One of the first challenges of moving to another country is the language barrier. This is no exception for UK expat Peter Lennon, who works for the Research, Development & Technology division of the international metal company Corus in IJmuiden. Peter moved with his family to the Netherlands only five months ago. However, Peter and his wife have both made a start on learning Dutch through personal tuition. "The prime focus is the language, but what we find very enjoyable is the integration of cultural and historical aspects into the learning. So we're not just learning the language, but it allows us to get a better understanding of where the language comes from and why it's spoken the way it is," says Peter. Asked about what the language training has done for them, Peter explains they now understand enough Dutch to buy the groceries and carry out some formal transactions. "I'm now at the level where I'm trying to use some basic Dutch with my close colleagues, but I realise I need to get much better for people to speak Dutch with me." Summing up his impressions of the teachers and PCI, Peter says: "Certainly the teachers we've had have been amazing. What we liked particularly is that they put the learning of a foreign language in a much broader context."