The Bottom, Saba, Oranjestad, St. Eustatius – In the week of August 16, the first summer course was held in Ghent for teachers of Dutch from the Caribbean-Dutch islands of St Eustatius and Saba. A delegation of primary school teachers exchanged part of their summer vacation under the Caribbean sun for a week of work under the towers of Ghent. They came to Belgium to further explore the didactics of Dutch as a foreign language and to grow further as a language teaching professional.

The program included a solemn reception at the town hall by education alderman Elke Decruynaere and a visit to the Summer School in Ghent. This allowed the teachers to see colleagues at work, something they don’t get much of a chance to do on their own island due to the scale. Nele De Sloover and Liesbet Vandenbussche, the driving forces behind the Kortrijk reading pop-up Woordoord, gave a workshop about reading aloud and diversity. Furthermore, there were workshops on activating and authentic language practice and the European Framework of Reference for Language Teaching, and a digital exchange with students from other schools was also prepared.

The choice for Ghent was not a coincidence: “If people travel thousands of kilometers to take a course, the location had better be worth the effort. In Ghent, after a day full of workshops, the teachers can also further discover the cultural wealth of the Dutch-speaking world. We visit, among other things, the House of Alijn and the Mystic Lamb. And it will also be a tasty summer school: fries and East Flemish regional specialties are definitely on the menu!”, says organizer Adriaan D’Haens.

The summer course Dutch as a Foreign Language from 16 to 21 August in Ghent is an initiative of Adriaan D’Haens, language education expert and director of Helder Language Learning. It is organized in collaboration with the primary schools of St Eustatius and Saba with the support of Erasmus+. More information can be obtained by mail: adriaan@nederlandsopsabaenstatia.eu or by telephone on 0032474/539877.

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