As part of the 30th anniversary of STE Languages, a special edition of FRITS magazine was published titled ‘Medelanders’, featuring an interview with Alderman Stijn Steenbakkers.

The municipality Eindhoven, together with the other Brainport municipalities, aims to encourage international employees to settle and integrate into the region. Learning Dutch is seen as essential for integration and social connection. That’s why various programmes and projects are being launched to promote Dutch language learning among internationals. The guiding thought: those who work, live and play sports here also want to be part of the city. “Internationals want to join in the Monday morning coffee talk about PSV, just like everyone else. And they need the language to do that,” says Alderman Stijn Steenbakkers.

For years, Brainport companies mainly focused on expats who stayed temporarily. But the municipality now sees a clear shift. Steenbakkers explains: “More and more internationals who come to the Brainport region are staying longer. They settle here with their families, buy a home, and their children go to school locally. That calls for a different approach. If you really want to become part of
society, you also need the Dutch language. So businesses and we, as the government, share responsibility.” Municipality takes the lead In 2024, the municipality Eindhoven launched the so-called ‘Employer Initiative’, Dutch for international employees, in collaboration with Holland Expat Center South and Brainport voor Elkaar. The initiative encourages companies to offer Dutch language lessons to their international staff. The first step is taken by the municipality: they fund the first year of course fees. Companies sign a declaration of intent, committing to offer Dutch courses structurally after that first year.

STE Languages as training provider
Last year, national funding made it possible to take an important step forward. “We issued a public tender and eventually selected three language providers, one of which is STE Languages. Then, together with Brainport voor Elkaar, we approached companies to see if they wanted to take part.” The response was overwhelmingly positive. The first four companies have already started lessons for 114 employees. Another 39 companies, representing more than 400 international employees, are currently in the pipeline. “There’s a strong willingness among employers. That’s really encouraging.”

'We want to belong’
Language is also gaining attention within the city council. 'Spreek Nederlands met me' (Speak Dutch with me) is literally on the agenda. “Not because speaking other languages is wrong,” Steenbakkers notes, “but because Dutch is spoken in 80 to 90 percent of public and social spaces. If you don’t speak the language, you simply can’t fully participate.” International employees feel this too. “At Smart Photonics, I spoke with two employees from the Philippines. They told me they needed the language not just at work, but also at their sports club, in the supermarket, or when picking up a parcel from the neighbours. These are the everyday moments when you feel whether or not you belong.”

Automatically switching
The alderman also recalls a meeting with researchers from various Dutch universities. “I was planning to speak in English, automatically. Until we asked the audience: 'Who doesn’t speak Dutch here?’ Five hands went up out of the 150 attendees. So we continued in Dutch, with English clarifications as needed.” According to Steenbakkers, this automatic ‘servicing’ of internationals is usually well-intended, but counterproductive. “Out of politeness, we often switch to English. But that actually makes it harder for newcomers to learn and understand Dutch, which is exactly what many of them want.”

The Employer Initiative primarily targets the workplace, but its impact should reach further. “As a government, you can do a lot through schools,” says Steenbakkers, “but if only another language is spoken at home, that eventually works against you. The region is facing significant growth. We have a lot to arrange; housing, infrastructure, public services. But just as important is making people feel welcome and understood. And that often starts with language.”

(Source: FRITS Media magazine ‘Medelanders’, text: Koen Chatrou, photo: Gemeente Eindhoven).