Interview cursisten

Vanderlande is a valued client for STE Languages. Many Vanderlande employees have improved their language skills through a programme at STE Languages. This is often in-company, but this time the training took place at STE Languages in Aalsterweg. This was deliberately chosen, because a lot had to be done in a short time. Focus was therefore necessary, according to students Ferdi German, Wouter Joosten and Wim Hes. Ferdi and Wouter talk about their experiences, especially for this newsletter.

What was the reason for this tailor-made course?
Ferdi: “On behalf of Vanderlande, we provide training to maintenance personnel worldwide. We explain maintenance and checks for all Vanderlande systems. These training courses are mainly in English, but also increasingly in German. That's a challenge.”
Wouter: “We provide technical training courses using all kinds of technical terms. We not only have to present, but also answer questions. The course was aimed at helping with that.”

An STE language course usually consists of at least thirty lessons. This course was only sixteen teaching hours, spread over four days. Why was this format chosen?
Ferdi: “Our trainers are often away on location, which can be anywhere in the world. It is therefore quite difficult to get everyone together at the same time.”
Wouter: “It was indeed difficult in terms of planning, but luckily we found four days in which we could attend the course together.”

To what extent were you already proficient in German?
Ferdi: “After MTS I had German, but after that I didn't do anything with it.”
Wouter: “The same applies to me. I had a few years of German in high school, that's all. That made it extra challenging.”

The bar was therefore set high, and it was a relatively short trajectory. What were your expectations at the start?
Ferdi: “I thought beforehand that it would be a huge job and it turned out to be. Some things sink in fast, others a bit slower. And if you think you understand it, our teacher Eva will move quickly on. We are far from finished, but we have been given practical tools to move forward.'
Wouter: “My experience is similar. I did think it would be a trial-and-error process and it was. Luckily, I don't mind making mistakes, you learn from that. Initially I hoped that we would focus more on speaking than on grammar, but I have learned that you really need grammar.”

How did you experience the language coaching content?
Ferdi: “The preparation was good, and attention has clearly been paid to it. Eva did her best to make it interesting for us. We ran into some difficulties with technical terminology. It was sometimes a search for the right names. We know the English terms but translating it into technical German is quite difficult. Even then you need knowledge of grammar.”
Walter: "Indeed. You use the words you know. Sometimes you think that a certain translation is very logical, but it actually makes no sense.
Ferdi: ‘That certainly also applies to speech. Then you think you can pronounce it correctly, but that turns out to be difficult. An umlaut’ (e.g. ü) can make a huge difference. That was an eye-opener for me.”

How do you look back on the entire process?
Ferdi: “It was very pleasant. Roll up your sleeves and get on with it, but also enough time to stop every now and then. With homework, it is intense, especially in combination with the daily routine. The same trajectory in English is a lot easier, because then you step into a higher language level. With hindsight, I would rather have had 1-2 days extra, then it would have sunk in a bit better. We take that as a learning point. For now, we have made the most of the opportunity.”
Wouter: “I feel satisfied because I'm starting to understand the basics. I can now also stand in front of a group with more confidence, but it would have been nice if training had lasted a little longer. We now have a good starting point, now it is up to us.”

How are you going to apply what you’ve learnt? Are you going to develop further in German?
Ferdi: “Before this course I had a few training weeks in Germany from my work. There were different nationalities, and the working language was English. When the English-speaking people were not there, I asked if it could also be done in German. When you hear it, you learn from it. That is how I will continue to do it - where possible, simply communicate in German.”
Wouter: “That is also my approach. Vanderlande has an office in Germany. When I'm there I'm going to speak German, and of course that also applies to presentations. I recently gave a presentation in German. Grammatically it's not quite right yet, but we understood each other. So, it's a matter of doing it, you can't teach experience.'

Interview trainer

“They have progressed in leaps and bounds."

Successful language training requires good interaction between the students and the language trainer. Eva de Graaf provided language coaching for Vanderlande on behalf of STE Languages. How did she experience this process?
Eva: “The students all started at the A1 level. That is, they were beginners in German, with limited prior knowledge. To give a good presentation you normally need at least B1, which means you have a good command of basic German. For technical details and complex descriptions, you even often need B2. In short: there was a considerable challenge.”

Only sixteen teaching hours were available for this tailor-made programme. If you want to achieve results, you must prepare well. How do you prepare?
"It was intensive preparations. A standard approach was not an option. We could not use a textbook, because each student wanted to work with their own PowerPoint presentation. From here I had to build a relevant course and work out a schedule including homework assignments for each day. However, the content of the presentations was not easy to understand for a layman. So, the students first had to explain what it was about. Consequently, focus was entirely on what they really need in practical terms.”

Can you give an example of that?
“The students were trainers themselves, just like me. It is quite a responsibility to stand in front of an A1 level group and give a presentation in a foreign language. I wanted to help them to have the courage to do that with self-confidence. That is why I paid attention, among other things, to the best way to give instructions in German. How do you do that? How do you introduce yourself and how do you explain a slide? How do you use the imperative in combination with different verbs? And how do you conjugate it?”

It is tailor-made, but with three individuals. How do you ensure that everyone receives the right coaching?
“I correct written assignments and in class I note the differences, I take that into account. For example, I gave this group written assignments that allowed everyone to work on their own presentation. That was a very important part of the training, in which they also had to apply the grammar they had learned.”

How do you look back on this short but intensive process?
“It is very pleasant to work with people who are so motivated. They always did their homework neatly and really went for it. Since we only had 16 hours of classes, I pushed them a bit. Ideally, I would like to have worked with them for another sixteen hours so that we could practice the presentations more. Yet the difference between intake and final presentation was huge. They have progressed by leaps and bounds and I am very curious to see how they will fare in the future. Who knows, we might be able to organize a return day for that one day.”