First "Praat Slim Nederlands" Certificates Awarded
On Wednesday, July 1, the first participants in the "Praat Slim Nederlands" program received their certificates or certificates of encouragement in the council chamber of the Zevenbergen town hall. Councilman Arno Fens presented the certificates during a festive gathering.
Three months of learning and practicing
A total of seventeen participants began the program on April 1. During a kickoff meeting, they first took a language assessment, after which everyone was placed in the appropriate level. The participants then spent three months working on the online modules of “Praat Slim Nederlands” via the English Education Group (EEG) platform.
Every two weeks, the participants met at city hall. Instructor Arnold Augustijn provided feedback on the recorded homework assignments, and together with language buddies from Lions Moerdijk, the participants practiced their speaking skills. Through plenty of practice and conversations about the topics covered in the course, the participants made visible progress in their Dutch speaking skills.
Great results
Of the seventeen participants, eleven have now completed a full course. One participant even successfully completed three levels. A total of thirteen certificates were awarded. The participants who have not yet completed their course received a certificate of encouragement to motivate them to continue.
Councilman Arno Fens expressed his appreciation for the participants’ dedication. “Learning a new language requires perseverance, courage, and a lot of practice. These certificates open up new opportunities: in work, in interacting with others, and in building self-confidence.”
To be continued after the summer
After the summer, participants will either move on to new course materials or new speaking sessions, or continue the program at the level where they left off.
The Municipality of Moerdijk is working with Werkplein to explore ways to apply this approach on a broader scale. Volunteers play an important role in this effort. In Moerdijk, this support is currently provided by the language buddies from Lions Moerdijk.
The municipality congratulates all participants on this special milestone and wishes the students who are still in the program the best of luck as they continue their journey. Keep up the good work!