We are proud to share that the Koentact Amsterdam Language Café has been nominated for the Omarmprijs 2025, a respected Amsterdam award that celebrates initiatives fighting poverty, social inequality, and sociale armoede (social loneliness).
For us at Koentact Dutch Language School in Amsterdam, this nomination is a meaningful recognition of what we have been working on since 2010: creating a warm, inclusive space where internationals and Dutch people can meet, connect, and learn languages together.
👉🏻 Read the original AT5 article in Dutch here or watch the video! An English translation of the article is included below.
A Koentact Initiative: Building Connections Through Language Since 2010
The Amsterdam Language Café was initiated by Koentact in 2010 as a simple idea: offer a fun, informal space where internationals in Amsterdam can practice Dutch, learn other languages, and meet local Dutch speakers in a way that feels natural and inspiring.
Today, hundreds of internationals and Dutch people have joined our weekly café sessions. Whether someone is just starting to learn Dutch or already speaks English, Spanish, French, or other languages, the café welcomes everyone.
Our goal is not only to help people learn Dutch in Amsterdam, but also to reduce loneliness among newcomers and locals and to build real human connection.
“Here you learn through play”: Why the café works
As the AT5 report describes, when you walk into the Amsterdam Language Café, you immediately feel the energy. People are laughing, talking, and learning languages through games, theater, cooking activities, and interactive challenges. It is language learning the Koentact way: playful, social, and confidence-boosting.
One of our enthusiastic volunteers, Fabio Iannotta, explained in his AT5 interview:
“Learning the language of the country you live in is very important, not only to integrate better, but also to learn about the culture.”
Regular guest and tutor Inge Lankreijer added:
“I’m addicted to games and I love other cultures. Here you don’t sit with a book in front of you. You learn in a playful way. That builds a lot of confidence.”
Both emphasize something that has been part of Koentact’s DNA from the beginning:
no pressure, no judgment, just real conversation and real connection.
Proud to Be Nominated Among Amsterdam’s Most Social Initiatives
The Amsterdam Language Café was nominated alongside eight other impactful initiatives for the Omarmprijs 2025, with the ceremony taking place on 16 October at Hal West in Amsterdam-West.
Although we did not win the final prize (congratulations to Bloei & Groei, this year’s winner!), we are incredibly proud to be recognized among the city’s most valuable community projects.
Nominations like these motivate us to continue helping internationals:
- learn Dutch in a fun and practical way,
- build social networks,
- and feel at home in Amsterdam.
👉🏻 Read the announcement of the winner here: Bloei & Groei – AT5
Join Us! Practice Dutch & Meet New People in Amsterdam
If you’re new to Amsterdam, or if you’ve lived here for years and simply want to meet people, you’re warmly invited to join the Koentact Amsterdam Language Café.
It’s free, fun, and one of the best ways to:
✔️ practice Dutch with friendly, patient people
✔️ meet internationals and locals
✔️ build confidence in speaking
✔️ feel more connected to the city
✔️ experience the Koentact way of learning: active, social, and joyful
Whether you are taking a Dutch course at Koentact or not, everyone is welcome.
