A COMPLETE FRAUD; THE WORST PLACE THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN AND BEEN!!!
I would not recommend this place to anyone, unless you are only interested in getting a certificate rather than serious training.
When I looked on the internet about English courses in Amsterdam, it showed up UVA TALEN, which seemed to be professional and serious.
First of all you have to enrol yourself in the course that you want to join and then you have to fill in an online test, and after all that a native English-speaking teacher will call you to have a 15' conversation with you by the phone to decide the right level class that you should be in.
My result was quite high: ADVANCED 2.
After this procedure, I bought the correspondent book to happily start with my first day. My big surprise was to realize that the rest of the people that they had put me in with could not even reach the level of INTERMEDIATE (if I am being generous).
The "Pseudo Teacher" was talking complete nonsense over the 2 hours class while he was translating some of the English words in wrong Spanish under the excuse that he was trying to help one of the Spanish students, and the most embarrassing and awkward thing I faced: some racist comments that I heard from a person who is supposedly called a teacher.
My first reaction was to complain, and the answer from him was: this is my way, if you don't like it go and complain to someone else. I was completely shocked, and of course I decided to formally complain to the teacher's manager; her name is Yvonne, and I gave a detailed explanation about the following irregularities that were occurring and what was happening within his class:
1- Gathering people with different levels of English in the only course they made available.
2- The lack of the structure in the class.
3- And the most serious matter in my personal opinion: allowing someone to be in the front of the class expressing inappropriate comments about his personal beliefs.
Her unexpected response was: well, perhaps you're right, but it seems there are people that are happy with it, otherwise they would stop coming... don't you think so?
Honestly; I think that some authority in Holland should investigate this place, especially the credentials from these "teachers". It is unacceptable and unethical that such a situation can exist. read more