Dutch for Artists

Students each pick a theme that they would like to discuss or learn more about in Dutch. Each lesson will then be based on these themes, starting with vocabulary and sometimes videos, followed by discussions or debates. Homework assignments in the past have included writing artist biographies, letters, arguments, and poems.

What does intermediate mean for this course?

-You can understand basic  phrases and reply to them without too much hesitation
-You can describe your work in short sentences that form a whole
-You can make a sentence with a main clause and a subordinate clause like: Ik denk dat ik vanavond niet naar buiten kan, omdat er een avondklok is.
-You can navigate your day in Dutch fairly easily but want to take it a step further

Eg. Someone asks you how you are and you can tell them what is going on in your life, but you lack the vocabulary to go in-depth. Or you know how to explain what your life as an artist looks like, but to talk about what drives you on a more philosophical  level is just one step too far.

If your passive knowledge of Dutch (reading, listening) is good, but you’re when speaking or writing, this course will definitely help you develop more confidence!

What past students have to say about this course:

“

Dutch for Artists helped me gain confidence in speaking Dutch. Having lived in The Netherlands for 7 years, and completed a few beginner courses. My understanding of Dutch at a reading and listening level was intermediate, but speaking was a real hurdle. I was looking for a course to help me develop my speaking Dutch and this course was perfect for that. Marik was a great, relaxed teacher who helped stimulate discussions in a playful but also passion driven way.

As students we were given the floor to direct the topics we wanted to talk about and steer the course towards what we wanted to learn. I am grateful for the other participants of the course, a friendly, like minded group of people, willing to learn whilst patient with each-others abilities. It was always a great way to start the week.”

– Sophie (graphic designer)

“The course really gave me more confidence in talking in Dutch. Since the participants are people working in similar fields, I felt like the course was a ‘twee vliegen in één klap’ because I learnt Dutch and expanded my professional network at the same time. Marik is an unconventional language teacher. They are enthusiastic, open-minded and definitely strict wherever needed for the Dutch language. Although most of the course was moved online, the quality wasn’t lessened. Marik knew many educational programmes that helped us get as much as from (or even more than) a physical class.”

– Honey (curator)

About the Teacher:

Marik de Koning is a teacher, trainer and idealist. Apart from this course, they teach young people about ethics, diversity and citizenship. Their main interests are feminist literature, windsurfing in awful (great!) Dutch storms, and trying to find out how their synth works. As a teacher their main goal is to help their students gain confidence and use their brains to think for themselves, which is illustrated by their favourite question: WHY?