Olga Lenzen‘s interest in teaching Dutch to newcomers in the Netherlands stems from her fascination with foreign cultures. This fascination was the reason why she studied cultural anthropology and sociology of non-Western societies at VU University Amsterdam in the 1990s. Upon completing her degree, she worked for an NGO, a trade union, a bank and a human rights organisation. The relationship between business and human rights was her main focus. Olga’s teaching career started more or less by accident. A dentist needed tutoring and Olga offered to help. One dentist led to another and that’s how the it all began. Olga decided that teaching suited her, so she became a certified teacher of Dutch to non-native speakers in 2017 – a decision she has never regretted.
Olga teaches people of all levels and all walks of life. A positive classroom atmosphere is important to her. Olga believes that fluency only comes with practice, so she dedicates a lot of time to speaking practice. Olga has specialised in teaching Dutch to medical personnel. She teaches General Knowledge and Skills Test (AKV) courses and examination courses for healthcare professionals who want register in the BIG register. So it won’t come as a surprise that many of her students are… dentists.
When Olga isn’t teaching, you’ll find her immersed in a book or in her garden.