Improve language skills

Hello all!

Congratulations on being selected! While we're waiting for the official offer some of us have already started planning their stay in Brussels. I am interested to use the time in Brussels to improve my French and German. My questions:
1. Who is also interested in this?
2. Does anyone recommend institutions/programmes where I could attend language classes? Anyone want to share their experience (like quality, costs, times, tests perhaps?)?

Thanks!

I'm interested in improving my French and I also want to continue practising my Spanish! So I would also appreciate any tips etc on which institutions there are

I got the offer today, finally

I am in for French and already checked out Alliance Francaise. They have extensive evening classes for around 100 Euro/month. I had some classes at Alliances before and it was quite good with many different levels so I might settle for that.

But please post if you find something interesting, am willing to join a group as well.

I hope I'll really make it to attend language classes in the evenings, tried it with my current job and it is quite stressful after a full day of work I have to say...

Guys, do you think we need to learn...Dutch before/ during our traineeship in brussels? Or just French?

Brussels is quite francophone, so I will stick to that and try to finally get my DELF...

They don't really speak Dutch in Brussels.

I'm also interesed in improving my language skills, specially German and I would want to get "le niveau C1 de français" (the exams at L'Alliance Française de Bruxelles are in December): http://www.alliancefr.be/es/tarifs_DELF.html

Institutions for Spanish language... I suppose that the most important one is the Instituto Cervantes, the exams are in November http://bruselas.cervantes.es/es/diplomas_espanol/precios_diplomas_espanol.htm

I think we could make some groups to practise different languages.

I think that tandem is a good option. You meet someone whose language you want to learn and who in turn wants to learn your language and arrange for conversations on agreed topics for example. At least this improves oral skills and day to day speaking.

Thanks guys. This sounds good, I'm in for being group buddies and for learning from each other. So if you are interested in Dutch, just hang out with me

Don't they have weekend classes? Spanish sounds interesting too, but I haven't learned the language before...

Last thing, are there deadlines for applying? Or can I just roll in or something?

I am also interested in improving my French, and (why not?) take the occasion of the traineeship to improve my Spanish. I would prefer to organise some groups within trainees, so that we can learn, practise and improve different languages, rather than attend official classes at Alliace Francaise..it should be more funny and less expensive!
By the way, is anyone already looking for a room in Bruxelles? I was thinking that it could be nice to live with other trainees in the same apartment..

I would love to improve my French. I heard there cheap courses organized by a local university and also comune authorities. But I think we can organize ourselves? I guess there will be French natives among trainees, so maybe some of them would like to have classes with us.
Personally speaking, I would be delighted to teach someone Russian. Anybody willing? 

I think exchange and tandem is good but I try to get a DELF (B2) certificate so I need 'formal' classes as well.

Does anyone know more about the community classes?

I think its a bit too early to look for a room as at the moment all vacancies are for the summer only or from august on. I bet roomhunt in bxl is horrible so would be totally in sharing with other trainees. should be fun!

I'm interested in the language exchange too! (more of a self-learner than a language-course-fan here)

I can offer Spanish (which I see is quite demanded ) and would like to learn mostly French.

I'm also interested in improving my Russian AlZa, although I'm a bit scared of getting a big language mix in my head if I start learning/improving too many languages at the same time .

@ sgd83
I am also a bit afraid of having language mix, as I want to improve too many languages

I would like to learn French first of all, as there will be a good chance to practise it in a day-to-day situations. I studied it at school for two years but I remember basically nothing.

And I want to improve my Turkish. I have A2 certificate which is quite low. I saw that there were several people from Turkey who got selected, so maybe someone would like to organize some classes.

I had language teaching experience in my life even quite funny - I taught English to kindergarten kids and was quite efficient in it, so why not to teach Russian to EC trainees

Hey guys,

I'm in for the French classes. But as I forgot almost all the French I learned I want to take classes in the Alliance Française, so that I can get a good basis for further self-learning. Anyone in the same situation?
As for the language exchange, I can teach Portuguese, and I'm interested in improving my spanish.

Nice, French is also on the top of my list. I had French classes in secondary school, but forgot the most of it. I would be interested in taking classes if they can give some kind of proof that I followed them (perhaps a certificate?). I want to brush up my German, in tandem format sounds good to me for this language. At the same time I want to learn Turkish and Spanish..... Yes, it sounds ambitious. But perhaps we could hang out a few times per week, have dinner maybe, and practice/learn a language during 1-2 hours? We'll see how it rolls, we have a couple of months to figure things out. If you are interested in Dutch, let me know

EleonoraM, I guess you speak Portuguese from Portugal? It would be nice to turn my Brasilian into proper Portuguese, so we can organise Portunhol sessions if you want

@sgd83 Haha, Portunhol sounds good. Count me in And yes, it is European Portuguese!

I very much like the idea of helping each other out with our language skills I'm a native speaker in Dutch and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and near native of Brazilian Portuguese. I'm looking for someone willing to help me with my Arabic since I currently only hold an A.1 degree and would like to improve it. So far I haven't seen Arabic pass the revue but I hope there's someone out there!

Hi All,

First off - congrats to all! I am Danish and have some knowledge of French and German, but would definitely like to improve my written abilities in both, so would like to join French classes too!

Am also happy to teach anyone who wants to learn Danish, though probably not the language that is highest on the list

I'm from Spain, so I can help people who want to practise Spanish language

Hi! Congratulations to everyone! I like your idea of learning languages, because currently I know no French at all and would like to change that. My mother tongue is Polish, so I don't think I could make any "language exchange"

Hello JayPol!
Finally I see another Polish trainee! Which unit you are in? I am in DEVCO/F.
Polish, yessssss, this is exactly why I didn't offer it - I don't expect there will be big demand for it ;)But I am bilingual (Polish/Russian), so I hope there will be someone willing to polish his Russian

Hello AlZa!
DEVCO/F means Development and Cooperation / Neighbourhood? That must be very interesting! I am in REGIO.DGA2.H.2-Poland, so I will be involved in EU Funds in Poland Good luck with polishing someone's Russian to mirror shine BTW, are you male or female? (You wrote "his Russian" so do I guess right that you are a girl, too?)

@JayPol
Yes, I will work with projects for Neighbourhood countries. I really hope that it will be interesting. At least task description which I got was awesome.
- yes, girl
- "his" seemed neutral to me  I swear - am not going to discriminate on the grounds of sex, all are invited to learn the language of Pushkin&Putin  

I want to continue learning German, I wouldn't like to drop it and switch to French really So if there are some good offers I am very up for it!