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

Originally from Syria, Mohammed Alkhateeb was forced to flee his home in 2012 because of the war. After passing through Turkey, he arrived in the Netherlands in 2018. “When I got here, I felt completely lost. I didn’t know anything or anyone, and I didn’t speak the language.” Now, after years of perseverance, learning, and integration, he feels at home.

For Mohammed, learning the language and understanding the culture were the keys to building a new life in the Netherlands. Through the organisation VluchtelingenWerk, he was introduced to STE. “I took several language courses there, from A1 all the way to C1,” Mohammed explains. “Every month I noticed progress and was surprised by how quickly it went. But I didn’t just learn the language, I also got to know Dutch culture.”

Culture and language go hand in hand
Why is learning the culture so important, according to Mohammed? “Culture is connected to language. When you learn both at the same time, it gives you more insight into the country. How is it structured? How do people think? Language is more than just learning words, it’s a feeling. And by learning about the culture, you start to understand the feeling behind the words people use.”

Starting work
After some time in the Netherlands, Mohammed got a part-time job at the GGD, working at a COVID-19 testing site. “It wasn’t always easy to understand people. Once, an elderly woman came up to me and spoke ten words in a single second,” he says, laughing. “At first, I didn’t understand a thing. But thanks to the STE course, I learned how to break a sentence into pieces and then I got what she meant. That’s when I realised there’s a difference between learning a language and understanding it. It helped me communicate better with her.”

Mohammed’s teacher at STE encouraged him to apply for a pre-bachelor programme in Pharmacy. “She told me it was perfect for me and she was right! Now I’m studying to become a pharmacist. But I haven’t been sitting still in the meantime. I’m working as a medical student at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and I also teach at Utrecht University in the bachelor programme for Islamic Studies and Arabic.”

Connecting with Dutch people
Mohammed believes speaking Dutch is essential for building real connections.“Learning th e language and culture helped me get to know my neighbours, teachers, and classmates. Without that, you may want to build friendships — but how deep can a friendship really be without language?” Now, seven years after arriving in the Netherlands, he has built a full and meaningful life. “In the beginning, I was just a refugee. But now, I feel truly connected to this country. And that’s very much thanks to learning about Dutch life.”

(source: FRITS Media magazine ‘Medelanders’, text: Emma van der Geer).