From the sports stands to the classroom
From the sports stands to the classroom
Marius Hutu moves between different worlds. During the day, he follows international sports competitions for Romanian media. In the evenings, he studies French and Dutch vocabulary and grammar at Crescendo CVO in Tervuren. Together with his wife and two sons, he moved to Belgium.
Marius Hutu: “My English is fairly good, but if you live here, you need to know the national languages to really be part of society. We decided to move to Belgium to give our children better opportunities. Our two sons, aged 9 and 11, have both found a school where they feel at home. Soon, our eldest will start secondary school, hopefully in Zaventem, where we live. Learning French and Dutch is essential to support our children, help them find their way, and prepare them for the future.”
The sports bug
“I have been working as a sports journalist for 24 years: football, handball, tennis, you name it. I travel a lot, do interviews, write articles, and cover sports events. Two years ago, I attended the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp. Soon I will be covering handball in Cologne and Rotterdam, and next year I will report on the Winter Games in Milan. I used to play football myself, and now I run together with my wife, who was involved in athletics for many years.
Our sons have also caught the sports bug. They both play football in Haren, and it is up to them to decide whether they want to continue. What matters most to us is that they enjoy it. As a family, we also follow the matches of Genk, Bruges, and Antwerp.”
Taking the time to learn a language
“For me, contact with other learners and with the teacher is very important. You immediately see your mistakes and can correct them. That is why I do not take online classes but attend lessons on campus in Tervuren. On Monday evenings, I follow French classes. On Wednesday evenings, my wife and I attend Dutch classes together.
We deliberately chose to take classes once a week, because intensive courses are difficult to combine with work and family life. To learn a language, you need to give yourself time.
I believe that reaching level B1 or B2 in both French and Dutch is achievable. The teachers are very supportive and extremely patient. They constantly correct us and revisit topics we struggle with. After about five months, the teacher organised a general revision, which really helped. Grammar and verb conjugations are still challenging for me, and I do not always have the time to practise everything thoroughly. But step by step, we are getting there. And who knows what opportunities may still come my way?”