New to Rotterdam, Lots of questions

ashejane · Newbie Joined: Jun 19, 2009 Posts: 4 Location: canada

Can someone help me answer a couple of questions?

1. Can you recommend a good course for learning dutch?

2. I want to volunteer, My experience is working with kids and teens with emotional and behavioural issues, but I don't speak dutch (yet). ANy programs that operate in english? Or any opportunities to teach english to kids? I've heard that there are some helplines that operate in English but I haven't been able to find any info.

3. Any online sites where i can check out travel info, vacation packages from the netherlands or somewhere nearby. We want to go somewhere for Christmas.

Thanks!!

agnes1962

Hello,

Wecome to this forum. Here are some answers:
1. Dutch lessons: I don't have personal experience with this, but on www.access-nl.org/shop...oklets.htm you find several information booklets about all kind of aspects of living in the Netherlands. One of them is about Dutch lesssons and includes a list of organisations that provide Dutch lessons. If the government has decided that you must follow an "inburgeringscursus" learning Dutch is part of that.
2. a volunteer job. I don't know about Rotterdam, but you might be able to help at the British School in the Netherlands (www.britishschool.nl) or the American School of the Hague (www.ash.nl) or any other international school. An other option could be volunteering at ACCESS. ACCESS is a non profit organisation in The Hague (and Amsterdam) that offers information and advice to expats for their life in the Netherlands. It is run by volunteers who are in most cases expats themselves. They offer e.g. an information helpline (by phone and mail) and you can also drop in for information. Want to know more: www.access-nl.org or info @ access-nl.org.
3. There are lots of possibilities to go somewhere with Christmas: hotel, bungalow, special arrangement in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. I don't know any information about this in English, but a travel office (reisbureau) schould be able to help you. For one day trips you can also think about visiting a Christmas market in Germany. They are famous and lots of people go there. Or try google with Christmas and holidays and Netherlands.

Good luck and don't hesistate to post a new message if you have more questions. We are also interested about the answers you will finally get on your questions and your experience with this. That can help other readers.