Get set to know this all-round Dutch teacher and entertainer
Alireza (but you can call him Ali or Reza) is truly unique in his kind. As a child, he came from his homeland Iran to The Netherlands, but now he has become almost completely 'Dutchized'. Reza has even been teaching Dutch for many years, to all kinds of groups and individuals, including a lot of expats. As if that isn't enough, he knows everything about the Dutch labour market, he can imitate different accents accurately and he is active in the field of music, art and theater. However, if you ask him how he would describe himself, his first response appears to be: "bald". This shows that modesty and self-deprecation can therefore also be added to the list!
At the moment, Reza is a very beloved Dutch Teacher at the Language Institute TaalTaal in Scheveningen. A description of his lessons, in his own words, is as follows: "If people want to laugh, then they should definitely come to my class. My interest in people and my natural curiosity means that I always try to create a positive experience during each lesson. I get to meet so many students with the most diverse backgrounds, from a UN lawyer to an Olympic athlete!"
He confirms that he feels an extra bond with foreigners who have to learn Dutch, because of his own experiences as a newcomer. He explains: "As a child, I also had to learn Dutch and the culture was obviously completely new to me. For example, like many students, I look at something like 'andijviestamppot' (endive stew) very differently, haha!" Funnily enough, something like 'Inburgering' (Civic Integration) is now something Reza specialises in, just like the aforementioned fact that he is an expert in the field of the Dutch labour market. In addition to TaalTaal, Reza has his own company, Olia - Intermediair (www.olia.nl), where he supports foreign people in starting and following their career path here in The Netherlands.
In short, Reza, or Ali, is a real 'Aliround' guy, he has the personal touch and he is business-wise as well. He himself says the following about TaalTaal: "What I like most is the positive energy of TaalTaal and the job interview I had there. Let me put it this way: we laughed a lot and I had never experienced that before during a first business meeting!"
Are you also 'Reza to go'? Then register for a Dutch course and who knows, maybe you won't go anywhere else.
The next season starts in January, with Open days on the 11th of December and 8th and 11th of January. Check the website for all information: www.taaltaal.nl/en -- free intakes are available are available at: www.taaltaal.nl/intake