How to choose a tutor for private Dutch lessons

Article provided by Flowently, an IN Amsterdam partner.

Learn Dutch at your own pace with a private tutor

Organisations like Flowently make it easy for time-conscious residents to learn Dutch. Lessons can be organised around your schedule, with the flexibility to learn at a pace that suits you. Best of all, you can select from 200 skilled tutors for live lessons, or learn remotely via video sessions, so that you won’t miss an important lesson due to travel plans and family or work commitments. The most important thing is to find the right tutor for you. Here are some tips to make sure it’s a perfect match. 

Customised lessons that you can change any time

For your best chance of success, it’s important that you feel comfortable during lessons and work with a tutor who inspires you. Fumbling your way through tricky pronunciation and complex grammar rules takes some determination, so feeling at ease with your teacher will maximise your learning potential. With Flowently, you can select a tutor yourself, or be paired up with someone whose experience best suits your needs. You can switch tutors at any time, or even take lessons with several different tutors if you prefer. Lessons are completely customisable to suit different levels, goals, whether you need to site the State Exam or simply want to improve your conversational skills.

Match your learning style with the tutor’s specialisation

Being aware of your learning style and goals can help you to decide on a tutor. Your first language and any other languages you speak are important factors as your tutor may be able to draw comparisons with other languages to help you understand sentence structure or grammatical rules. Your level of Dutch and any barriers you’ve faced in learning the language previously are also important to keep in mind.

Some tutors are specialised in working with absolute beginners, while others have experience in making learning more interactive or engaging. How long you’ve lived in the Netherlands and your level of exposure to the Dutch language also makes a difference. Your tutor can take special care to assist you with pronunciation, or to give you exercises that you can practise with Dutch-speaking friends and family.

You should also consider the frequency of your lessons and the timeline you have in mind to improve your skills. Many Dutch tutors have varied professional backgrounds that can also be an advantage. For example, a tutor with a shared interest in architecture, sport, history, marketing or childcare, for instance, can make for a more effective tutor-student team.

Whatever your preferences, all of Flowently’s tutors offer proven teaching methods that will improve speaking skills. Flowently can assist by suggesting tutors that match your skills, focus and preferred frequency. 

Learning outside the classroom

Private tutors offer the flexibility to learn at own pace on your own schedule. Flowently students such as Jacky, an IT professional, focuses on perfecting his Dutch grammar via online sessions with a grammar specialist. He also meets with a second tutor for live sessions which focus on business communication, giving him valuable insights into Dutch culture in the workplace.

Another student, Steven, a language teacher himself, meets a tutor for 9-to-5 sessions on weekends. He meets his tutor in the morning for a grammar lesson over coffee and they spend the day exploring the city, having conversations in shops, visiting galleries, watching concerts, reading newspapers and other interactive activities in Dutch in an informal, enjoyable setting. 

In-person or online for extra flexibility

There are 200 Flowently tutors based in 100 locations around the Netherlands, and while most students prefer lessons in person, online sessions are also available. You can arrange a session for one or two people, or even a small group on request. Another advantage of this is that students can begin to learn the language before they even arrive in the Netherlands, speeding up the learning process. With maximum flexibility, you can book a session seven days per week from 08:00 until 10:00. Find out more about the advantages of learning Dutch with Flowently.