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Editor's guide: Learning Dutch

Courses & Workshops

04/10/2011Editor's guide: Learning Dutch

Our guide to the Languages section for the Netherlands covers everything you need to know about learning Dutch, from where to find a Dutch course to tips on how to master the Dutch language.

Whatever your attitude to language learning, intercultural specialists all agree that learning the language of your new country of residence is a crucial step to understanding your adopted culture. After language training, doors will open for you—you’ll be able to deal with your own administration—and you’ll feel happier and more at ease in your new environment. For starters, check out our articles on learning Dutch such as ‘Language learning for adults: How to make it work’. Invest in a good dictionary that translates from your native language to Dutch and vice versa, and make an effort to learn the language. Stimulate your interest through reading about the local culture in English. Read our language tips articles written by experts and expats alike such as ‘Turning off the Dutch reply-to-foreigner-in-English switch ’ and ‘Surviving the language learning curve.’

Finding an expat language course

Find the right language course for you—read Expatica articles on finding a course in the Netherlands. Find out if your local government subsidises courses for expats to learn the loca language, or if your employer finances language training. Otherwise, simply select a local expat language course. Check out Expatica’s A-Z listings for the Netherlands.

Raising children bilingually

Children take language learning in their stride, and any anxiety about learning a new language is generally felt only by parents. Check out Expatica articles such as ‘Raising children bilingually’ and ‘Language issues for expat families’, which offers strategies for multilingual families.

Expats learning the local lingo

Learning the local language is a favourite topic for bloggers, so check out Expatica’s Blogs & Photos channel. In ‘Dutch proverbs’, blogger Dutched Pinay examines a selection of common, though sometimes baffling Dutch expressions such as "De kat uit de boom kijken," which literally means the cat watching from the tree.Viewing the 1963 documentary Alleman as part of his Dutch lesson, Graham Jackson finds himself on a trip into the Dutch psyche…

Go to Expatica’s Forums to see if you can pick up expat language learning tips, or simply wallow in the fact that others are facing the same uphill struggle as you. Persevere! Remember, as this article reminds, Everyone living in the Netherlands has to learn Dutch --which is obviously a topic that expats feel strongly about--and some Dutch, if you go by the 125 readers' reactions.

Ask the Expert

Need some help?

Ask the Expert
Visit of our Ask the expert section and go to the language category and consult with our Dutch language learning experts for free.

For more information on education in the Netherlands, join Expatica.com's Expat Education Fair , taking place at Amsterdam Bright City on 1 December.

The Expat Education Fair provides a unique opportunity for expats to gather essential information and networking contacts related to education in the Netherlands in one day.