The Rubio Dutch Method
What is language learning?
Language learning at Rubio Dutch is more than just grammar, vocabulary and practice. By paying attention to all the aspects of learning, you can learn more effectively and efficiently, and with more motivation, empowerment and satisfaction.
1. Mindset
coaching
2. Goals &
motivation
3. Exposure & connection
4. Learning
habits
5. Grammar &
vocabulary
6. Interaction
tools
1.
Mindset coaching
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Do you consider yourself good at languages?
How do you feel about making mistakes?
Do you give up easily?
Are you comfortable asking for help?
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How you see yourself, the language you learn, the society you now belong to, the people around you, your future here: this all influences your learning.Â
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It’s difficult to learn things you don’t like, don’t need or don't see the use for. This has to do with the way our brain organises information:
'What you don't use, you lose. What you don't need, you yeet'.
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Rubio Dutch gives you insight into how your thinking influences your learning, in the stages of learning and the emotions that tend to go hand-in-hand, and we show you tools to make them work for you.
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2.
Goals & motivation
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Why are you learning Dutch? If we look beyond the shoulds and focus on what makes you feel curious or excited, we can find out what will keep you motivated in the long run, and what can guide you when making choices during you learning process.
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Setting a clear and tangible goal can protect you from feeling overwhelmed and lost, and indicates which words, grammar and skills you want to know and practise right now, and which ones to put aside until later.
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An effective learner is the agent of their own learning process. At Rubio Dutch we help you discover what truly motivates you and which goals serve you best, to create focus and joy in your learning.
3.
Exposure & connection
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At school, learning is all about passing the test. In real life, the main purpose of language is communication and connecting with others. The only ‘test’ is whether you manage to understand and be understood.
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Connection
Language starts with connection: the urge to understand and connect with others!Â
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Exposure
Regular interaction with people relevant to your daily life is essential for progress. These are experiences that no book can teach you!
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Rubio Dutch will help you look for connection in communication and make use of the opportunities you have to speak. We teach you the tools and tricks to make use of your environment so you can achieve your unique goals.
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4.
Learning habits
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No need for endless worksheet exercises and memorising lists of words - these kinds of exercises hardly teach you anything about interacting with people in real life.
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What you need is solid practice, focused on your personal goals, by doing activities that you find fun or interesting, in a such a way that it is easily incorporated into your daily routine. But we also know that it is hard to find the discipline to create a new habit.
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In our courses we help you to identify existing habits that can easily be connected to new activities. We help you to choose activities that are useful to your goal, and we help you to create a new habit out of them that will be doable and even fun to keep up with in the long term.
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5.
Grammar & vocabulary
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Learning though immersion alone, works like a gem when you are a baby with nothing on your mind but eating, sleeping, playing and interacting. As an adult, you have many different activities and obligations in a day, all competing for your attention and energy.
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On the other hand, you have a brain that is a lot more effective at making sense of, categorising and combining information! Learning grammar and vocabulary is easier if you work with your brain instead of against it.
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In our classes, the grammar instruction is done at home, through short grammar instructions videos.
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We teach you grammar and how to best use it, and we teach tricks to learn the vocabulary that fits your goals and lifestyle, in a way that is effective and fun. We make use of the natural learning capacities of our brains, so no lists of words to memorise!
6.
Communication skills
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Speaking is, for most people, the scariest part of learning a new language. A conversation can go anywhere, and hardly ever follows the textbook script or the script you so carefully prepared.
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In our courses, we teach you the tools and skills to turn scary conversations into useful learning experiences that will give you the feedback you need to maintain motivation and continue learning. These tools and skills will help you take charge and ask for or give feedback on how communication is going, and use this feedback as a powerful source of growth.
What makes this method so special?
We are the first private language school to do schoolwork at home and homework at school. This means no homework from a book after class, – just two or three 5-minute grammar instruction videos to prepare for next week’s class, and a mindset video for insight into the learning process and tools to deal with the feelings and obstacles you might encounter along the way.
Setting clear goals, identifying positive learning opportunities and creating sustainable learning habits - all tailor made - is also an essential part of the program!
How is it possible to make progress, if I don’t do any homework exercises from a book?
Unique to our method, we constantly work on creating a solid bridge between theory and practice. Instead of solely studying from a book, we give you the tools to go out and practise in your daily life. Class time is optimised, because all the grammar explanation is done at home, on your sofa, whenever it suits you, through our short online grammar instruction videos. You can watch the videos as many times as you want.
Outside the classroom, you use your daily routine as your Dutch playground: with each class, we gradually incorporate more Dutch into your life.
Depending on your level, your personal interests, your goals, your existing habits and routines and your current opportunities to interact with native speakers, you choose your 'homework', with the help of your teacher.
The hardest part for me is speaking. How can you help me break that barrier?
Learning a language is not just about words, grammar and practice. Learning a language puts you a in tight spot: you feel vulnerable, exposed and maybe even dumb or silly. In our classes, we hand you the tools to feel more in control of your Dutch communication.
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We also look at the cultural component. How to improve communication with your co-workers, how to avoid causing irritation or misunderstandings, how to make a sentence sound friendly or strict... Language is not just a one-to-one transcription from one language to the other: what sounds nice and polite in one language may be rude in another. Let us help you express yourself more truly to who you really are.