Plein 16 is a vocabulary package for young people learning Dutch in ISK/OKAN. The focus is on vocabulary acquisition and oral communication (speaking and listening). The language pack connects with teenagers' world and consists of fun stories, songs, language rhymes, pronunciation exercises and games. It is an excellent, motivating addition to more traditional teaching materials.
In Plein 16 follow the stories of best friends Esma, Tess, Kaya and Marek. They see each other almost every day. Kaya's mom and dad have a restaurant in town: Het Plein. The friends can often be found there. They talk about school, friends and family.
With Plein 16, students acquire vocabulary within appealing themes and practice oral communication. Plein 16 can be used alongside any regular method, in schools inside and outside the Dutch language area.
Kim Koelewijn studied Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology at the University of Amsterdam, and trained as an elementary school teacher. She writes stories for children and also composes songs, including for theater. She has been living in New York for a long time.
Peter Schoenaerts studied language and literature at KU Leuven. He also took a drama course at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He taught NT2 for many years and is daily leader of theater group Theater van A tot Z, where he creates, among other things, performances in simple Dutch. He is on the board of the BVNT2.
Kim and Peter met at the Dutch Language and Culture School 't Klokhuis in New York, where they both taught the children of Dutch expats. There they experienced how difficult it can be to motivate young people to learn a foreign language, and how important it is to have appealing and attractive teaching materials. The combination of both their expertise and these experiences resulted in Plein 16.