Who am I?
Why would you trust me with your text?
You want a text that is convincing. You want a text that sparks. You want a piece that makes you curious, you want your text to be concise but effective.
My name is Marja de Reuver and I am a language nerd. There is nothing I like more than playing with language.
I can rewrite or translate your text in such a way that it reads like a ray of sunshine and leaves you wanting more.
I believe in clean and simple language. No gratuitous vanity. Of course, what you write may be beautiful or funny or moving. I'd love for it to be.
But the goal is to reach your reader.
When I translate or rewrite a text for you, that's exactly what I do: I move your reader where you want them to be moved. So that you come a little closer to your goal. Whether you want to captivate your audience or convince people of the qualities of your services, it all starts with an effective text.
Do you want that too? Send me a message, I'll be happy to think it through with you.
What can you get me up and running for?
I don't translate or rewrite everything. I know what my strengths are and that means I only translate from English to Dutch (my native language). In Dutch, you can take optimal advantage of my skilful pen (and flawless grammar). I can of course, forward you to a translator from my network who is a native speaker and can provide good translations into English.
I am not equally skilled in all fields. And what I do, I aim to do well.
For example, I have little understanding of legal or medical terms and the financial and technical world holds too many secrets for me. But don't worry, also in these cases I can refer you to skilled colleagues.
What I do like to sink my teeth into are the more creative texts, such as journalistic pieces, interviews and blogposts. Or commercial marketing texts. And that can be about culinary trends, nutrition, art and culture, films, etcetera.
Read more about my specialisations here, or send me an email.
And why would you learn Dutch from me?
Learning a new language is not (only) about words and texts. It is mainly about communication.
You are going to live in a new country and they speak a rather complicated language that is quite difficult to pronounce. But you still want to understand what the people around you really mean and also what is going on in your new country. And you want to communicate at a higher level. In short, you want to get ahead in life.
So you start looking for a good course to learn Dutch. And maybe you will find me.
Well, you're in luck. Because I'm not going to make you learn all kinds of dry grammar rules by heart (which have far too many exceptions anyway), but I am going to teach you to really communicate in Dutch.
In my course, you will work intensively, practising talking and listening in small groups.
During the lesson, there is plenty of room to try things out, make mistakes, ask questions infused with the necessary humour. My students tell me that they feel safe and at ease in my lessons.
And they should, because that is how the course will benefit you most.
After the lesson, you will again immerse yourself in Dutch with all kinds of writing, reading and speaking exercises. That way, you will quickly master the basics.
Do you also want to learn Dutch quickly? Send me an email.
Profession: language nerd
In 2000, I completed my translation training at the Hieronymus School of Translation in Utrecht where I learned that translation really is a craft, but also how fascinating and creative it really is.
Over the years, I have written a lot as a copywriter in communication positions at various organisations. I even developed a workshop to learn how to write better.
Actually, I was already translating at the time. For example, I had to translate the technical story about the new ICT infrastructure in an organisation into a story in plain language about what this meant for the people involved.
As a translator, I use that experience, translating or writing content that is easy to read.
I got my certificate as a teacher of Dutch as a second language from Fontys in Tilburg. It is an intensive study with a strong focus on the practical side of things. It is fascinating to work with expats and I have learned to look at my own country and my own language in a whole new light.
Shall we work together?
Did you get curious? Could you use some help from a real language nerd? Send me an email and tell me what you need.
“Translation is an act of recreation.”
Ken Liu