Hello
My name is Marieke
As a certified Dutch language trainer (NT2) and psychologist (MSc) specialising in well‑being, I bring a unique combination of language expertise and human insight to every training.
With many years of experience as a former Learning & Development and HR consultant, I also understand what organisations need to help international employees thrive.
I provide in‑company training as well as courses at several language schools, such as UvA Talen where I support language learners in building confident, effective communication skills in the Dutch language..
Having lived, worked, and studied abroad multiple times myself, I know first-hand what it means to adapt to a new culture and workplace. That experience enables me to guide ilanguage learners with empathy, clarity, and practical strategies that truly make a difference
From Paris to Manila: My journey with language
After high school, I went to Paris as an au pair. During the day, I took a four-year-old girl to school, while I was in class at the Alliance Française. There, I discovered how language opens doors.
Later, I lived in Italy. My first lessons? The Bold and the Beautiful in Italian. Then language school in Verona, pizza after class, and strolling through Piazza Bra...… La dolce vita!
Back in the Netherlands, the outside world continued to draw me. I worked in Zambia, Rwanda, and Ghana. English and French helped me hear stories I'll never forget. I learned: language isn't just communication, it's connection.
In England, I studied Psychology and researched how refugee women found their place in the Netherlands. Their secret? Perseverance, hope, resilience, and above all: language!
Inspired, I became a language volunteer. I enjoyed teaching so much that I enrolled in teacher training. And suddenly I was teaching Dutch to nurses in Manila. Who would have thought?
Language has taken me everywhere—from Paris to Verona, from Rwanda to the Philippines. It remains my key to new worlds. I now share my passion for language closer to home, as a language trainer/teacher of Dutch for non-native speakers.
