Intensive Dutch courses in Belgium
This intensive junior Dutch programme focuses on communication, immersion and interaction: young people are supervised not only during lessons and activities, but also during breaks and meals. They are constantly encouraged to express themselves in Dutch by the “native speaker” monitors and teachers.
The young people are divided into age groups of 9 to 11, 12 to 15 and 16 to 17, in classes of six participants on average (nine maximum).
So that you can see for yourself how your child is progressing, the school has set up an effective evaluation system using :
- an online Dutch test before arriving at the centre
- from the very first lessons, an assessment by the teacher of the child’s ability to express him/herself orally
- a language skills assessment at the end of the stay
CERAN quality
As a leader in training and intensive language stays, CERAN makes it a point of honour to provide young and old alike with high-quality stays thanks to a wide range of flexible formulas, so that every child can find a way to make rapid progress.
In the commune of Ferrières (province of Liège), young people are welcomed in the grounds of the Collège Saint Roch, a magnificent historic building dating from the 17th century. Just 30 minutes from Liège and 5 km from the centre of Ferrières, an exceptional landscape and lush gre enery await the young learners.
There are several independent immersion areas, each with training rooms, a multimedia area, a dining room and a relaxation room. They can also take advantage of
- a heated indoor swimming pool
- a football pitch
- a mini football pitch
- a sports hall
- two beach volleyball courts
- three badminton courts
- two mini tennis courts
- a petanque court
- a table tennis room
The centre also has two multimedia areas and an international lounge where all the learners can meet.
Children learn effectively while having fun thanks to a communicative approach to language teaching, which gives priority to oral expression and is based on the principle of intensity (minimum 21 hours of lessons per week) and immersion, i.e. practising the language outside the classroom in everyday situations (meals, activities and socialising).
Three teaching techniques unique to the CERAN centre:
- QRI (question, answer, intonation) is a technique based on ongoing dialogue and mutual listening between child and teacher.
- The key phrases are a summary of the lessons. They are unique but can be transposed to many general or school contexts.
- The verbo-tonal method of phonetic correction helps children to improve their pronunciation.
Lesson content :
Group lessons – small groups up to a maximum of 9 students per level and age group. There are 7 sessions of 45 minutes per day.
- Speaking – speaking lessons twice a day. The focus is on the QRI method, key phrases and personal improvement of speaking skills, interaction, coherence, fluency and confidence in speaking. (2 sessions)
- Listening comprehension – lessons in listening techniques once a day. Using mainly short clips, these lessons assess the children’s comprehension and interaction with each other. (1 session)
- Written expression – written expression lessons once a day. These lessons are similar to the typical grammar lessons, except that all the activities and topics are based on the oral expression and comprehension lessons. (1 session)
- Reading comprehension – reading skills lessons once a day. Similar to listening comprehension but with an emphasis on understanding written texts. (1 session)
- Language in action – language games, language in action, debates and other activities where the target language is used in action. (2 sessions)
- Individual lesson – the content of these lessons is based on the needs of the children and following the teacher’s assessment. They are recommended as preparation for a specific exam.
Young people are divided into age groups of 9 to 11, 12 to 15 and 16 to 17, in classes of six participants on average (nine maximum).
To ensure that you can see your child’s progress in real terms, the school has set up an effective evaluation system based on :
- an online Dutch test before arriving at the centre
- from the very first lessons, an assessment by the teacher of the child’s ability to express him/herself orally
- a language skills assessment at the end of the stay
Each week includes :
- 28 Dutch lessons of 45 minutes in small groups (21 hours)
- 19 sessions of 60 minutes supervised recreational activities
- a half-day excursion or recreational activity on Wednesday afternoon
Dutch language courses
The courses focus on
- listening comprehension
- oral expression: role-playing (telling a story, giving a presentation, explaining an opinion, taking part in a debate, etc.) in which the teacher emphasises the grammar rules and vocabulary to remember
- reading comprehension: understanding, analysing and summarising written information
- written expression: writing summaries, comments and letters; expressing an opinion, developing an argument, organising lecture notes, etc
This programme is available from age 12.
