The University of Antwerp is taking an important step in supporting international academics who are required to learn Dutch under regulations governing the official language of administration. Through a renewed and more structured approach, the university aims not only to help these colleagues achieve the required B2 language level, but also to strengthen their integration into the university community.
The new approach is the result of close collaboration between Linguapolis and the Human Resouces Department at the University of Antwerp. From now on, every new staff member who is required to meet the administrative language requirements will take part in an onboarding programme at Linguapolis. Sabine Steemans, coordinator of Dutch for non-native speakers and an expert in language assessment, will act as the point of contact. She will provide individual support to staff members and liaise with the Human Resources Department and relevant faculty where necessary. The support is primarily aimed at international ZAP colleagues who are required to meet the statutory language requirements. This approach enables the university to comply with its legal obligations while further developing an inclusive and international campus environment.
Support sessions started in June. According to Sabine Steemans, the personalised approach is proving to be particularly valuable. ‘These discussions give us, as a language centre, greater insight into the specific needs of international academics, while enabling participants to discuss their language learning journey and receive tailored advice.’
That individual support has produced immediate, tangible results. For example, a German-speaking colleague was advised to take a language assessment rather than complete an entire course. Another staff member was told in good time that his current way of learning a language was not progressing quickly enough to meet the language requirement by the deadline. For someone else, tailored one-to-one coaching was the best way to prepare for the exam.
‘I really admire these professors and senior academics,’ adds Steemans. ‘They combine their academic studies with an intensive language programme. As English is often the main language spoken in their workplace, achieving the required level of Dutch means making a huge effort. Through this guidance, we aim to support them as best we can throughout that process.’
