Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen (HAN)

I study in Netherlands, the country where everybody speaks english.The language of teaching is english, what gives the opportunite to communicate on this language and improve it. But unfortunately, I don't have any possiblility to improve knowledge of Dutch. As everybody knows english, there is no any need to speak Dutch! That is the main problem. There are a lot of exchange students from different countries in this Hogeschool, so if you you know any other language, except english, you have a lot of possibilities to speak on it. All students are welcome to speak on their native language.

the language of instruction was english although local students were instructed in their native tongue. i was at ease with the local language as i speak afrikaans, a derivative from primitive dutch. most of the words currently used in dutch are the same as in afrikaans, so communication was not a problem at all. it proved, however, to be equally difficult to get a proper grasp of the language as i am accustomed to grammar used in afrikaans.

For me a choose the Ntherlands because i liked the country and the people. It was the only partner institution of my university where i could do a double degree. So my choice to some degree was taken away from me. I either wanted to go abroad, or i didn't. But i really wanted to go to the Netherlands. As for communication, Dutch is not the hardest language to pick up words from being English. However, the International business course was in English and the students i was socialising, very fee were dutch. This meant the opportunity to learn dutch was limited. Using it is difficult to, a Dutch person will know you are not native and use the opportunity to practice their english...i liked this not because it made my life easier, although it did. But, it makes you relaxed in a foreign country. People in Holland are not too bothered that you are a foreigner in 'their' country. Our neighbours in the apartment building were of all races and not students, but all were very friendly and that was nice too. It is nice to have that experience when you go abraod.

first day I was in trouble. It was the biggest exam in my life. my first trip to europe and I haven't spoeken before with an exchange student group.And on the other hand if you speak you need some experience but i have no speaking experiment.

It is a shame that the university did not offer to follow obligatory Dutch lectures especially when we stayed one year. Some other international students had the opportunity to follow Dutch lectures and they were staying for one semester. But everybody is speaking english which is nice but when we are coming in an other country is really better if we can try to speak the local language at least the basis in order to communicate better with the people and to be integrated faster into the culture.

I improve my english for sure. In fact we evolve in an international progamm with just foreign students from all over the world. Consequently we always speak english ( and not Dutch).