About me
My name is Gysanne Alkema. Since October 2015 I have been giving private Dutch lessons at my home in Arnhem-Noord and at my students' workplaces . I teach individuals, couples and small groups. Since Corona time I discovered online teaching. I now can help students from all over the Netherlands ( and even the world!) with learning the Dutch language. I use zoom for online private lessons and conversation lessons for small groups.
I'm an art teacher by origin but in 1997 I obtained a post-bachelor degree in teaching Dutch as a second language (NT2) and for about 15 years I was teaching groups of adult students at ROC Aventus in Apeldoorn and ROC Rijn IJssel in Arnhem. Not only was I teaching them Dutch language but I was also preparing them for the ‘inburgeringsexamen’ and the ‘staatsexamen’ and I also obtained the certicate of examiner for the ‘inburgeringsexamen’.
Currently I'm a certified and experienced Dutch teacher.
What I like about tutoring is that I can completely focus on one person. I enjoy finding the best way of teaching each student and I put a lot of effort to make the most out of every lesson. Although generally I follow the coursebook, I will regularly supply you with extra material to revise at home. This will broaden your knowledge and inspire your interest in Dutch. I like preparing the exercises myself if I cannot find the suitable ones anywhere else, but I also tend to use all the available learning materials, including a variety of language books, children's literature, songs, movies, games, language apps etc.
I have a great interest in other languages and cultures. I speak good English and passable German and French but, of course, during our lessons we will speak Dutch as soon as possible!
Why choose private lessons?
Private lessons can be tailored to your individual preferences:
- How many lessons a week would you like to have?
- How long should your lesson be?
- Do you want to learn during a day, in the evening or even at the weekend?
- Do you want to come to my house or do you prefer online lessons ( or even a mix) ?
Depending on the amount of time you have to study at home and on your general enthusiasm we will adjust our pace accordingly, always giving you enough time to absorb, understand and use your new language items. If you are a more advanced student we might want to concentrate on particular language skills like grammar or writing or we can work on improving your general language level. Finally, I would be delighted to help you prepare for the ‘inburgeringsexamen’ or ‘staatsexamen I or II’. Your free introductory meeting gives you the opportunity to explain what you expect from me.
Intake
I always start with a free, introductory meeting. During this thirty minutes session we discuss the following:
- your starting level (I might give you a short test);
- your goals and how fast you want to reach them;
- an estimation of how many lessons you may need to achieve your goals;
- where, how often and for how long you would like to learn;
- a suitable coursebook;
- cost of your lessons.
Normally we can start with your lessons within 2 weeks from our intake session.
Prices
Intake: free
Private lessons at my home or online , 60 minutes, for private persons :
- before 5 p.m. from €47,50
- after 5.00 p.m. from €55,-
Private lessons at my home or online, 90 minutes, for private persons:
- before 5 p.m. from €65,-
- after 5.00 p.m. from €80,-
Lessons for 2 or more persons: price on request
Company training or lessons on location: price on request
You will receive an invoice for every four lessons in advance.
The payment should be made before starting your lessons.
The costs of teaching materials, such as books, are not included.
Coursebook
For beginners I usually choose the course book 'Nederlands in gang' from Coutinho (€48,50). This is a clearly structured book which comes with variety of exercises along with the Dutch-English glossary. It also includes the audio material on CD and gives you an access to the online exercises database and even more listening material for you to practice. With this book you will develop listening, reading, writing and speaking Dutch up to level A2 (CEFR). The number of lessons you will need to reach this level depends of course on your motivation, time you spend studying at home and the everyday opportunities you have to practice Dutch. You can find more information about the book ‘Nederlands in gang’ here.
For more advanced students I use either part 2 and 3 of this coursebook or I pick a different source material, depending on their individual needs.
(In) Company training
If your employees want to learn or improve their Dutch I can prepare for them a language programme designed to include vocabulary necessary in their professional environment and tailored to their general language level. The content of the lessons, their duration, frequence and schedule will be all discussed with you and your employees during a free introductory meeting. I may have to briefly test your employees in order to determine their starting level. Shorty after the intake session you will receive my offer with the cost and all the essential details of the programme. Lessons can take place at your company or at the agreed location.
Reviews
Go to ‘Aanbevelingen’ ('reviews') on my homepage to read some of my former and current students' reviews. Most of them are in English as well.
Contact
Should you have any questions or if you want to book your free introductory meeting you can always reach me at +31617995160 or you can email me!
Looking forward to hearing from you!