Date : 19 September 2023 Categories : Blog, Medewerkers aan het woord

Interview with Maud Beersmans: “A good atmosphere in the group is essential”

Maud Beersmans has been teaching Dutch for over 30 years and teaches students of all levels, from beginners A0 to advanced C1. Maud is a dedicated teacher who also develops teaching materials. She is the author of several NT2 teaching methods, namely Opmaat, de Sprong and de Finale.

How did you get into the profession?

In university, I specialized in Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. My thesis focused on the education of foreign-language preschoolers in the Netherlands. When I graduated, there was a shortage of NT2 teachers in adult education. I almost immediately found a job as an NT2 teacher and did my post-HBO training to get my teaching license. From the first moment in front of the classroom, I felt like a fish in water. This is perhaps not really surprising since I come from a family of teachers.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I really enjoy teaching groups because I really like the interaction between students. For me, a good atmosphere in the group is essential and I encourage students to work together, have fun and not to worry so much about mistakes.

What makes me most happy are the success stories of course participants. The nicest thing is when someone from the beginners’ group says, for example, ‘this weekend I ordered my cup of coffee in Dutch, and it went well!’ Making mistakes is not bad at all. You learn from them, and practice is important.

What characterizes your approach?

My approach focuses on helping and motivating students by giving them insight into their progress and connecting with what they need to take the next step. I encourage them to have as much language contact as possible by listening a lot, reading and using the language in everyday life. This helps to increase the student’s self-reliance and confidence in speaking the Dutch language.

What are your plans for the future or ambitions?

I have been an NT2 teacher for 30 years and my profession remains fascinating. Thirty years ago, for example, there was no Internet and I recorded television programs on a videotape at home to bring current affairs and news into my lessons. That has become much easier now. All kinds of technological developments have changed the content of my classes a lot, and I like that. For example, the rise of AI is a current challenge: how can I as a teacher and how can my students use AI in the language learning process? What is possible and what isn’t? I will never teach or create teaching materials on autopilot, I always look at the target audience and the resources and opportunities available to me at the time. As a result, my work never gets boring!