New in the Netherlands or Belgium? Willing to learn the Dutch language? Here are 10 tips for foreigners learning Dutch.
10 pro Dutch tips
- Many people in the Netherlands and Belgium speak English. So as soon as they hear you’re not a native, they’ll switch to English or even another language. To avoid this, pretend you don’t know English. Or use a horrible accent when you’re answering. Success guaranteed!
- Look around. Names of streets have meanings. Road signs too. For example, one of my students thought ‘herhaling’ meant end in English. He was also surprised he has so many speeding tickets. Turns out herhaling means repetition, and this for zones where you could only drive 30 km/h!
- Dutch is one of the closest languages to English! So if you think you recognise a word, it might be the right translation!
Writing during classes can help you a lot! - Libraries are free in Belgium and the Netherlands. Beginners can explore the kids’ sections and work their way up to fluent native level with novels.
- Dutch or Flemish? Dutch (‘Nederlands’) is both countries’ official language, but Flemish (‘Vlaams’) is the dialect spoken in Belgium. Written, it’s 99% the same. Spoken, the accent is different. You can compare it to Brazilian Portuguese and the one spoken in Portugal.
Classes & courses
- Dutch often combines different words. For instance, praten is to talk and groep means… group, you’ve guessed it. So a ‘praatgroep’ is a group where people talk. Easy!
- Meeting Dutch people and Belgians can prove to be difficult. But why don’t you start with expat groups and work your way from there? Additionally, many cities have taalcafés. It’s an evening where languages are exchanged. Google the word taalcafé and your city or one nearby to find language exchange partners.
- Another way to meet like-minded people is via evening classes. CVO courses are relatively cheap and you’ll find friends who share your struggles. Try to talk only in Dutch with the other students.
- Working with Dutch-speaking colleagues? Ask them one word a day. That’s over 300 a year… And tons of funny conversations.
- Last tip: join my Facebook group for Dutch learners, buy my online class for beginners and book some online language lessons with me ($10 extra)!
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