David Venn is a Canadian expat and PR specialist working in The Netherlands. www.dvenn.com.
How to learn Dutch (and why I haven’t)
11 January 2011, by David Venn
I have a confession to make. I have lived in the Netherlands now for over a year and I can barely speak a word of Dutch.
One year ago I arrived in Holland with infinite ambition to explore a new place and to immerse myself in a new culture. And to some extent I have. I have travelled around, tried some different food and engaged locals in conversation. But to truly know a culture also requires some knowledge of its language and it is here that I have utterably failed.
As I look back on my stay I cannot help but wonder why I have only succeeded to capture a few useful Dutch phrases for daily interaction. Granted I am no polyglot. As a Canadian, I am rather embarrassed to admit that I have only a basic grasp of French, our country’s other national language. When asked why I cannot speak French I often sheepishly joke, "They taught it to us in elementary, I just did not learn" or "I only know one language, but I know it really well" - which of course is another way of saying I was too young to care and am too lazy to learn.
Photo by Richard Lawrence Cohen
Yet, looking around I seem to be the only one making excuses. The Dutch are a great example of a culture that is unofficially yet overwhelmingly bilingual. The Netherlands has one of the highest English speaking populations for a non-English country in the world. From my own experience, few Dutch appear unable to converse in English and there seems to be little discrepancy in terms of education, gender, ethnicity or socio-economic status.
Ironically though, perhaps it is the very ubiquity of English that serves as a deterrent for expats to learn Dutch. In a country where so many others adapt to English speakers, there is little incentive for English speakers to learn the native language. Moreover, the fact that Dutch is not widely spoken beyond Holland’s borders may make some more willing learn other so-called global languages (i.e.: French, Spanish, German) instead of the local dialect.
A strong global community and the reality that some expats only see the Netherlands as a temporary home may mean that learning Dutch is not a necessary condition for integration, but rather a choice to know the culture further.
In short, I regret my choice not to learn Dutch. Having spent the last year stumbling over the sound of Dutch consonants, and politely saying "gesundheit" every time I hear the word alstublieft, I am not exactly in the best position now that I am in the process of looking for work.
While employers may not expect an expat to be fluent, after one year they do expect that you have at least attempted to pick up the basics. And so it is with a New Year and new energy that I resolve to overcome my lingual deficiencies.
Here are a few resources beyond standard language classes to learn Dutch that may help you too:
› Live Mocha is a language-learning community that combines interactive language review, writing and speaking exercises with the opportunity to learn and practices new languages through global connections. Basic Dutch courses are offered for free.
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LingQ also offers an online language-learning community and content. They do not currently offer Dutch though they plan to soon.
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MeetUp is a great way to connect with people in major cities who may have an interest in learning Dutch or want to exchange through a language conversation partner.
› Podcasts. An on-the-go way to learn languages. The podcast "Laura Speaks Dutch" is one of the few Dutch language-learning resources and can be found on the iTunes library.
Any other resources out there? Which ones have you already used or heard of?
Also read
› Newest articles on IamExpat
› Latest news in the Netherlands
Related Links
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- Dutch diploma: Getting through the Staatsexamen NT2
- How breaking eggs can improve your Dutch
- Alternatives to getting to grips with Dutch?
- If it does not sound Dutch, do not worry!
WRITE A COMMENT
It's a shame the serious lack of Dutch leaning language podcast, i use to follow Laura Speaks Dutch but it's seriously discontinued (and a bit too basic). Maybe Laura did learn Dutch some other way ;) Thanks for the resources
It is basically true that when you arrive in the Netherlands you can easily cope with daily student, business and social life without speaking Dutch. However after living in this country for over a year and you still not being in the position to understand Dutch, you start realizing that you definitely miss something from the local news and culture.
Dutch people are really ok with expats not speaking Dutch, they can become though more critical when they learn that you have been living in NL for three years and you still don't speak a single Dutch word! I find this reasonable.
Undeniably, the fact that the Dutch can easily communicate in english in one of the positive factors that make this country an expat-friendly location.
