ANDREW, MANCHESTER
A-Level Dutch Student (2006-2007) - Distance-Learning

The best thing about the course was that Karin was very friendly, and understanding when I didn't get as much work done as I should, and was able to constantly re-arrange my work to best suit the available time. In fact if anything could have been improved, I probably should have been chased a bit more, but that's just me I think.
The advice I was given, particularly on which aspects to concentrate was always sound advice.

DAVID, OXFORD
Beginners 1 Dutch Student (2007) - Part-Time

An excellent introductory course for those with no experience of Dutch.  The lessons are enjoyable and the atmosphere is friendly and informal.  Karin is an extremely competent and approachable teacher and works carefully to instruct students at a speed which suits them.

KAREN, OXFORD
Beginners 2 Dutch Student (2007) - Part-Time

1. What did you like about the course?
I liked the usefulness of the vocabulary/phrases taught - things that we could put to use straight away.  It was also good to be given extra material (Jip and Janneke!) to read at home.

2. What could be improved with the course?
Personally I would have like to have covered the past tense in this course, but that may be because I've studied German and know how similar it is!!

3. Any other comments?
Karin is an excellent teacher and I'll definitely be signing up for the next course!

ANN, OXFORD
Beginners 2 Dutch Student (2007) - Part-Time

For me, the course was very convenient in location and timing. I liked the small group size, and Karin is a very personable teacher. It is flexible and the amount of work is OK. I felt that maybe more vocab lists would have been useful. It is good to have the little lists in the lessons for doing particular exercises. But I wonder whether some sheets of vocab could be useful too? Maybe a little offputting for some people so perhaps this is deliberate. But anyway I am kind of struggling to find something to comment on - I really enjoyed the course and look forward to carrying on!

MONIKA, OXFORD
GSCE Dutch Student (2006-2007) - Part-Time

Beste Karin,
Ik wil je bedanken voor fantastische lessen. De cursus vond ik hartstikke leuk. Ik vindt dat ik heb heel veel geleerd. Natuurlijk moesten we veel huiswerk maken maar alles was prima georganisieerd. Ik heb veel plezier gehaad met Nederlandse cultuur leren kennen. Dus tot volgende jaar.
Groetjes
Monika

JILL, SLOUGH
GSCE Dutch Student (2006-2007) - Part-Time

I thoroughly enjoyed the course. The group size was right and the time of the course was good for me. The lesson time seemed to whiz by. Sometimes I felt we needed a little longer to go though homework or re cap the previous week's grammar. Some weeks we just covered it barely leaving time for that weeks lesson. If felt the preparation for the exams was excellent - the mock proved in valuable in setting expectations and we had plenty of chances to practice papers before the real thing! I hope there is the chance to continue with the AS level next year.

THEA, AUSTRALIA
A-Level Dutch Student (2006-2007) - Distance-Learning

I like the fact that the course can be undertaken in my own time with no pressure, this gives me the ability to complete some lessons in a short time, taking longer with the lessons I find more difficult. At times i find the course challenging but always interesting. I was born in Holland and left there when I was 7 years old therefore had little understanding of grammar, I have learnt not only the grammar but also a great deal about Holland and the people through this course. I visited Holland last month and people were amazed at my ability to still speak, read and write the language. I gave credit to the course I have been doing by correspondence through your school. My goal is to increase my skills even further and put them to use as a translator/interpreter.

KATE, OXFORD
Beginners 1 Dutch Student (2006) - Part-Time

Dear Karin,

I have really enjoyed Dutch lessons this term, and would like to book a place on Beginners 2 next term. Many thanks for all your help this term and for making Dutch such an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Best Wishes,
Kate

PHILIP, KENT
A-Level Dutch Student (2005-2006) - Distance-Learning - Grade A

1. What did you like about the course?
 - I enjoyed being able to work at my own pace, and found the coursework set out very clearly and in a logical manner. Many of the subject units were interesting, and were good preparation for the exams.

