LanguesVivantes.com
Program Overview:
- Dutch courses for youths aged 14 to 20 during the Easter and Summer Holidays
- Semi-intensive program (4 lessons each morning)
- Course duration: 1 to 3 weeks
- Optional afternoon activities: Tennis or Excursion Program
- Accommodation in carefully selected Dutch host families
Learn Dutch in Haarlem
The Netherlands, perched on the North Sea between Belgium and Germany, is one of the world's most progressive countries, and has been for centuries. Having developed the world's first fully capitalist economy in the early 17th century thanks to its booming colonial trade, the Dutch have a decidedly internationally oriented mindset and are known for their tolerance and welcoming attitude towards foreigners.Haarlem, known to the dutch as the "Bloemenstad" for the endless tulip bulb fields that surround it, is a beautiful midsized city of 150,000 inhabitants. It is just 20 kilometers from the bustling capital of Amsterdam to the east and a few kilometers from the coastal dunes to the west. This size location gives Haarlem a uniquely pleasant atmosphere. The city is large enough to support all the conveniences of a city, such as an ample night life and enjoyable shopping districts, while still maintaining the quiet ambiance of a town. Lovers of culture and history are not disappointed given Haarlem's proximity to Amsterdam, while nature lovers can spend their afternoons cycling among the tulips or the dunes along the coast. Haarlem has something to offer everybody, including some of the Netherlands' best language schools.
The School
Our school is located in the center of Haarlem, across from a large park and just a stone's throw from the central train station. Students are individually assessed upon arrival and placed in the level that is right for them. Our energetic and professional staff provide 4 lessons Monday through Friday mornings focusing on oral competencies without neglecting written work. Class sizes are between 6 and 12 participants. Students of all levels are accepted except absolute beginners.In the afternoons, students may follow one of our sports or cultural programs (conducted in Dutch, of course) to complete their experience.
Please Note: In order to provide a more structured environment for our younger participants, afternoon activities are obligatory for students under 16. We will also accept participants younger than 14 if they are accompanied by an older sibling who stays in the same host family.
Language Courses
We offer 3 options within this program:- Semi-intensive Dutch
This is our basic course, consisting of 4 lessons of 50 minutes each from Monday to Friday and accommodation in a Dutch host family. It is open to students aged 16 and over. - Dutch & Excursions
This program is designed to provide a more structured environment for participants. In addition to Dutch classes in the mornings, each afternoon features organized activities and excursions. There is at least one trip to Amsterdam included during the week. All admission and transportation costs are included and all activities are conducted in Dutch. - Dutch & Tennis
The idea behind this program is similar to the Dutch : Excursion program, except that in this case the morning dutch classes are complemented with 3 hours of tennis in the afternoons, 4 afternoons a week. The tennis activities include lessons, supervised matches, and tournaments. In the event that poor weather prevents play, students will be transferred to the excursion option for the day.
Please note: The tennis option requires a minimum number of participants. In the event that there are not enough participants, we will either transfer the student into the excursion program or refund the cost of the tennis option according to the student's wishes.
Accommodation
Our experienced and welcoming host families are all checked regularly by the school. Students are fully integrated into the families and have all of their meals with them (sack lunches at midday). Our families enjoy hosting students and look forward to dialogue with them, even if students have a bit of difficulty finding the words at first. The host families are an integral part of the student's education and give them the opportunity to take Dutch out of the classroom and use it as a real, living language.Students will typically stay in a double room with another student of the same age and sex. It is, naturally, possible for us to place two friends together in the same host family. There are also a limited number of single rooms available for a supplemental fee, however due to the very limited number of rooms and the high demand for this program, we cannot systematically guarantee placement in a single room.
Course Costs
Includes all taxes & enrollment fees
| Course Prices 2008 Inclunding courses, room and board as described | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price per week | Price | |||||
| Dutch only | 445€ | |||||
| Dutch and Excursions | 495€ | |||||
| Dutch and Tennis | 545€ | |||||
| Single room supplement | ||||||
| per week | 50€ | |||||
| Discount | ||||||
| Family discount | 15€ | |||||
| From 2 weeks | 50€ | |||||
Course Fees
The complete fee structure for this program is laid out in the table to the right. Fees include:- Semi-intensive Dutch classes, including didactic material
- Room and full board in a Dutch host family
- Option as chosen by the student
- Supervised transportation from Brussels to Haarlem (see below)
Transportation
For our participants departing from or near Brussels, Belgium, we offer fully supervised travel by chartered bus each weekend. Students are accompanied by qualified adult supervision and dropped directly at the school, where their host families will meet them.Date
Courses are available during the following dates:- Easter 2009
5 to 18 April, departures the 5th and the 11th: excursions only - Summer 2009
- from the 11th to the 25th of July, departures the 11th and the 18th: excursions, tennis and semi-intensive courses
- from the 8th to the 29th of August, departures the 8th, the 15th and the 22nd: excursions and semi-intensive courses
