You can register using the links which can be found on each course page on the website. Read everything on our registration procedure here.

You can only benefit from the student or discount rate if you are fully registered at the RUG and have received an S or P number. You cannot use the reduced rates before that time.

You can register up to 7 or 14 days before the start of the course, the registration period is indicated per course. If the maximum number of registrations for your preferred course has been reached, you can place yourself on the waiting list by sending an e-mail to languagecentre@rug.nl.

Here you can find the yearly course schedule. More information about schedules can be found on the language course pages.

If your course does not appear on the registration website, it is either not yet open for registration or there is no new course planned yet. If you want to get an update as soon as we have new courses planned, subscribe to the Language Centre Newsletter.

Once you have successfully registered via the website, you will receive a confirmation by email.

You can register for the waiting list by sending us an e-mail: languagecentre@rug.nl. The Language Centre Support Office will then contact you if a place becomes available or if an extra timeslot is added.

To avoid that the course of your choice is full, register as early as possible. Via the Language Centre Newsletter we notify you as soon as we have scheduled new courses.

Here you can find the yearly course schedule. More information about schedules can be found on the language course pages. In the Language Centre Newsletter, we will keep you up to date on when we launch new courses.

• If the course of your choice has multiple time slots available, you can register for another day or time.
• If another day or time does not suit your schedule, you can stay on the waiting list for the original course and we will contact you if a place becomes available.

You will receive an email with all the relevant information about a week before the start of the course.

Unfortunately not. Therefore, it is important to assess your level before you register for a language course. You can find all relevant information regarding the intake procedure here.

For a Dutch course you can modify your registration until 14 days before the start of the course. For other courses, you can change your registration until 7 days before the start of the course. After this moment, it is no longer possible to change your course group.

No, you will not receive any ECTS credits for following a course at the Language Centre.

The course description will tell you exactly which material you need for the course. In addition, you will receive an email listing the necessary books and material about a week before the start of the course. We advise not to purchase the books before you receive an email that the course will take place. The Language Centre does not issue any refunds for course material.

Books are not normally included in the course fees, with some exceptions. This is clearly stated on each course page.

For a number of courses on location, you can purchase the book directly upon registration; you will then receive the book before or during your first lesson from the Language Centre.

If you cannot select the book during registration, you must purchase the book yourself. Some books are available at our Support Office during opening hours, check here if and when the desk is open. Books can also be purchased as an e-book or regular book at your local bookstore, or online bookstores such as Coutinho and Bol.com. When purchasing a regular book online, pay attention to the delivery time to ensure that you receive the book on time.

Information about the availability of the required books is clearly stated in the relevant course description.

We apply the principle of ‘language of instruction = target language’ in our courses. We always aim to deliver our courses and materials in the target language (i.e. the language you want to learn). This helps you to better connect with the language and increase your communicative competence.

English is used at all times in English courses. In other courses, limited English or Dutch explanations can be given where necessary, depending on the composition of the group. For all Dutch beginners' courses, including the civic integration courses, English is used at all times. Therefore, it is required to speak English when you want to register for one of these courses.

For Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Russian, the course material is in English, which means that you must have knowledge of English if you want to study one of these languages.

In general, a minimum of 8 participants is needed to start the course, and there is also a maximum number of participants, depending on the specific course. Please check the individual course descriptions for more detailed information.

Online courses are taught via Blackboard Collaborate, in the online learning environment of the UG. 

On-site courses will be held as much as possible in the University buildings in the city centre of Groningen, unless stated otherwise in the course description. You will receive an email informing you of the exact course location about a week before the start of the course.

For a Dutch course you can modify your registration until 14 days before the start of the course. For other courses, you can change your registration until 7 days before the start of the course. After this moment, it is no longer possible to change your course group.

Unfortunately, joining another group just the once is not possible. If you miss a lesson, you can contact your teacher to ask about your homework.

You will receive a certificate of attendance if you have attended at least 75% of the course sessions. In addition, the teacher will issue a recommendation about the most suitable follow-up course for you. However, this should not be regarded as an official evidence of your attained level. If you would like an official language level statement, please sign up for one of the various language level tests that the Language Centre offers.

Yes, the Language Centre provides Dutch courses for civic integration candidates. The Language Centre has been a Blik op Werk-certified provider of integration courses and dual programmes since 2014.

If you wish to follow a language course at the Language Centre as part of your civic integration process, you will first have to follow the intake procedure so that we can determine whether we have a suitable course for you. More information about the intake procedure can be found here.

Our course range of Dutch courses for civic integration candidates can be found here.

Read all about online training courses at the Language Centre here.

Take a look at this Brightspace help page if you have any questions about the use of the platform or if you are experiencing problems with logging in. Is your question not listed here? Please mail to edusupport@rug.nl.

Yes, you can. You can find our cancellation procedure on this page.

Yes, you can. You can find our cancellation procedure for these courses on this page.

We need a minimum number of participants to allow each course to go ahead. If too few people register, we may cancel your course.

For Dutch courses, you will be informed at least ten working days before the start of the course. For other courses, you will be informed at least five working days before the course starts.

If possible, we will offer you a place in another course that will take place. In all other cases, we will contact you to refund the course fee. Please note that it can take up to four weeks before the money is refunded.

