At Sarphati, students from the Netherlands and around the world come together. While Dutch students are used to speaking in Dutch, international students are naturally more accustomed to English. As Sarphati we find it very important that everyone feels at home in our association, no matter where you come from. Therefore, we want to emphasize that if necessary, you may always express yourself in both Dutch and English.

Of course, not everyone is proficient in both languages. We encourage everyone to deal with this respectfully and try to involve everyone as much as possible. For example, as an international student it can be very helpful to interact in Dutch to practice your skills. But at times this can and will be difficult as well, so don't be afraid to reply in English, or ask for a translation! It's very important to us that you feel included at Sarphati, language should not stand in the way of that.

At the same time, some Dutch students might have more difficulty speaking English than most international students. After all, they have chosen to study close to home, rather than abroad. You can help them by being understanding when they fall back on Dutch sometimes. Being in a bilingual environment is great in many ways, but it also brings some challenges. However, so long as the starting point is always mutual respect, we'll work it out together!

As an association we do not want to impose from above what language should be spoken, but keep talking about it together. In this way we hope to make Sarphati a successful bilingual association where everyone feels at home!