who allow you to ask a question when you need to. I would recommend DutchNL to anyone wanting to learn. Now I just have to put the good work of DutchNL to practice!

Tracy F. Australia - Beginners 2 course

All lessons have been something new, with a new method of learning.
- You make it fun to learn, not a feeling of being forced to learn
- Addressed to all types of 'learners' (visual,...)
- A feeling of being part of the learning + lesson, but doing things at the same time
  as speaking (e.g. role play)
- I feel like I have a very good basis from these lessons, and I feel like I pick up and 
 understand a lot more by knowing the simple words.
- For me it works very good with the pictures and words that I can read and look at,
  at home.
- With this course I believe you take responsibility for your own learning.
- I am without doubt ready for Beginners 2 :-)

Mia J. Denmark - Beginners 1 course


I feel the DutchNL Beginners 1 course has been a good introduction into the Dutch language. Each lesson provides a nice mix of vocabulary and pronunciation. The lessons also include stories, songs, games and other exercises to help us learn in a more memorable way and practise what we have learnt in past lessons. Overall it is an enjoyable course with a friendly and relaxed attitude.

Emma C. Northern Ireland - Beginners 1 course

It is a very practical, comfortable, and understandable course. It is thorough at each step of the way and doesn’t skip detail or get lost in theory. It covers language learning that is helpful for real-life situations. A great way to learn.

Tracy F. Australia - Beginners 1 course

Leni did a great job of accommodating all levels of ability in the same class, and as an introductory Dutch language course it was fun, educational and interesting.
Would you recommend the DutchNL  course  to others? If yes, why?
I would recommend this to others as it was more than simply rote learning, its was educational and fun. As someone who is learning their first foreign language the style or method works.
What, if anything, would you change about the DutchNL course?
Regards change recommendations. I am more visual so I would like more word exercises with English translations. This way I can see how the words fit together, and then I can focus on the pronunciation. By reading it while trying to speak it I find easier than simply memory and speaking from rote. Trying to learn everything at once was something I found quite difficult, and my lack of practice with people did not help, but overall Leni did a great job of making sure everyone participated. 

Dugald R. Australia - Beginners 1 course

The lessons were very interactive and effective. All lessons were very clear en easy to follow.

Anumary M. India - Beginners 1 course

Would you recommend the DutchNL course  to others? If yes, why?
I would, for beginners that want a different and more intimate approach.
What, if anything, would you change about the course?
Even more emphasis on saying words and repeating sentences as well as exercises that force you to try to use the language in spoken form would benefit the experience.

Olof H.  Sweden - beginners 1 course

When I enrolled in the course I expected the basic teaching methods - that is sitting, writing etc. But right in the first minutes I knew that this was something else.  The course was so interactive and fun.  What we learned was very useful and the lessons went by too fast ;)  Tot ziens! 

Hartelijke groet, Asthildur B. Iceland