Really Discouraged - Don't Know What To Do

[Alyssaur]

I'm not sure about Holland's policy regarding immigrants and integration, but I would hope it is similar to Finland's in that they really want you to successfully integrate and be productive in the community.

If possible, I would suggest going to the unemployment office in your area and seeing if they can set you up with a language course as soon as possible -- preferably one that lasts for 6-9 months with the possibilty of work-practice in between, or after the course.

History and culture is something you can learn on your own, but there's only so much of the language you can pick up on your own. Plus, it really helps to be taught a language correctly from the beginning, rather than having to correct learned mistakes later on.


I moved to Finland this past summer and after asking around at the unemployment office, I immediatly got set up with this great 9 month course.

I've been in the course for about three weeks now and I already feel like I can get around without my husband translating for me all of the time.

It helps to have a teacher really loves her job too. I can imagine how much harder it would be to learn Finnish if our teacher wasn't interested in teaching us.

Anyway, I really hope your situation improves. I know how difficult it is to be in a new country where you can't understand anyone and vice versa.

Even if their way of life is not so different from your home country, being able to communicate is a huge deal.

 

[Nela]

This is the program through the unemployment agency. They are supposed to be teaching the whole kit for citizenship. The thing is it's more of an 'immersion' than a language class. It's a bit difficult because they want you asking things in english but they don't teach you how to say it in dutch. :expressionless

Also, half the course is done on a computer program. The problem with the computer program is a) a bit too advanced since we cannot understand the questions and b) faulty. It's quite difficult to learn with a program that keeps crashing or glitches so it doesn't show what is needed to do the exercise.

I completely agree about learning it right rather than having to correct it later on. I think that is one of the things that irk me the most. They have the mentality that they teach only for you to pass the exam. So what may be 'acceptable' may not be correct. Especially with pronounciation. Of course I understand it may not be perfect, but I do think that it's something quite important.

Ah wellllll...

 

[Sabine]

Hi Nela, I am sorry to hear you are having such a hard time in your Dutch class.
I am a language teacher and felt aghast reading through the account of your first language class.
With only four students in the class you have so many options of interactive exercises and loads of personal attention and what does your teacher do? She sits you in front of a screen:?
The next thing you are supposed to read words that you have never heard pronounced:shock: A teacher with any basic training should know That it's hear - speak - read - write the word (in that order). In fact in my beginners classes I would stay away from the written word for at least the first half an hour so that the pronunciation becomes habitual.
If she wasn't sure what level everyone was at a little get-to-know-each other-session (what's your name? where do you come from?... etc...) would have soon established that.
My guess is that these people aren't actual teachers and it's a shame they couldn't at least get some students doing a diploma in education to do the job.

 

[Nela]

Thank you Sabine. That's exactly how I would expect to learn a language. Right now we are doing: read, speak, write, pronounce. Makes no sense to me at all :expressionlessIt's such a shame to see teachers being replaced with computers, especially when they are replaced with programs that crash constantly.

The day is split it two. We spend the first half on the computer, and the other in class with a teacher.

The computer part is a complete waste of time at this moment. The program is just too advanced. You cannot read dutch if you've never learned the words. The program shows you a video which is completely dutch (okay, you can guess at what it is about since it is a video) but then they ask questions about it. So okay, although you have figured out what it's actually about, you can't understand what they are actually saying. The questions are then in dutch, as are the answers and that's where we get lost.

It's bad enough that they didn't even explain to us how the program works so we just randomly click everywhere to see what happens. Lol. Then on top of that, the program itself has issues. Sometimes, you're supposed to be seeing pictures but the pictures don't show.Oftentimes the program just crashes completely. At other times it just skips a chapter... :expressionless

The 'interactive' half started just as wonky as the computer half. We had to introduce ourselves in dutch - which no one speaks. Then it was just zooming through pages. I don't think I have ever heard the numbers from 1-100 so fast... That was how we were to learn. ssd:

The 'interactive' part is split between two teachers, so they alternate every second day. One of the teachers was absolutely rude and pretty much sat on her butt all class and let us try and figure out the dutch language amongst ourselves. Yes, one canadian, two russians and one romanian (and now one chinese) will figure it out... Anywho, that teacher had a problem with us and the school and demanded they find us a new teacher.

Things are going a little bit better with the other teacher but it is still rough. It's just so discouraging to learn like this :expressionless

 

[Sabine]

The set up sounds utterly bizarre to me. You can't ask people to start saying things in a foreign language without giving them a few phrases. I always love those first few classes when people go home and are thrilled they can say a few things in the new language like 'hello','how are you', 'I come from...
I would actually love to teach a class with people of different origins. My classes are usually all English speakers and I've never managed to carry through with German for the whole time as it is more effective short term to give explanations in English and my students wouldn't be immersed in the language outside the class room.

 

[Nela]

Agreed Sabine.

After much frustration and debate, I have decided to withdraw from the college. Jeff has found all the information I need and it turns out that the course is completely optional. Of course, the integration isn't but how you go about learning it is.

Jeff has found me an excellent self-study course from which I will be learning dutch language and more. It is an 'inburgerencursus' book so it is made to follow the 'Inburgeren' (integration) requirement. I will also have his help and most likely the help of his sister and mother as well.

I believe this is a better option. I only read a preview of the book and already I learned more than I have in weeks. Simple pronounciation guidelines that have made a world, and I mean a world of difference. Simple simple rules that are indispensable.

Also, while reading the book preview, they mentionned a website which has a ton and I mean a TON of information for expats. They even have their own magazine. They offer things like counselling, guidance, job listings, course listings, community activities, etc etc.

If the school program works for others, that's cool. Myself, I would rather have a more intensive course. Something more concrete, more productive.Going to school almost full-time for a very part-time education? Not my thing. My way works better - for me.

Btw... The computer program? The whole program/network crashed

 

[AquaticRex]

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

dunno if that will help any, but i use it for fun. i play a game and a few people can only talk in Spanish, and i use that to help get a point across.