2. What could be improved with the course?
- More exercises in translation from Dutch to English would be helpful.

3. How well did this course prepare you for the examinations?
- I found that the course prepared me very well for the exams. I am glad I took the mock exams in order to see what the layout of the exam was like, and was therefore less concerned when the real exam arrived!

4. Any other comments?
- A very interesting and worthwhile course.

RUTH, Manchester
GCSE Dutch Student (2005-2006) - Distance-Learning - Grade A

1. What did you like about the course?
I liked being able to learn at my own pace and found the advice of my tutor very helpful and friendly. I liked the materials used, the books are really nice.

2. What could be improved with the course?
Not much could be improved. Maybe the core vocabulary list could come a little earlier before the exams as it took me ages to learn it, also if it could come with the English translation alongside that would have saved time.

3. How well did this course prepare you for the examinations?
The course did prepare me for the exams really well. I felt prepared, for the reading and writing exams in particular.

4. Any other comments?
I really enjoyed it and feel my Dutch has improved.

Thank you.

LOUISE, BELGIUM
A-Level Dutch Student (2005-2006) - Distance-Learning - Grade A

1. What did you like about the course?
I liked the fact that I could do the work when I had time.  During busier periods at home and work I could easily do less work and vice versa. Karin also provided brilliant assistance for all my questions and corrections. She has given outstanding support and positive motivation throughout the course.

2. What could be improved with the course?
This is a tough question.  I don't think the course could have been any better for me. I do think that if I had started the course in September I would have liked to have had more lessons otherwise I think I could have
been finished a little too soon for the exams. This is of course my personal experience.

3. How well did this course prepare you for the examinations?
The layout of the lessons provided excellent practice for the exam. I felt very well prepared for the exam even though it was years ago that I had taken an exam.

4. Any other comments?
Both you and Karin have given me very good support during the course, thank you both. It was very easy to ask questions especially when you get such a friendly and clear response. I wish you both alot of luck for the
future and hope that you may help many students learn a high standard of Dutch.

ALEX, Surrey
A-Level Dutch Student (2005-2006) - Distance-Learning - Grade B

I was very pleased with the course. I enjoyed the way it was based around a variety of topics which expanded your knowledge in these areas, and that the lessons became progressively more challenging as you went on. I always got a fast response to any homework and Karin was always encouraging in her comments. I think the exams went reasonably well, I hope the actual result will be as good as the predicted one.

The only small problem I found was that in the last couple of lessons, a few of the questions on the cd template didn't match up with those in the course folder, but this is only a minor inconvenience [This was a one-off problem]. One possible addition could be a little more coverage of Flemish culture and language variations, as the Taal Totaal books don't seem to include much on Flanders.

I would definitely recommend DLS to anyone wishing to learn Dutch and hope to continue my studies with you with some speaking/listening classes and probably also the CNAVT exams next year.

louise, BELGIUM
A-Level Dutch Student (2005-2006) - Distance-Learning - Grade A

Ik wil je bedanken voor al je hulp en goede uitleg dat je mij gegeven hebt.

Ik vond de cursus duidelijk en leerrijk en ondertussen is er wat grammatica opgehelderd.

Mijn woordenschat is er zeker op vooruit gegaan en ik voel me gemotiveerd om nog meer Nederlandse schrijvers te leren kennen.

Nu denk ik ook dat ik voortaan boeken anders zal benaderen.

Ik voel me ook meer zeker op professionele vlak en heb zelfs mijn Belgische en Nederlandse collega's meer dan één keer moeten verbeteren! We vinden het allemaal wel grappig hoor!

Wie zou denken dat iemand van Engeland de taal (soms) beter kan, maar ja, het geeft een goed gevoel.

Stefanie, LONDON
A-Level Dutch Student (2004-2005) - Distance-Learning - Grade A

What I liked about the course was that it was very intensive and covered a huge variety of subjects. Before I started the course I had taught myself, but had never written anything in Dutch before, so I felt quite apprehensive about the essays. But it went really well, Karin is a great teacher and her comments gave me a lot of confidence. I'm really happy that it was possible to do this course from home via email. And the teacher's reply was always very prompt!

