Andy Ovcharuk (39) comes from Ukraine and has been living in Brussels for 13 years. He studied law and economic security and works as a project manager in the ICT world. He is also a passionate balloonist.
Hi Andy, why a Business Dutch course?
I had already completed all levels of Dutch at CVO Semper and now I wanted to continue at an even higher level to improve my Dutch. I work with Dutch-speaking clients and a perfect command of the language is very important for good communication in the workplace.
Has this training already helped you in your work?
Yes, absolutely! I am responsible for a project that digitizes and automates the flow of documents between patients, insurers and hospitals throughout Belgium. This means that I have to communicate with Dutch- and French-speaking Belgians on a daily basis via email or telephone. Sometimes I have to go to hospitals to better explain to our customers how our platform works. In my opinion, the most valuable assignment during the training was a presentation. This assignment gave me the opportunity to practice my presentation skills and improve my communication with others.
Is there a word that has particularly stuck with you?
I find the word "foefelen" very funny. "Schmink", on the other hand, I think is a ridiculous word.
You can follow this course both from home, @home, and at school, @class. Which formula did you prefer?
After the corona pandemic, more and more people stayed at home to work or to take classes. So for me the choice was quickly made: I chose @home. However, I still like to go to the office 2 to 3 times a week. With working from home and homeschooling, we have more time for ourselves, for our families and also for our studies. Less unnecessary travel also means less traffic, less pollution, less office space and a big time saver!
Who would you recommend this course to? Does it stop here for you or is there a follow-up course?
I would definitely recommend this course to my friends and colleagues. If you are multilingual, there are so many more opportunities, not only at work, but also in private, social and cultural life. It broadens your horizons. However, there is still so much more to learn and improve. For me, learning a language is an endless journey in the world of self-development and growth. There is still so much to discover to better understand Flemish and Dutch culture and mentality. So I don't think this is my last step on this path.
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