Case Studies: Clients

Hi, Kate! It’s great to speak with you today! Would you mind starting off by telling us a bit about you?

Hi, of course! I am an international recruitment consultant living in London, but I lived in Prague for 3 years previously, working for an international company. I find I have a very diverse mix of nationalities around me all the time and am constantly surrounded by different languages. My mother is also fluent in French and German, so languages have always been a big part of my life!

It sounds like you had a lot of languages you could have chosen to study, then! Which one did you settle on with us?

I contacted Language Trainers because I wanted to study Dutch Flemish. My motivation was my boyfriend, who is Belgian, and I wanted to surprise him for his birthday [Laughs]

That’s so sweet! I bet he loved that! Why did you choose Language Trainers?

Language Trainers has really positive reviews and I liked that I could have a taster lesson first before committing to anything. The flexibility was also really important to me as I have quite a demanding job, so being able to find a teacher who could fit the lessons around my schedule was super helpful, as well as being able to have lessons remotely.

I’m delighted we could be so accommodating. So, Language Trainers was worth it, would you say?

Yes, for sure. It was great for me as a complete beginner. I really liked the flexibility of the lessons, the ability to go back over things that I had initially found difficult and that my teacher, Chris, was so amazingly kind and patient, even when I wasn't so patient with myself!

If it makes you feel any better, I think every student feels moments of frustration when learning a language. It’s one reason we try so hard to find such experienced and good-mannered trainers. With everything you mentioned in mind, what was the most helpful part of the course?

Chris could easily see in each class how much I had absorbed from the previous lesson and I liked that he didn't overwhelm me with information. We went at a pace that worked for me and often revisited lessons as needed. I have certainly noticed an improvement in my understanding of Dutch and it was hugely motivating to discover how much I could understand when with my boyfriend and his family.

And what's been your most rewarding experience from all this?

I would say the confidence it has given me to keep going with Dutch, even when it seems really challenging. It was also really satisfying to see my progress as the lessons went on and that Chris was enjoying my progress with me.

That’s wonderful! It’ll be great to get to know them even better! Well, it sounds like you have had a great learning experience, but would you recommend Language Trainers to others?

Yes absolutely. Language Trainers is a great platform for people who are completely new to a language and the flexibility of being able to have lessons online and at different times was amazing. I think you are an excellent option for people who have busy lifestyles but really want to make a start in learning a language.

And finally, what's your favourite Dutch Flemish expression that you like to use?

“Ik ben zo blij”, which means “I am so happy!”

An excellent choice! Thank you so much, Kate!