Because of the way the course was designed it was an ideal preparation for the exams.

Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement!!!

ANONYMOUS, MANCHESTER
GCSE Dutch Student (2004-2005) - Distance-Learning - Grade A*

1. What did you like about this course?
I liked the flexibility and the prompt feedback from the teacher. I enjoyed her friendly email style. I felt well prepared for the exam.

2. What could be improved with this course?
I didn't like the first part of each lesson - the vocabulary exercises. I found them boring. However, I accept that these are important.

3. How well did this course prepare you for the examinations?
Well. I feel I advanced in my knowledge of Dutch as the course progressed and the exam was well within my ability. The assignments at the end of the course were actually a bit harder than the exam itself.

4. Any other comments?
Thanks very much for a great experience and providing the opportunity of opening up a whole culture to me.

Charlotte, Oxford
GCSE Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Part-Time - Grade A*

Ik wilde je een briefje sturen te alvast bedankt zeggen! Ik heb de laatste 2 jaren hartstikke leuk en echt grappig gevonden. Ik heb zo veel geleerd! Ik ben zo blij dat ik kan met mijn Nederlandse vrienden in het Nederlands kletsen. Mar helaas, ik heb nu niet een super Blöf fan zoals mij gevonden! Dank u zo veel, ik kan niet tot "AS" wachten! Tot 19 augustus voor de cijfers!

KathArine, BERKS
A-Level Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Distance Learning - Grade A

Being able to do the lessons when it suited me was a great advantage as well as not having to travel to Oxford for the course. I thought the course itself was good fun, especially the books used for as-level. The pictures made them fun and easy to learn from.

When answering questions about the two novels, "De aanslag" in particular you have to read a large amount of text to be able to answer the questions which was very time consuming.

I thought the course was really good in the way it prepared you for the exam.  The two books were well studied and the questions asked in the course were very similar to the questions asked in the actual exam.

I really enjoyed the course and learnt a lot, not only about the Dutch language but the Dutch culture as well.  A lot of things were covered but understandably there will always be words in the exam which the candidate will not have come across before.  I also found it helpful knowing that teachers could easily be contacted either by e-mail or telephone to answer any queries.

Just to say thank you very much for marking all the work and sending the corrections back so quickly. Although it was a lot of work the course was very enjoyable.  I look forward to the results later on in the summer.

Sep 2004:
Hartelijk bedankt voor alles, een A* voor mijn GCSE [Dutch] en een [A voor] A-Level [Dutch] met 16 is niet slecht, zonder al uw hulp was dat nooit gelukt! Dank u wel!

SARA, Oxford
GCSE Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Part-Time - Grade A*

Bedankt voor de fantastische lessen, met een heel mooi resultaat!

Marieke, london
A-Level Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Distance Learning

1. What did you like about this course?
You can study at your own pace.

2. What could be improved about this course?
Nothing. I think it is very good.

3. How well did this course prepare you for the examinations?
Very well, the texts and notes are very good. The teaching is excellent.

4. What is you overall opinion of this course?
Thoroughly enjoyed it.

5. Any other comments?
Thank you for all your help.  I did really enjoy it.

ANGELA, THE NETHERLANDS
A-Level Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Distance Learning - Grade A

1. What did you like about this course?
Being able to work at my own pace without having to adhere to very tight deadlines - important for me because I travel a lot with my job.

2. What could be improved about this course?
I would liked to have been marked/graded for each piece of homework so that I had a better idea of how well I was doing. Sometimes, especially with regard to essays and translations, I felt that I had made a lot of mistakes and was not really sure how well I had done. [Note: All our exam courses have been updated for the 2005 exams to include regular feedback on how students are progressing]

3. How well did this course prepare you for the examinations?
Given that I was able to complete all the homework assignments I think that the course prepared me quite well for the exam although there were still a lot of words used in the exams that I did not know, especially in the Part A sections of both papers.

