Prerequisites
Classes are fast-paced, and students need study skills and computer skills.
Discipline is needed to attend class in the evening twice a week.
As well, the homework is 4-6 hours per week and too much to be done on the weekend only.
You are highly educated when you have completed high school with a diploma.
After that, you studied at a college or university.
The Delft Method modules are fully in Dutch. As a consequence, questions will be answered in Dutch.
However, at the end of class, organizational details are given in English, up to level A2.
Fortunately, Margreet Kwakernaak speaks French, German, basic Russian, and Spanish as well. However, she will do this only as a last resort- as most students speak English.
Duration, frequency and time
Delft Method Modules start every month, except April, August, and December.
All Delft method modules up to level A2 are offered on Monday and Wednesday nights. Students have class twice a week.
On the other hand, modules from A2 up to B1 are offered on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
All essential modules start between 18:00 and 20:15. However, the optional modules Grammar A2, Grammar B1, Exam Training A2, and Exam Training B1 are from 21:00-21:40.
Please use the page Courses and, on that page, the time schedule below (mobile) or at the right (computer) for your planning.
All Dutch courses of Suitcase talen are fast-paced because they are for highly educated people. When you start from zero, it takes 20 weeks to speak at level A2. It’s good to know that the Delft method A2 level is higher than the Civic Integration Exam until January 2024.
For the Civic Integration Exam, 3 Modules plus the short Exam training are enough. However, if you want to continue to level B1, you must do Module 4 as well.
After that, it takes another 20 weeks to reach level B1. This B1 level is again higher than that of traditional courses. The explanation is that with the Delft method, you speak more. B1 level serves you well in Dutch social life.
Read more about the levels in Language Levels CEFR
How to choose a course
Up to January 1st, 2024, the required language level for the Civic Integration Exam is A2.
You can pass this Exam after Modules 1, 2, and 3 (15 weeks) and an Exam training of 2 weeks. Altogether, 17 weeks. In other words: 4 months.
After January 1st, 2024, level B1 is required for the Civic Integration Examen. Starting from zero, you need 7 modules of 5 weeks and 1 exam training of 5 weeks. Altogether, 40 weeks. In other words, 10 months.
Are you in a different situation? Please describe it in the Contact form, mentioning your phone number. We will call you back soon and ask you more questions. After that, we will give you well-founded advice.
It all depends on how you speak Dutch. Most students who speak some words, like ‘goedemorgen’ en ‘hoe gaat het’ start with Lesson 1 of Module 1.
From the first day on, we speak Dutch.
Moreover, you learn to use 50 new words per class, so the speed is high.
However, it’s our expertise to determine your actual speaking level, so please inform us about your situation and learning goal in the Contact form.
After that, we will call you, ask questions and talk Dutch with you. Finally, we will give you well-founded advice.
As long as you don’t speak, the Delft method considers you a beginner. Why? In your first conversation class, you start talking from the first second on.
However, your understanding of Dutch helps. How? you will struggle less than the students who start from scratch. Yet, you must start with Module 1, just like anybody else who cannot say more than ‘Goede morgen’ and a few other words.
In case you want to try out carefully whether Module 2 or a higher one might suit you, use the contact form. Tell us there about your situation and which goal you want to reach with your Dutch.
After that, we will call you, ask you some questions, and talk Dutch with you. In the end, we will give you well-founded advice.
Use the Contact form to give details about your situation and your target. Add your phone number and Suitcase talen will call you to discuss the matter. Usually, this free intake by phone is sufficient for good advice when you are under level A2.
In some cases, we may offer you a free proof class. After that class, both you and the teacher know whether this class is at your level.
Missed classes
As soon as you know that you’ll have to miss a class, email or Whatsapp your teacher, before 17:00. If you are on time, the teacher will record the class. You’ll receive the link to the recording at the end of the evening. The recording will be available for 24 hours.
When you don’t ask to record, you cannot catch up.
However, as long as time differences permit, you can join your online classes anywhere. That’s why many students, when on a business trip, or staying with their relatives for a holiday, participate in the lesson as usual.
Payment
A Delft Method module is five weeks only, so you pay per Module- at once and in advance.
Students also pay in advance for private classes – in blocks of 5 weeks.
Companies or other institutions must pay for all courses and private classes in one payment and in advance.
When a student stops or cancels after payment has been made, there will be no refund. In case of unforeseen serious events, students can catch up on missed classes within a year.
Stopping
A Delft Method module is five weeks only and you pay per module.
In case you stop during a module, you will not get a refund. However, please discuss catching up on classes in the next batch, when you have to stop because of unforeseen serious events.
Canceling
If you cancel before the module starts, you will not get a refund for the paid module. However, you can postpone your starting moment once, within a period of a year.
A Delft Method Module is affordable. You pay for 5 weeks only and you will not get a discount or refund. Only in case of unforeseen and serious facts, catching up on the missed classes in the next batch is to be discussed.
Better wait for the next starting moment when you know that you must miss more than three classes. However, many students continue joining online classes when they are on business trips, or visiting relatives.
Moreover, you can ask your teacher to record the class. If you do that before 17:00, you’ll receive the link to the recording at the end of the evening. The recording will be available 24 hours after the missed class.
The Civic Integration Exam
Suitcase talen does not prepare for MAP and ONA because most students work and are exempt from MAP, the former ONA.
However, we do help with KNM.
Civic Integration Exam at A2, until when? Up to January 1st, 2024, level A2 is enough. Please check your personal situation with the IND.
After this date, level B1 will be required. Please check your personal situation with the IND.