The aims of the general language courses of the Language Centre are described in terms of CEFR. As it is important you enroll in the course at the right level, we offer office hours per language, during which your language levels will be briefly assessed. For some courses, visiting the office hour is obligatory. During a short conversation, you will receive advice about the starting level and (if applicable) the intensity of your course.

Read everything about our office hours here.

You can also easily assess your language level online by completing the  placement test, the  DIALANG test  or the  ‘Self-evaluate your language skills tool’. These programmes do not  replace the advice card and the office hour, they merely give a very global indication of your level for your own reference.

For some courses, visiting the office hour is obligatory as it is important you enroll in the course at the right level. During a short conversation, you will receive advice about the starting level and (if applicable) the intensity of your course.

If you choose not to do this, or if you ignore the advice given, and it appears you are not in the right course, we cannot accept any responsibility. In such cases, we will try to place you in a course at the appropriate level, but this may prove impossible. Should you then wish to stop following the course, our cancellation regulations apply.

This differs per language and per level. You can find all the information on the page about our office hours and on each course page.

The fees vary per course. Please check the individual course descriptions.

See here for an overview of our rates and possible discounts.

Yes. All our payment options are described on this page under the heading 'registration procedure'.

You can pay at our desk during opening hours using your Maestro or V PAY card.

Credit card payments and cash are not accepted at the Language Centre desk.

Unfortunately not. You have to pay the entire amount in one go.

Yes, you will automatically receive an invoice from us by email after enrolling in the course.

If you are logged in via the account of your educational institution or employer, you will automatically see the option to buy the course with a payment guarantee for the following instances during payment:

• University of Groningen
• UMCG

We have no standard agreements for all other institutions. You can purchase the course yourself, and declare the received invoice to your employer.

You can pay for Dutch courses in preparation for the civic integration examination or the State Examination in Dutch as a Second Language with a loan from the Education Executive Agency (DUO: Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs ). Read here which steps you should follow.

DUO will pay your course fee directly to the Language Centre using the loan assigned to you. To this end, you must present proof of your DUO loan before the start of the course. You can do this by uploading a scan or photograph of a recent letter from DUO in your online course registration. If you are unable to complete this process, you can also email your scan or photograph to talencentrum rug.nl or hand in a photocopy at the Language Centre desk during opening hours.

Once you have registered for your course, you will remain responsible for checking that you have sufficient funds in your DUO loan to pay for the course. This is because the invoice can only be submitted and paid at the end of the course. If it turns out at the end of the course that your DUO loan does not suffice, for example because you have also used it to pay for other civic integration courses, we will send you an invoice which you will then have to pay yourself.

Check our contact page for the opening hours.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to get a visa for following a language course. We do not offer long-term intensive courses and, as such, we are not authorized by the immigration authorities to issue letters of invitation or to assist in any other way to obtain a visa for the Netherlands.

No. The Language Centre provides level tests for almost all languages. You can use the result of your test to prove your proficiency level in the relevant language. However, you are responsible for checking the required entrance level with the degree programme in question. In addition, you are also responsible for proving that you have indeed reached the required level, possibly based on the result of a Language Centre test.

Yes, we can also offer individual coaching tailored to your wishes. More information can be found here .

The Language Centre offers language proficiency tests in several languages. Check for all our information on testing the page of the Testing Unit. For all remaining questions on testing: testingunit rug.nl.

The Language Centre aims to provide optimal service. Should you not be fully satisfied with any of the services provided by the Language Centre, however, please let us know.

What is a complaint understood to mean?

We understand a complaint to mean a written statement of dissatisfaction with a service or staff member of the Language Centre.

Discuss the Problem

Before using the general complaints procedure, we advise you to first discuss the problem with those directly involved. If your complaint involves the course content, for instance, this should be discussed with the lecturer. If you would like to change to another group, contact your lecturer or the Secretary's Office. In many cases, a solution will not be far away. Should you have a complaint about a correction or translation provided by the University Correction and Translation Service, we advise you to contact one of their staff first.

Procedure

• Register your complaint via the complaints form below.
• Complaints cannot be lodged anonymously since both parties must be heard in order to satisfactorily solve a complaint.
• Complaints must be lodged within a reasonable period of time and within a year at the latest.
• Your complaint will be dealt with by the complaints committee, comprising the director and the section head relevant to your complaint.
• Should your complaint concern the section head, the complaints committee will comprise the director and another section head. If your complaint concerns the director, the complaints committee will comprise two section heads.
• You may perhaps be invited to further explain your complaint in person and to discuss possible solutions. If you follow the procedure as described above we will always attend to your complaint. You will receive an answer to your complaint within 20 working days.

Not satisfied?

If you are not satisfied by how your complaint has been dealt with by the Language Centre complaints committee, please consult one of the following:

• if you follow a course at the Language Centre to go through the civic integration process you can consult the Blik op Werk College Arbitrage Inburgeren (available in Dutch only) or visit the following page about the Blik op Werk complaints hotline
• for al other types of complaints you can consult the Central Portal for the Legal Protection of Student Rights (CLRS).

We hope, however, to have been able to deal with the matter to your satisfaction at an earlier stage.