“What do you call it?”, asks supervisor Riet, “when you get confused more and more often? A disease that mainly occurs in older people.” The group of people around her remain silent, but lean a little closer to her, curious about the answer. “That you forget things…” Riet tries. Questioning eyes on her. “Dementia,” says Riet. Ah yes, the group leans back a bit again.
Seven of these groups sit around small tables in the foyer of Pathé Haarlem Center on Wednesday morning. The groups consist of Haarlem residents who were born outside the Netherlands: one has only just arrived in the Netherlands, having fled from war, the other has been based in the city for a few years. What they have in common is that they want to learn the language. Some already know each other from voluntary language classes in the library or compulsory language lessons during the integration course.
Language lessons in the library
Riet is a volunteer at the Taalsoos of the Zuid-Kennemerland Library. Under her guidance, ten to fifteen Haarlem residents with a foreign background meet every week to learn Dutch.
“Language is the big driving force,” she explains. “It makes you undertake new activities and get out of the house. These people often work in places where English is spoken. But if they can also express themselves in Dutch, a new world opens up.”
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