The impact of Dutch language lessons on expats working in international companies

The central question of this project is: "What is the impact of Dutch language lessons on expats in terms of well-being, participation and retention?" The role of Dutch language lessons comes up frequently in research on integration and participation. However, a target group that is often overlooked is the expat. However, Belgium is seeing a growing population of expats. An expat is a person born and raised in another country who is in Belgium for an often limited period of time to work in an international company. Previous research also shows that Expats often occupy key positions in international companies. For these companies, it is therefore essential to pay attention to their expats and look for factors that can positively influence the well-being, participation and eventual retention of expats. Whether participating in Dutch language lessons, offered by the company internally or by an external partner, is an important factor is investigated in this project. In addition, measuring the specific impact of an intervention such as a Dutch language class is also central to this study. Organisations are more often confronted with the question of the usefulness, impact or added value of interventions offered for employees and for the organisation itself. An additional question is whether and how the usefulness, impact or added value of an intervention can be expressed through a financial return. A next goal of this project is therefore to investigate how a potential (financial) return of offering Dutch language lessons (internally or via an external partner) can be assessed. This project is carried out in co-financing with the Taalunie. In the context of this project, their role is an added value for connecting with the field and the expat community, as well as for the dissemination of results and advice to other organisations and governments.