When people start learning a new language, all too often the focus is on the level of proficiency and whether that level has increased since the course started. We believe that a language course has a much broader goal. You can make progress even if your CEFR level doesn’t increase.
This all starts with your screening. It is intended to measure your language proficiency and link it to a particular level using the CEFR scale. That sounds obvious because you want to know where you stand at the start and how much room for improvement there is.
We also need to know that level in order to find the right trainer for you. That is someone with a feel for your personal work context. The trainers in turn need to know the level you are starting from so that they can build on that.
If you want to speak Dutch better at work, we will immediately give you a handy set of relevant words and terms that you can use in that situation straight away. Perhaps you already speak the language at level C1 and can chair a meeting without any problems, but still find it hard to understand fellow workers in informal conversations. We can help you with this issue too. A customised programme makes for an effective course.
However, the screening is about far more than just determining your level. We also test your communication skills, both comprehension and speaking. We discuss your job, what you expect from the language course and what you hope to have achieved at the end.
Each job requires skills at different levels. One course participant may want to secure new contracts with French clients while another may need to chair meetings with English-speaking colleagues. Yet another may want to be able to defend and argue their position just as well in German as in Dutch, or simply to be able to chat with co-workers during the coffee break.
The key is therefore to document what you want to be able to do in the target language. Too many people still cling to the idea of the CEFR level as the ultimate indicator.
In addition to improving your general CEFR level, we focus on your functional level. We make sure that you receive training in what you want or need to be able to do in your field. This will make you feel more confident, ensure you actually use the phrases you have learned and have you speaking more fluently with less hesitation.
After just a few sessions, you will find the language course is having an effect in your job. You will rapidly make significant progress — even though your CEFR level may not change.
Measuring your general language proficiency in CEFR levels is just one aspect — not unimportant to be sure, but do you also have the right skills in the language you are trying to master? Is your functional proficiency really at a level that lets you get results in your job?
You can only really say “mission accomplished” when you have achieved your personal goal in your target language.