4. What is you overall opinion of this course?
Enjoyable and challenging!

5. Any other comments?
I found the literature books very difficult and because they were a little "boring" it was sometimes difficult to get motivated to study them, De Aanslag especially. I do not know if the other two set books were more interesting but that is of course a question of individual preference!

Rebecca, LONDON
AS-Level Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Distance Learning - Grade A

I liked the flexibility of the course.  It was helped by being able to email the homework to a teacher, rather than having to post it or find someone else to mark it.  I also found the course interesting; it seemed to be tailored to cover aspects of Dutch life- politics and culture especially- that made it more interesting to write. 

It would be helpful to have a list of books that would suit the standard of AS students, just for vocab purposes... [Note: We will happily recommend suitable reading material to students who wish to extend their studies]

I found that the course prepared me quite well.  The translation and reading exercises proved especially helpful because they were like direct exam preparation. 

I really enjoyed the course overall, though it was quite hard work.  I think my level of Dutch improved over the time of taking the AS Course and by exam time I felt quite confident.

NATASHA, LONDON
A-Level Dutch Student (2002-2003) - Part-Time - Grade B

Harstikke bedankt voor een fijn cursus!

Ik heb echt heel veel geleerd, maar meestal vond ik het zo goed om lekker Nederlands te babbelen in zo'n gezellige sfeer!

Ik hoop dat wij u trots gaan maken.

Julie-Ann, OXFORD
Beginners Dutch Student (2003) - Part-Time

1. Are you enjoying your course? Yes.
2. Do you feel the course is well organised? Yes.
3. Is the content of the course appropriate to your needs? Yes.
4. Do you receive clear explanations when you request them? Yes.
5. Do you feel that lessons are well prepared? Yes.
6. Are you encouraged to take an active part in the lesson? Yes.

STEVE, OXFORD
Beginners Dutch Student (2003) - Part-Time

1. Are you enjoying your course? Yes.
2. Do you feel the course is well organised? Yes.
3. Is the content of the course appropriate to your needs? Yes, perfect.
4. Do you receive clear explanations when you request them? Yes.
5. Do you feel that lessons are well prepared? Yes.
6. Are you encouraged to take an active part in the lesson? Yes.

PAUL, OXFORD
Beginners Dutch Student (2003) - Part-Time

1. Are you enjoying your course? Yes, very much.
2. Do you feel the course is well organised? Yes.
3. Is the content of the course appropriate to your needs? Yes.
4. Do you receive clear explanations when you request them? Yes.
5. Do you feel that lessons are well prepared? Yes.
6. Are you encouraged to take an active part in the lesson? Yes.

JENNIFER, OXFORD
Beginners Dutch Student (2003) - Part-Time

1. Are you enjoying your course? Very much.
2. Do you feel the course is well organised? Definitely.
3. Is the content of the course appropriate to your needs? Yes.
4. Do you receive clear explanations when you request them? Yes.
5. Do you feel that lessons are well prepared? Yes, very well.
6. Are you encouraged to take an active part in the lesson? Yes.

Geraldine & Caroline , Oxford
Advanced Students (2002-2003) - Part-Time

Madrid, december 2002

Sint zat te surfen op het Net.
Ja, dat gaf hem heel veel pret.
Hij vond daar een heleboel
Over de Dutch Language School.

Wat een goede kwaliteit!
En die Karin is een leuke meid!
Maar toen kreeg hij een brief
Van een anonieme pief,

Die wilde graag heel hard studeren
Om goed Nederlands te leren.
Maar de groep waar hij bij wilde horen
Had daarnaar geen oren.

Geen grammatica maar gezellig praten
En ze zeiden dat ze huiswerk haten!
Waar moet het met die groep naar toe?
Volgens mij zijn ze liever lui dan moe.

Veel liefs,

The Saint

ELISE, gLOUCS
AS-Level Dutch Student (2003-2004) - Distance Learning