For me, if a an expat decides to learn Dutch makes a step towards integration with the Dutch society. Expat complain that Dutch people are cold and difficult to approach but maybe they should make the first move to approach Dutch people - and a way to do this is by learning their language.
To add to the list of online language platforms where you can learn Dutch, "Myngle" is an Amsterdam based language platform where you make language lessons through skype. If you go for a traditional teaching way, then I would choose a very intensive course rather than attending 3-hour course per week..
Well-written article David on an issue that definitely concerns most of - if not all - expats in the Netherlands.
Whichever has been the reason for any international to live in the Netherlands, social life and career are essential for most. At the same time, learning the local language while living abroad is definitely an important factor to improve both above mentioned.
By discussing with other expats, I have also realised that for many of them, taking the decision to learn the Dutch language is actually the step for staying in the Netherlands for a considerable amount of time, since the Dutch language is not widely spoken on a global scale.
Lastly, agreeing with Nikos, learning the language would work better for me by following a very intensive course. At the same time, the more someone practices the language in his/her daily life, the fastest he/she learn it. By practicing the language, people also face any fears/shyness of making mistakes on things that they do know well - a factor that causes difficulties to many adults that are afraid of being embarrassed. This is also one of the reasons that kids can learn the language much faster than adults, because they still have not developed a strong social consciousness that could discourage them from speaking and acting instantly, as they think.
Thanks for your insight into the subject David. I liked your honesty about this truly important key for the future of any expat, improving the immersion into culture and people.
I personally use the following FREE resources to learn dutch (by myself):
www.taalthuis.com
http://web.me.com/schuffelen/Site/LearningDutch.html.
The above two are absolutely the best you can find the internet, and really match the quality of non-free websites or other resources. I also use Rosetta Stone which is a great software but extremely expensive, althought with a bit of googling you can go around that. ;)
PS: Almost forgot about www.2bdutch.nl ! It's a website with dutch videos including dual dutch / english subtitles, so you can relate the sound with words! A must in my view! :)
MaryWorrell
February 14 2011, 10:43AM
February 14 2011, 10:43AM
Whoa! What a great resource! I'd never stumbled across that one before. Thanks for sharing it.
I wonder how you manage to read your mail from banks, insurances, authorities and the like. And how you can survive in public transport. It must be a bitch not to understand a thing.
One last thing: www.dutchgrammar.com
It's more specific for grammar, but the real value its in the very active forum, in plenty of people to help you in any language issue, interactive language games, and much more. Definitely have a look!
Dank u wel for all the comments!
@ Nik - I agree that an expat must make attempts to learn a language before expecting to be received well by any culture and certainly the longer the period the more this rings true.
@ Panos - I wish I could go back and tell my two year old self to watch/listen to more non-English cartoons
@ Jonnybravo - great links will check them out
@ cybergabi - it has indeed been troublesome and tiring not being able to communicate clearly.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for the honest confession! I have to admit that had I not moved here for a Dutch partner (a factor that has brought others like me to Holland) I would not have learned Dutch. Funny enough that I did, to acquaint myself better with my partner's friends and family who live outside the metropolis areas in small towns where english is not so well-spoken. I would recommend to anyone who can afford it to check out the courses offered by volksuniversiteit - they run year-round and are good, and intensive enough starters to give anyone the basics. After that language exchanges or just practicing can keep you in good relations with Dutch persons who aren't as receptive to expats who start conversations in english.
Unfortunately, practice on and off with dutchies has not allowed me to fully comprehend letters from the gemente, IND or the dreaded belastingdienst (tax office). Except for the tax office, a quick phone call can clarify the letters for you.
Rental contracts and the like can easily be solved if you have a dutch friend who has an hour or two to join you while signing the contract. This may be an important factor if you want to cancel a membership, get out of a lease early, etc. It is important to know what you have signed, and if your dutch isn't up to the level of comprehending more technical words, better get the tense, seriousness, etc of the letter right before you miss a deadline, get a fine, etc.
