UPB Business

What is UPB Business?

Developing communication skills in an ever-changing world is crucial to maintaining effective and meaningful connections with not just clients, but also the members of your team. At Una Paloma Blanca, we’ve developed courses specifically designed to help each level of a company improve their language proficiency, while also strengthening their connections with each other.

Company

Globalisation and localisation are two opposing processes that are the backbone of most companies. Both processes require outstanding language skills and the ability to brainstorm and bounce ideas off one another. To achieve this, team members must be on the same page both logistically and creatively.

With language being such a vital tool, learning and development of effective communication skills are crucial to the success of a team. As a manager, it is important to feel confident in your team’s ability. Trusting in their top-notch skills, and that working in a second or third language will not hold them back provides limitless opportunities.

As you know, a happy workforce is a strong workforce, and one of the keys to this is confidence. Language plays an indispensable role in the effectiveness and also productivity of a team member. It can mean the difference between a well-written representation of your company, and the loss of a potential client.

Your company is expanding rapidly, and each year you’re seeing the creation of more departments, and even sub-departments. It is important to ensure the company message and voice is concrete not only throughout these different teams but more importantly to clients. One way to ensure this is to take part in team-building activities, strengthening connections between team members, and upper management.

Managers

Integrating into a new team can be challenging for a number of reasons, namely communicating professionally or building connections with your colleagues in another language. Certain situations as you begin a new job are unavoidable, like jumping right into a conversation by the coffee machine, or having the confidence to speak up in a meeting.

Alternatively, feeling that surety with yourself on what you’re about to say, and the words you’re going to use, can mean the difference between a good day and a bad day. One sure way to stay on top of your game is to continue developing your language skills with professionals, who teach you real and useful language, giving tips and tricks along the way.

Together we will focus on strengthening confidence, while learning how to effectively convey information, express concerns and offer feedback. Utilising your language in a way that not only helps you continue your development, but also to make better, more meaningful connections with clients and your team.

You are a team of 6 people from the Netherlands, France, Germany and Ukraine. You’ve begun a large project where multi-disciplinary teams must now collaborate to complete a project for a new client. Being from different departments, it can be a challenge to work as efficiently as possible. With varying levels of the working language, and competencies when writing or speaking, the project might not be finished in time. Coming together as a group to develop your use of language as a communication tool can strengthen how you work together in the long run, especially working closely to achieve these goals.

Team members

A new country, a new job, a new language. It is no small feat to take on such a change, and with it comes new challenges, one of those being your integration into your new surroundings. Confidence in the language used around the office can mean the difference between a great first impression, and failing to set the right tone from day one.

One of the main difficulties is contributing to active discussions, and formulating ideas quickly enough in order to add to the discussion. Quite often, you may feel as though your level of confidence isn’t high enough to trust that what you’re about to say will be coherent, which can sometimes hold you back.

You started your new job quite recently, and there has been a shift in the language you use daily to communicate with your peers and clients. It is important to move with the current and ensure you’re developing your language skills to have a strong start at your new company and at the “Welcome to Our Company” meeting. You need help settling in, and also following along while at work when your colleagues are very much already accustomed to the company. With very specific goals, working privately to expand your language skills can get you on the right track from day one.

Courses

In company training

Una Paloma Blanca offers in company training for departments of varying discipline. A crucial part of in-company training is that the lessons are followed at your place of work/business. We find that in doing this, students can apply what they have learnt almost right away, without there being a break in communication. Maintaining a workflow throughout the day is crucial to maintaining a high-level of productivity, and that extends into our language classes. Having the possibility of applying the language immediately after a lesson will increase long term acquisition.

Group Training

Our group courses are designed to get students to work closely together, solving problems and developing their skills in a group setting. With classes of up to 6 people, students will be presented with a range of situations calling for the use of different language with the use of different communication tools, harnessing strengths while developing new ones. Lessons take place at our school and can be both open to other students, or closed with a fixed group of employees. Open groups are a great way for newcomers to meet other people in a similar situation, and could mean the further development of their integration.

Private Training

Our private and duo courses are tailor-made to achieve short-term and long-term goals, whether it be integration into a new culture, or learning how to use your language confidently as a tool for communication in a new company. Our private and duo courses are people-focused, working with existing strengths while rapidly reaching short-term language goals on the path to achieving a wider goal.

READY TO TAKE THE LEAP?

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6 steps to getting started with UPB

1. Find your fit

Check our website for all the different courses we offer and find one that suits your level, goals and needs.

2. Take the leap

Register for a course using either our webshop, or send us a quick message and we’ll provide you with all the info you need about the course.

3. Sign up

After you have agreed to our proposal we will sign you up for your chosen language course. Now you’re officially enrolled!

4. Join

In fun, interactive and creative language lessons our experienced teachers will bring your language skills to the next level!

5. Complete

Yay! You finished your course. Congratulations! After completing your course at Una Paloma Blanca we are happy to award you with a certificate of Participation

6. Continue

Are you not ready to stop learning? Do you want to raise your skills to the next level? That is great. Una Paloma Blanca is more than happy to help you continue your studies.

