Articles

On this page you will find articles about the Netherlands. Click on an article to open it. The articles are written in English. If you want to read more articles in Dutch, surf to the Dutch article page. For articles from the media in which Language Coach speaks, go to the page Sophia Dijkhuis

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Always interesting, in Dutch: How to write good Dutch
Tips about what you can do if you easily make mistakes when writing. Read on

Always news, in Dutch: how to learn with the help of your subconscious mind
How it works and how you can make use of your subconscious mind learning Dutch. Read on

July 2009: The importance of networking
Wherever you live on earth, you need to know people. If you know many people and if you help them once in a while, they will help you too in return. Same thing in the Netherlands. Only here it's too cold to live on the street like people in warm countries do. So you have to go to a special occasion, especially for forming a network with people that you get to know there.Read on

June 2009: Promotion: do's and don'ts
You have a job at a Dutch company, but you would like to have another function. Probably you have a function below your level, because you're new in this country. But it doesn't need to stay that way! You need to do some things to succeed, but it certainly is possible. Let's take a look at what you need to climb up in the Netherlands. Read on

May 2009: Coaching on the job
Many people that come new to the Netherlands, are shocked by what they see: the culture shock. Everything is going fast, everyone is in a hurry, no-one talks to you and you don't get a lot of help with your bank and health insurance arrangements. This makes it very difficult to understand something about the country, its customs and its inhabitants. Most of all if you want to work here, you meet some of the strangest things, that probably are totally new to you: really everything works differently here! How are you going to learn all that? Do you recognise that feeling? Read on

April 2009: Job interview: why didn't you get that job?
It happens so often: you've sent a great application letter with a very well cared-for CV and you were invited for a job interview. And after that maybe another one. Yet you didn't get the job. Or maybe you weren't even invited, even if you were so sure you were the only right person for the position you applied for. How is that possible? Read on

March2009: Evaluating part II: democracy on the job
The Dutch evaluate, that's for sure. It's a very good habit, but it may seem a little strange if you weren't used to it in your country of origin. Today we are going to talk about evaluating projects or meetings. In most countries evaluation is done by the head of the department, sometimes with the CEO. In the Netherlands however it's also considered important that the rank and file workers themselves are involved in the process. It's a quite a democratic practice, sometimes even sociocratic - meaning consent based decision making. Read on

February 2009: How to successfully get through a performance interview
Now you are living in the Netherlands, you have to deal with lots of new things. One of these is probably the performance interview at work. How do you manage to get through it successfully? Read on to find out. Read on

January 2009: Evaluating: what's that?
While living in the Netherlands, it must have struck you that the Dutch evaluate everything. But what are the benefits of evaluating? And what is the best way to go about it? This article provides an introduction to the Dutch habit of evaluation. Read on

Many, but not all articles have been corrected by Dr Nick Parrot, www.textualhealing.nl