Thanks Dave for the article!
MaryWorrell
February 14 2011, 10:43AM
February 14 2011, 10:43AM
The Volksuniversiteit is quite affordable compared to the other private schools out there, but I would make a warning to find out about the teacher and style of the course first. Do some investigating and think about how you learn best. I wasn't impressed given the traditional nature of the classes (meet once a week for less than two hours, read and do the chapter questions, come to class and barely converse). You have to do a ton of work outside class, which is understandable, but if you think about it you could just be doing that work yourself and pocket the cash. If I were going to do a class again I would go for something very intense with lots of speaking.
I've been in The Netherlands for six months now and I'm trying to learn Dutch. As a teacher I know that each person's learning needs are different and there is no fool-proof system. You get out what you put into it. I've tried a lot of programs. Wasn't too impressed with Rosetta Stone or Livemocha.com, though getting feedback from natives is an awesome part of Livemocha. I like the Teach Yourself series for getting conversational phrases. I also use Anki as a spaced repetition flashcard system (entering whole sentences rather than words).
Lang8 is a great site for getting feedback from natives. I'm supposed to be doing little diary posts (what I did today, etc.), but I've been slacking. The first day I posted something I got an extensive review from a native Dutch speaker in less than 24 hours with corrections and encouragement.
These are things that worked for me, but they might not work for you. And I'm still quite a beginner. I also got a library card membership and checked out children's books and kid's dictionaries. It's amazing how helpful the kid dictionary "Mijn eerste Van Dale" has been with its combination of sentences, words, and pictures.
My partner and I are quite lazy when it comes to speaking Dutch. He's Dutch, but we both know English and it takes a lot of willpower to speak alleen Nederlands at home when we know English is right there allowing us to communicate more clearly and with more depth. No offense to anyone here, but my biggest fear is being here for a few years and still not being able to understand Dutch and converse in the language. I'm not sure how long I'm going to be here, but I'm committed to a Dutch partner which means I want to communicate with his family. It's a lot of pressure!
I've been living in Amsterdam for 10 years and even now, I still find it difficult to speak the language fluently (lack of confidence and not enough practice, maybe). The strange thing is, I've mastered reading and writing!
When I attend client meetings because I can read/write Dutch, clients expect me to be able to speak it too. Generally each meeting goes the same way, they speak to me in Dutch and I answer in English!
I want to earn the respect of my clients by being able to speak Dutch back. I'd be interested to know if anyone else has reached a similar stage in their learning process? Any tips or suggestions welcome!
JulieRoebuck
March 04 2011, 03:21PM
March 04 2011, 03:21PM
Yes, I have had exactly the same problem, it's incredibly frustraiting, not to mention demeaning. I got stuck in to the language straight away, mainly for personal reasons, my husband.
For me understanding developed first, then reading, and then writing, but due to lask of confidence I find it hard in public situtaions to speak (in comfortable situations I have no problem, although I know I make mistakes, I've lived here 2 years). One the one hand you know when you can read novels in Dutch and documents about the Hypotheek that you should be able to communicate back at the same level, but it doens't always work like that!
Because reading/listening are passive skills these usually develop quicker than others, aparrantly it is a 'good sign' if they do, as they build the basis for the active skills of 'speaking/writing'. (Of course for some people it could also work the other way around, we all learn differently)
I looked for business language books for non-native speakers - they don't seem to exisit, or maybe a course - which worked out a bit too expensive. So I decided the best way was right in front of me, my colleagues and husband and friends (and cat). I also decided that the only way is by doing, and sooner rather than later.