Word on the street

Varvara

Rotterdam

I’m writing to thank you very much for the course you’ve organised for Egor. I was really surprised when, firstly, he agreed to do something like that on holiday, secondly, when after the first day with you he wasn’t incredibly tired as I would have expected, on the contrary, very excited.

When you asked us to speak only English during the week, I thought, ok, we’ll see! 😊 But, in fact, every time when I being forgetful say something in Russian, Egor says: “I’m sorry, Mum, I don’t understand you!” Moreover, in the evening on Monday he asked me to help him with his homework! What have you done?! 😊 How could you manage?! 😊 He never does his homework at school, maybe, during the break time before the lesson starts if the teacher is strict enough! 😊 I’m really impressed by the teaching skills of you! Thank you very much! It’s very important for me. I’ve wanted to introduce Egor to this kind of studying for a long time. He’s been never interested until now. As I told you, I’ve done a lot of language courses in England. I love it, I miss it very much. I’m happy that Egor seems to like it too. I think that in spite of the fact he’s doing a short course he’s going to have a great breakthrough in his English studies.

Arianna

Philips

I had already a very good English level before I got lessons from the teachers of Una Paloma Blanca, but after following the Business English Program at the language school, I noticed my confidence with the language increased quite a lot, specially when it came to speeches and team presentations.

Thank you very much for all your help!

Raluca

Study Portals

Speaking is always the most challenging part of any new language, and with Dutch it feels even more difficult for me personally… I just can’t gather the courage to try and verbalise sentences, but I am aware it’s maybe the most important part of becoming fluent.

That’s what I most appreciate in our teacher at Una Paloma Blanca – however broken we may speak, she’s always encouraging, fun and has a friendly, empathetic way of correcting us. That’s highly important to keep the motivation going and practice even outside the group, in real life.

Chetna

Eindhoven

Being a marketer in a foreign country comes with its own set of challenges. Knowing the local language is not just a plus but a prerequisite. Hence, soon after I arrived in the Netherlands, I started my hunt for a language class. After scouting for days, I stumbled upon Una Paloma Blanca’s creative website.

A couple of email conversations later, I found myself at their Eindhoven facility. I loved the vibe and decided to give it a shot. Soon after, it became a home away from home for me as I formed instant friendships within my group. Their one-of-a-kind learning material (an illustrative book that you would not want to put down) and immersive lessons helped me learn the language quicker than I had anticipated. Furthermore, it aided my understanding of the cultural nuances in the Dutch society that gave me an edge in interviews and formal conversations. I cannot thank my teacher enough (who went above and beyond every time) for her constant motivation and support. To all the fellow expats looking for a fun way to learn Dutch, I say go for it!

Erick

DAF

Learning a new language is challenging and Dutch is no different. Learning how to speak confidently and have day to day conversations in Dutch as an expat is challenging. During the summer course what I liked the most was that we focused on the message we were trying to convey and how to properly say it instead of only correcting us.

The balance between study material and outside activities makes the course not feel as intensive and actually makes it fun. The teachers also did a good job encouraging us and motivating us into starting conversations. For anyone looking to improve their vocabulary and gain confidence in conversing in Dutch I really recommend Una Paloma Blanca’s summer courses.

Oana

Eindhoven

Learning Dutch is hard enough, but without the right, dedicated teacher, it would be impossible for someone to learn. I have been studying at Una Paloma Blanca for almost 3 years. I find spoken Dutch the most difficult part, because the Dutch people have a certain accent which is not easy to learn.

However, the teachers are so nice at this school and they encourage you to practice every time even if you don’t speak perfectly… and basically, this is the whole point of following a Dutch course…. TO LEARN! This is what I always appreciate about my teacher: her teaching style, the way of explaining grammar to me, the empathy that she always shows me (not only to my broken speech). My teacher makes me feel part of this family. It is highly important to have the right teacher for your needs, who knows how to keep you motivated in this process of learning a new language all while integrating into Dutch society.

Jorge González

Eindhoven

I love the flexibility of UPB, how supportive the teachers and workers are and how easy they made it to learn a new language. They are helping me a lot with my difficulties learning Dutch and allowing me to communicate with people in fluent Dutch.

Bruno

Rotterdam

As polyglot, learning languages is my main hobby and for that reason I am always looking for the best teachers to boost my language skills!
When I moved to my new life in Rotterdam I was so happy to see that there was a language academy just 3 minutes away from my house with all my languages, even Russian!

I made a good decision in trusting Una Paloma Blanca to take my Dutch and Russian to the next level and the results are amazing: Currently I am able to work in Dutch and I can handle conversations in Russian

Casper

Rabobank

Because I work in a department where English skills are very important to communicate with clients, I decided to follow a private intensive English course where I could quickly brush up my English knowledge and bring my writing and speaking skills to a C1 level.

I liked most that the team of teachers immediately understood my needs and they focused on my preferences helping me achieving my goals in no time.

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Find out what our students say about us! And if you’ve ever been a student of ours we would love it if you would share your experience with us and we will post it here. Share your thoughts!