Master class ‘Language coaching with Het Begint met Taal’
At the end of November we had a fantastic visit from across the border. Hanna and Elise crossed the border by train from the Netherlands. For two days, they were able to sniff a little bit of Brussels, but most of all, to teach and tell us a lot. They work at the Stichting Het Begint met Taal, an organization that uses language support to help all newcomers in the Netherlands participate optimally in society. They see language and contact as the indispensable means to be part of society. As part of the project ‘Together for a diploma’, EVA bxl organized a master class on language coaching together with the Huis van het Nederlands Brussel. Samen voor een diploma is a research project of EVA bxl and explores how people with a migration background can be stimulated and supported in Dutch-speaking higher education. Language support for (potential) students is an important part of this. Together with the Huis van het Nederlands Brussel we are investigating what form this can take. Het Begint met Taal came to inspire us in this.
In two sessions, we learned how the Netherlands uses volunteers through the national organization “Het Begint met Taal” to support people learning Dutch as a foreign language. Het Begint met Taal supports local chapters that in turn support the volunteers. The volunteers are paired with newcomers to speak Dutch together. Not every contact takes the same form. Het Begint met taal focuses mainly on language coaching. They understand by this a one-on-one meeting between a volunteer and a newcomer. But they also organize language cafes, what we know as conversation tables, where a volunteer initiates the conversation in a small group. Compelled by Corona, at the first lockdown they started up Chat buddies, an online version of language coaching. This proved a great success and created a new group of volunteers who signed up. Especially young, working people find it easier to find their way online to volunteer at Het Begint met Taal. This allows more newcomers to be paired with a volunteer. The Kletsmaatjes thus fulfills a need and is thus further expanded. It is important that meeting, equality and contact are central, but in addition it is also an important practice opportunity in Dutch. Yet it is not about raising the language level of the newcomer, that is the role of formal language classes. It is about increasing the newcomer’s language contact.
Het Begint met Taal provides a clear framework and structural support. They developed a software that helps local departments link volunteers to newcomers and monitor ongoing trajectories. In addition, a frequency and deadline are usually agreed upon for language support. This gives clarity to both the volunteer and the newcomer, and the newcomer receives an official certificate at the end of a trajectory. If the language volunteers need substantive support or inspiration, training courses can be requested and booklets are available for each language level to help start a conversation and proceed step by step in the process. The content of the language support can vary, especially for the groups, depending on the learning goal of the newcomer, for example a job search or being able to communicate with the children’s school.
It was two fascinating days of exchange and new insights. 5 things we will definitely take with us:
- Organizing language support (1 on 1 and in groups) with a large group of enthusiastic volunteers is possible!
- Provide structural and substantive support for your volunteers (training, content materials, appreciation, etc.)!
- Volunteers are a diverse group of people (retirees, young working people, students, etc.) and choose the form that best suits them (physical, online, etc.)!
- Create a clear framework for language support (frequency, duration, purpose, etc.)!
- Language contact is essential. Especially in the Brussels context, creating opportunities to practice Dutch is especially important!
Would you like to read more about how Het Begint met Taal works? Take a look at their website.
Or curious to learn more about Together for a Diploma? Click here.
What language support looks like in Brussels and/or feel like volunteering yourself? You can find all the information here!