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My name is Victor van Dijk,

• Cultural anthropologist (MA, Utrecht University), specializing in Latin American studies (Brazil in particular). As part of my studies, I lived in Portugal and Brazil for extended periods, and later I also visited India. My passion for people, languages, cultures, and societies has only grown over the years.
• From personal experience, I know how difficult and lonely it can be to live in a country where you don’t (yet) speak the language well enough. I experienced this firsthand during my stay in Brazil. That experience taught me not only a great deal about the importance of language and communication, but also about how patience, understanding, and personal attention are essential when learning a new language.
• I am fluent in seven languages; my proficiency in some has temporarily declined due to limited cultural exposure, but I still speak them reasonably well. Because of this and my anthropological understanding that language is the key to a culture, I know from personal experience how diversely and richly people can express themselves, how much this enriches their culture, and how rich a language must be to express that culture. My command of and knowledge of my native language, Dutch—including at the NT2 level—serve as a point of reference to which I can always return safely and confidently. This also applies to language learners, although they, too, are gradually learning to express themselves more and better in the “target language” and, ultimately, to think in it as well.
• Since 2018, I have been working as a teacher of Dutch as a Second Language (NT2), with experience teaching people from a wide variety of cultural and educational backgrounds. My teaching is characterized by love, attention, and a great deal of patience for the person learning the language. Within an unwavering framework of safety and trust, I tailor my lessons as much as possible to the personal interests, abilities, needs, and ambitions of each language learner.
• As a budding documentary filmmaker, I have worked with my good friend Ward on *Uit de Klei* over the past few years. This documentary has a strong anthropological focus: human experiences, memories, and life stories take center stage. Working on this film has given me the opportunity to express my anthropological interests in a different way: by letting people tell their own stories and carefully and respectfully documenting their experiences.
• I am currently conducting informal academic preliminary research on my own initiative, with the long-term goal of eventually beginning a Ph.D. program at a university yet to be determined.
• In the coming years, I will once again devote myself almost exclusively to cultural anthropology, both out of personal interest and in an academic context. Within that framework, I want to make room for my teaching, numerous encounters, building and maintaining networks, new experiences, (academic) research, and the global friendships that will in all likelihood arise from these endeavors. I also hope to establish a physical, geographical meeting place: my (and thus also our) new home, somewhere on our beautiful planet Earth.

Esperanza – I’m very grateful to him, 4 March 2024

I’m Esperanza, I come from Spain and I came to the Netherlands in the summer of 2021 together with my family. I’ve already been living in France before so I understand the importance (and challenges!) of learning the home country language, so I quickly started to follow a Dutch course at the Volksuniversiteit at the Hilversum Library where I met Victor. I followed with him a couple of courses from A0 to A2 and from A2 to B1. After that I decided to continue with him on online classes once per week.
At the beginning it was a bit hard because I didn’t have any Dutch knowledge, but little by little it started to speed up. Now I’m able for example to follow a big part and participate in the conversations with my colleagues/ customers, go to the cinema with my kids to watch kids movies or simple phone calls.
Victor is a very very patient teacher, with a big background in other cultures, which makes him a very approachable and sensitive teacher. He has become for me a key piece on my Dutch learning and I’m very grateful to him!

Nieves – Thanks, Victor!
24 October 2020

My name is Nieves, I am from Spain, and I live in Holland since 2015. When I came to Holland I thought, I’m going to integrate in the country all by myself. Thereafter, I have been working out very hard with the Dutch language for a few years. Unfortunately I came to realize that it actually was a very long and difficult process. Stupid me, thinking that I would succeed quickly with this language! I attended several courses with different Dutch language organizations in Amsterdam and Hilversum, but I soon realized that I could not really reach a certain level of proficiency in the language, so I got very frustrated and I realized that I had spent lots of time and money without it working out. So my frustration was really profound! Then I decided for a while to do nothing with it any more.

A few years ago, I decided to go to the library to practice the language with a few volunteers, and at last, I could feel that the money and time I had spent all of a sudden was valuable and worthwhile. There I met Victor. I explained him my experience, about my integration and me not progressing with the language. He told me that he could help me ? Then I felt confused, but I decided to start my lessons anew with him. I wanted to give it a very last try.

At the beginning I was very scared to fall into the same trap again, I didn’t want to go through what I had experienced in the past, time being wasted without seeing progress. Fortunately, slowly I started to get more motivated again thanks to Victor. So now, I can only be very happy that I found him!

He is a very professional, observant, dedicated and methodical person. At this moment I am still learning with him online. I think that thanks to Victor, I am going to graduate soon.

Thanks Victor, for all your effort, and patience! I really have been appreciating your time, your considerations, your professionality, and especially, your human side.

Evi – My Experiences with
Victor, 26 July 2019

I’m Evi, an Iranian, 35 year old woman who started learning the Dutch language since 2017. Victor is the second language coach helping me for almost a year at the language trajectory.
When I want to describe this experience in one word, I would say, exciting! This experience was for me – having been into little contact with the Dutch – very exciting because I learnt a new language with Victor’s aid and I also started to learn a new culture. Besides, I introduced my culture.

Of course, it was not easy. In the beginning, I couldn’t express my meaning clearly and correctly and I couldn’t understand Victor too well, either. I knew hardly any words, but Victor’s way of communicating with me was great. He adapted to my learning level. Victor always teaches me words that I don’t know in simple, easy to understand language.  He uses many examples to clarify the meanings of the words. He repeats patiently his explanation, until I understand the word or phrase.  Victor has good general information in various fields. When I ask for help, he guides me with the right information. If he does not have the information in a field where I need help, he searches the internet. He taught me enthusiastically and he offers good ways to develop the Dutch language. He also respects my proposed ways of learning. Victor encourages me to read. He suggests good books for me to read.

In this time period, my language improved and I now also know the Dutch culture better. I can now understand more of Victor and I can now speak more clearly. Our contract for a year is almost over and I’m not happy about that. But I’m happy that I have had an unforgettable and fulfilling year with my language coach. Finally, I would like to thank Victor for his guidance.
Thank you, Victor, I wish you lots of success!

About Victor

At Vluchtelingenwerk (Refugee Work) Hilversum, a brochure has been published, written by me, titled ‘Uit het dagboek van een taalcoach’ (‘From the Diary of a Language Coach’), in which I report in diary form of my experiences in helping an Iranian refugee to learn the Dutch language. You can download the brochure here (in Dutch):

Learning Dutch

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