Bart de Pau Language Courses (BLC)
BLC is the organisation behind the Dutch Summer School and Learndutch.org (e-learning), founded and managed by Bart Leenhouts-de Pau.
History:
Since 2002, Bart has been running Language Center Petrion in St. Petersburg, offering courses with accommodation. Being a Dutch native, he returned to the Netherlands in 2012. After doing several projects for Nuffic (the organisation for promoting Dutch higher education), he becomes convinced of the potential of Dutch language holidays.
There are other language schools in the Netherlands, but no one offers packages like Bart did for so many years abroad: intensive language courses with accommodation, where students learn and live together.
Most language schools focus on expats (with 1-2 evening lessons per week) and start the lessons once enough students are collected. But a student from abroad, wants to plan his/her trip long in advance, so: guaranteed group lessons on a specific date! That idea is the start of BLC.
From 2015-2020 BLC rented a group accommodation at holiday park ‘Het Timmerholt’ and in 2020 BLC acquired and renovated group buildings and holiday houses at the same resort.
The Summer School is organised in April/July/August/October. The rest of the year Bart developes online video courses on the website learndutch.org; one of the most popular online resources for learning Dutch.
Main principles:
Many years of analysing progress of students in different type of courses, have resulted in the main principles of BLC programs:
– intensive courses 20-25 academic hours/week are the most efficient intensity (what you learn per tuition hour); most students consume best 4-5 tuition hours/day (with more hours the concentration slows down).
– learn the language in the country where it is spoken: directly practice your knowledge – the exam starts as soon as you walk out of the classroom.
– students who live together, show a better result / they do homework together, explore the environment together, practice the language with each other (not affraid to make mistakes); and also have more fun, which motivates to continue studying
– self study/doing homework is a critical factor in making progress; 3 hours/day additional to the hours in class; the high intensity of the classes forces to do the homework and to stay focussed; make sure you know the lesson of today before you enter the lesson tomorrow!
– high focus on conversation during the classes. Typically students who learn Dutch while living abroad need extra focus on developing speaking skills (that you can’t learn online). Learning vocabulary and doing exercises, one can (should!) do as homework. So the time in class is used efficiently and the lessons are interactive.
Registration
BLC is registered at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce with number 71196846. Our mailing address is: Landstraat 190, 1401 ET Bussum (not a visitor’s address).
As a Summer School, our physical office runs only in Summer at the location in Amsterdam and Drenthe. You can reach us outside this period per e-mail/phone.
Bart Leenhouts-de Pau
founder
