DAM good!
Teaching Method
Over time, Micha van Dam has developed a way of teaching that is effective and fun. He says: "I like variety. The goal – speaking Dutch – can be reached in many ways, and many approaches have been developed and have fallen in and out of fashion. I like to use a bit of all of those approaches, so to stimulate learning in more than one way and on different levels. I know the latest trends and research results, and from the wealth of available study materials and methods, I make my own pick - bits and pieces that work and are fun. These elements, I try to customize to the needs and preferences of the students."
"Usually we choose a book, for some visible structure, but we never work with it in a bookish way. Often used books are:
Nederlands in gang
Nederlands in actie
and Nederlands op niveau . "
Work Forms
All kinds of work forms are possible during a lesson, ranging from traditional exercises like filling in words, studying grammar and answering mulitiple choice questions, to more modern and complex exercises, like trying to write down a speech just heard and afterwards reading the original speech, or practicing a functional conversation.
Educational Extras
Lessons should be fun! Therefore, the DAM Dutch approach is quite informal, stimulating relaxed conversations. What's more, lessons are packed with nice activities!
Possible fun activities in the classroom are:
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doing role plays
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working with comic books
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reading cartoons
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working with objects
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working with pictures
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reading newspaper articles
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reading Dutch short stories or books
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surfing on the Dutch internet
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watching Dutch YouTube videos
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watching Dutch movies (if desired)
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singing songs with live guitar or piano accompaniment (if desired)
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rapping in Dutch to a pre-recorded drum beat (if desired)
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ordering a pizza over the phone
(if hungry)
Possible cool outdoor activities to do together with your teacher, include:
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going to the market
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museum visits
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(historical) city walks
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going for a drink and ordering something in Dutch
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asking the way to someone in the street
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taking your bicycle to a repair shop
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going to a theatre play
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going to your children's school and talk with other parents, children or teachers
More options
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Sending emails to your teacher and getting feedback
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Skyping with your teacher
All these activities should be fun, and at the same time challenging, seeing that they are completely in real life Dutch. So, working this way is serious fun!
Just tell us what works for you!
