Private Dutch lessons in secondary school
From 1st year to final year, a Dutch coach who gets your teenager speaking, fills in the missing grammar and prepares for the CE1D or exams, at home anywhere in Belgium or online.
Why do students get stuck in Dutch at secondary school?
Because language skills build up. Words from 1st year are still used in final year, and a grammar rule misunderstood in 2nd year comes back in every essay of the following years.
And because speaking is missing. In class, pupils speak little: they know their vocabulary lists, but the words don't come out when they have to answer.
In a private lesson, the pupil does most of the talking. The coach first identifies what is blocking (vocabulary, grammar, listening or speaking), then works on the year's material from there.
If dyslexia has been diagnosed, we choose a coach experienced with this profile.
See also our private Dutch lessons at every level, Dutch in primary school and all our private lessons in secondary school.
What your teenager works on in Dutch, stage by stage
Dutch does not ask the same things in 1st year and in final year. The coach is chosen according to the stage and the programme followed: general course, language option or immersion.
1st stage: 1st and 2nd year
Vocabulary for everyday situations, the first past tenses, sentence structure. The four skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking) are assessed in the CE1D at the end of 2nd year.
2nd stage: 3rd and 4th year
Longer texts, more grammar (word order, subordinate clauses) and oral presentations. This is often where the gap widens: basic vocabulary is no longer enough.
3rd stage: 5th and 6th year
Understanding articles and reports, arguing orally and in writing. A solid foundation counts here for higher education and for work, in Brussels as in Flanders.
CE1D, exams, resits: preparing for Dutch
- The CE1D modern languages exam, at the end of the 2nd year of secondary school, assesses four skills: listening comprehension (30 points), reading (20), writing (20) and speaking (30). Listening and speaking therefore weigh more than half of the mark: that is where the coach starts, before having the student practise on past papers published by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
- The December and June exams cover all the vocabulary and grammar seen since September. The coach helps plan the revision period and reviews topic by topic, in writing and orally.
- The resit is prepared from the material announced by the school and the mistakes in the June paper. We target what caused the failure, over a few weeks.
How does it work?
Analysis of the situation and goals
A My Sherpa educational advisor gets in touch and analyses the pupil's needs.
Designing the coaching programme
Your educational advisor proposes a suitable programme.
Coach selection
Your educational advisor selects the coach who suits your needs and your schedule.
Coaching follow-up
Throughout the programme of lessons, your educational advisor follows up and remains available.
Other subjects in secondary school
Dutch at other levels
Need specific support?
My Sherpa, your support service dedicated to your children's success
12k
Pupils supported
Since 2003, from primary school to higher education.
97%
satisfaction
Families satisfied with the quality of their support.
87%
Success rate
Students who reach the goals set with their educational advisor.
A private Dutch tutor, chosen for your teenager
Private tutor, home Dutch teacher, coach: at My Sherpa, you don't search alone. Your educational advisor assesses your teenager's level in the four skills, sets the programme, then selects the coach who fits it. They remain your point of contact throughout the support.
Lessons take place at home anywhere in Belgium, or online, any day of the week, weekends included. For a pupil at a Dutch-speaking school or in immersion, the lesson is taught in Dutch.
Does your teenager mainly want to speak more fluently, outside the curriculum? Discover our Dutch lessons, one to one or in a small group.
Dutch lessons in secondary school: your questions
By working on the four skills of the exam, starting with listening and speaking, which count for 60 points out of 100. The coach gets your teenager speaking in every session (introducing themselves, describing, reacting in a conversation), then moves on to past papers, so the format no longer comes as a surprise on the day.
Yes. In immersion, Dutch is also the language of other subjects, such as science or history. The coach then works on the subject in the language it is taught in, with the vocabulary that goes with it.
Lessons start at €35/h in secondary school. At this level, we recommend 2h sessions, every week: with a language, regularity does more for speaking than a block of sessions just before the exam. The first three sessions are a trial period: if your teenager does not get on with the coach, you continue with another one, at no extra cost.
Yes, by targeting. The work starts from the material announced by the school and the mistakes in the June paper: a grammar point, a vocabulary area, speaking. It is best to start as soon as the results are known: with a language, a few weeks of regular practice count for more than the final stretch.
In Dutch, speaking is built over time: support during the year gives the coach time to get your teenager speaking every week. A specific exam (the CE1D, June, a resit) can also be prepared with a shorter programme, set with your educational advisor.
