German with confidence.
* PwC Studie 2020: “How virtual reality is redefining soft skills training.”
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You speak a foreign language - German, say – but you have realised that actively participating in a conversation is pretty difficult. You get frustrated because you don’t know enough German, because you always respond just that one second too late, because you don’t dare to speak, or because you simply don’t know whether your German is correct.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
What would it be like if conversations in German were no longer a problem for you? If you could say whatever you wanted to say, and could handle even the most difficult situations? If you still made the occasional mistake but kept developing your skills and managed to have good conversations?, als je alles kan zeggen, wat je wilt, als je zelfs moeilijke situaties aan kan, als je nog wel eens fouten maakt als je spreekt, maar als je je blijft ontwikkelen en je erin slaagt om goede relaties op te bouwen?
Why learn in virtual reality?
Opinions about virtual reality vary. Some people see its huge potential, while others question its value or think it’s too technical. Some will see VR as something only for young gamers. And the vast majority simply have little idea of what is involved, what an avatar is, why there are different headsets and why you should need to engage with something virtual at all.
At the same time, VR is already being used by many companies and educational institutions in very different ways. Its benefits are being felt in sectors in which training can be very uncommon, expensive or dangerous – in the medical world, or many technical fields, for instance.
But its use is not restricted to such fields. Virtual reality has also been found to be a highly effective and motivational way to train soft skills: you put on the headset and find yourself in an office, for instance, with a customer opposite you. Instead of having to imagine this scenario, you encounter it virtually. The situation feels real. You experience it, and this makes it easier for you to respond realistically. It also helps you to remember what you have learned. The result? Increased learning success, greater effectiveness and more learning benefits.
Can you learn a language using virtual reality?
“I want to learn a language from and with real people, and not using a headset,” is something I sometimes hear people say. hoor ik wel eens iemand pleiten.
But virtual reality is not an end in itself – it’s a technical resource that helps you to achieve better results. You will learn German with me acting as your learning facilitator. Neither you nor I will be replaced. Why? Virtual reality allows you to move around in different environments. So, instead of imagining yourself in a supermarket and doing some shopping, you are actually there; you don’t deliver your pitch in a classroom but instead in an office. Moving around inside such realistic environments is incredibly stimulating! Not only is it fun, but it serves to motivate you too. It also means we can work together to create your own learning space. You can set everything up and adjust things to the way that you learn best – in the best way for you to remember vocabulary, for instance, and to reflect your chains of association. You become an active learner, and your senses are engaged. You are focused and this means you learn what you personally need, all with long-term effectiveness.
Bovendien kunnen we samen jouw leerruimte creëren. Je kunt alles op de manier opzetten en veranderen zoals jij het beste leert, zoals jij woordenschat het beste onthoudt, zoals jouw associatieketens zijn. Je bent actief, je zintuigen worden aangesproken, je bent gefocust en zo leer je op een duurzame manier wat je persoonlijk nodig hebt.
What you should bring to the training sessions:
- your life experience
- any expertise you have
- any knowledge you have of the German language
- an enthusiasm for trying out VR
- a pen and some paper 😊
Never tried on a VR headset before? Then it’s definitely time you did!
I often hear people say that they don’t just want to have fun but also want to learn something.
Most people I talk to have a little voice in their head saying that learning German should be hard work, that it should be painful, and that it certainly shouldn’t be fun. The voice says that understanding the cases may be possible but that using them correctly certainly won’t be. This voice creates a barrier when it comes to learning. The result is that we put it off and don’t even sign up for a German training course. But learning, success and fun are not mutually exclusive; on the contrary, they enhance each other. A pleasant, inspiring and safe atmosphere actually helps you to learn. Such an environment allows you to unleash your full potential and harness your strengths.
Leren, succes en plezier sluiten elkaar niet uit; integendeel, zij versterken elkaar. Een prettige, inspirerende en veilige sfeer bevordert het leren. In een dergelijke omgeving kan je jouw volledige potentieel ontplooien en jouw kracht benutten.
When you learn German using VR, you become immersed in a quasi-reality.
In these ‘learning worlds’ I make available to you, you forget any other time and space and believe yourself to be in the situation in question. People find it impossible not to want to play and try things out. And time flies. Learning German through VR is great fun. It allows you to experiment, discover, construct and combine things. Training in this way is very effective because you control the learning process, use your senses, and can keep repeating a task until you master it.
I make sure that you’re always learning correctly and effectively and that you make progress. You challenge yourself. And I challenge you too. During the session, we speak German to each other all the time, and I correct you, explain your mistakes, and give you tips on how to learn better.
You take over your language learning experience, with me as your guide and support. You’ll notice that communicating in German becomes increasingly easier and that when learning is enjoyable, it becomes more successful. This means you quickly grow in self-confidence.
During training:
- we achieve your personal learning objectives
- we build on your life experience to date
- we build on your skills and competencies
- borduren wij op jouw kennis van de Duitse taal voort
- we train at your pace
- you train in a way that suits you
- you train as often as suits you
we design your training programme together
After training:
- you will have achieved your learning objectives
- you will be able to say what you want to say in German
- you will be able to communicate persuasively, and with confidence
- you will have developed strategies for mastering difficult situations
- you will know how you can continue learning
Still unsure whether VR learning will suit you?
Why not book just one hour of training first to try it out?