Does your child have particular weaknesses? Would they like to focus on specialist vocabulary? You can also combine the group programme with private lessons, for more personalised learning.
Each week includes :
- 28 Dutch lessons of 45 minutes in small groups (21 hours)
- personalised one-to-one lessons
- a programme ofsocio-cultural activities, depending on the number of individual lessons (see possible combinations below)
- a half-daydiscovery activity or excursion on Wednesday afternoon
- two days of off-siteexcursions on Saturdays and Sundays, if the minimum stay is two weeks
Individual courses are given in two consecutive lessons of 45 minutes each, with a maximum of four lessons per week and per participant. They replace some of the socio-cultural activities organised in the afternoons.
The following combinations are possible:
- Programme P2: 28 group lessons 2 private lessons
- Programme P4: 28 group lessons 4 private lessons
Wednesday afternoons are dedicated to either a sporting or cultural activity, either on or off site:
- Sports: football, badminton, basketball, handball, rugby, tchoukball, hockey, fencing, martial arts, climbing wall, swimming, tree climbing, rock climbing, hiking, tennis, horse riding, mountain bike, archery, beach volleyball, etc
- Arts : creative arts, sculpture, drawing, painting, scrapbooking, fashion design, singing, drama improvisation, digital photography, short films
- Wellness: yoga, aqua fitness, pilates, gym, Zumba, relaxation, walks
- Other activities: orientation walk, kayaking, team building, escape game, disco and talent show, magic show, hip-hop, table tennis, board games, treasure hunt
Weekend excursions include city tours (Brussels, Bruges, Maastricht), theme parks, exhibitions and museums (Waterloo Museum, Exhibitions at Liege, Fashion Museum, etc), chocolate factory, etc
Accommodation in Ferrières
Accommodation is in single rooms. The bathroom is shared with other rooms.
Full board is included throughout the stay. A picnic lunch is provided on excursion days and all meals are included at weekends if the stay lasts two weeks or more.
A laundry service is available twice a week.
Travel
Day of arrival: Sunday (preferably between 4pm and 6pm)
Day of departure: Saturday (between 8.30am and 12.30pm)
Transfers
If you wish, we can organise your transfer from Brussels Zaventem airport and Brussels, Liège or Verviers train stations. See “Dates/Fares” for prices.
Visa info
Do you need a visa to follow this programme? For more information on this subject, please consult our Visa Information page.
Please do not hesitate to contact us by email or telephone if you require any further information on this subject.
Dates & Prices 2025
Dates 2025
From 3/08 to 23/08 (last possible arrival on 17/08)
Prices 2025
Prices are exclusive of VAT and include all applicable taxes in accordance with current legislation.
| Program - Courses, accommodation & activities - Per week | |
|---|---|
| Program | Price |
| Intensive program | € 1.870 |
| Combined Program (supplement) - Per week | |
| 2 individual lessons (P2) | € 145 |
| 4 individual lessons (P4) | € 290 |
| 6 individual lessons (P6) | € 435 |
| 8 individual lessons (P8) | € 580 |
| Transfer supplements (per trip) | |
| From Brussels Airport - Zaventem | € 130 |
| From Liège or Verviers train station | € 75 |
| Unaccompanied minors (UM) | € 40 |
| Housing supplements | |
| Extra night | € 125 |
| Insurance supplement | |
| Serenity (reschedule stay at no extra cost within the next 12 months) | € 75 |
The above prices include:
- The programme of courses and activities as described
- Equipment provided for all activities and courses (excluding sports clothing)
- Online placement test
- Report on language skills acquired sent at the end of the stay
- Full-board accommodation in the centre from Sunday evening to Saturday morning
- Laundry service (twice a week)
- Weekend accommodation (for stays of two weeks or more)
Not included:
- Travel to the centre
- Any visa fees
- Optional additional insurance