Then I realised that it is about practice and expectations. Practise is vital to develop non-passive skills, the problem is, how. Luckily I have supportive colleagues and we started doing the weekly meeting (internal, so less scary) in Dutch, and I could choose which language I spoke. First it was English, then mixed, then back to English(sigh) but after time and enough mistakes I now speak Dutch. Talk slowly, at your own pace and don't feel pressured, breathe. But what I found useful was to manage the expectations of my colleagues, so to speak. I made it clear from the begining that eventually I want to do the meeting in Dutch, but have to start gradually. So I asked them to speak Dutch, continue as normal, and I felt more comfortable (as did they) to progress. It started with using basic simple sentences, as long as I spoke clearly. I just cringe sometimes becasue I just think I sound like an 8 year old with my range of vocabulary etc, but you have to start somewhere and always using what you know (which is more than you think, so just try). So now I'm trying to build that up by 'collecting' words and phrases I hear or read and writing them down, but also applying them to a situation that's familiar either for work or personal. Slightly embarassing this, but I do sit at home repeating them to the cat to practise the pronounciation. I also (when I have time!!) try to do small writing exercises making sentences to used words or phrases and speak it out loud. Today I got an email with "Volgens (somebody/something) zit er haast achter..." so I've noted it down, and am going to play with that phrase until it is 'mine' otherwise I just forget it.
It does depend of course who your clients are, but if they are regular clients they will appreciate that you are trying and have this goal in mind, then they are sure to help. Although, it is tricky as they are clients, maybe you also don't have that kind of relationship, or want to have that kind of relationship with them. Could you begin internally talking to colleagues about business issues?
Or maybe if you look at Meetup.com there are business meet ups which are professional but more relaxed and I'm sure you could begin there. Just be sure to maintain the expectation and your goal from the beginning with the person you're talking to (even say it in English), and if anyone cannot be respective of that then they have the problem and then they just have to speak English, don't they! ; ) But I know from harsh experience that the Dutch can be quite cruel because they are very (over)confident in their English, and being thick skinned is easier said than done.
Also with the having to speak back in English thing, can you start with usual greetings, how are you etc in Dutch and straight after before you start to feel out of your depth, say (in dutch, practise before hand) soemthing like 'I understand everything you say but I don't feel comfortable to speak so I will speak English but please contuinue in Dutch, because I want to learn and be able to speak'?
I think, at the end of the day if you're determind, then you can do it!
fifionak
January 05 2012, 12:55PM
January 05 2012, 12:55PM
Expensive but well worth it: http://www.reginacoeli.nl/#/nl/splash/
Wow. thanks for all of the resources mentioned. I am planning to dive into Dutch as soon as I manage to migrate. When I met my bf I got curious about Dutch and realized that it helps a bit if you know some French. Of course it is always better to see how words are pronounced when your sweetheart sings to you in Duch :) I downloaded the Rosetta Stone (torrent) and its Dutch add-in, and then took a lesson for kicks. It does have a different teaching approach and I did learn a few senences very quickly. My bf was impressed. All you need is a computer and a headset.
I'd be happy to walk anyone on the download process if interested.
Anyway, just my 2 cents.
L.
Wow. Thank you for basically telling "my" story, only difference is I am still here and making a commitment to learn it. After awhile, the excuses just become embarrassing! I am glad I found a group that I can relate to. So I am jumping all in to atleast make up for wasted time.
As for my resources, I saw no one had mentioned two (babbel and dutchpod)
I have found that the expensive Rosetta Stone is OK. However, there are some others that now since discovering I feel able to conquer this language...
Dutchpod101.com is really good, if you can pay monthly. If not, then try Babbel.com! It also has pay options BUT has enough free sections to help you to learn to hear,read,and write the language as well. Eurotalk has game exercises you can learn also....so definitely worth checking out. I am liking babbel.com better than live mocha b/c all the links work (so far) instantly...no waiting for things to load!
I hope this helps someone to improve in their goal. Success!
Peace
TonJah
January 05 2012, 02:49PM
January 05 2012, 02:49PM
**** UPDATE**** If you know a little Nederlands already then you may enjoy Taalklas better. for a sample watch this video....there are no subs but I can finally understand it being spoken with this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06nNqbgCI88
and then if you like go to the website...http://www.oefenen.nl/program/category/26 and sign up...I started with the cube that says 1-12 and am enjoying learning for FREE!
About the Author
David Venn