When I moved to The Netherlands I was surrounded by a new culture. I was pleased with the possibility of bicycling to run errands - getting to skip the gym, and amazed by the number of days that it rains. But the most exciting part was moving to a new country, and being introduced to a new way of living, and to a new language.

Two categories of learning a language

I think that anyone who learns a new language falls into one of the following categories: You speak proudly, completely unaware that you are mispronouncing a number of words, or you are scared to utter a word in front of a local, afraid that they will laugh at you for butchering their language. I am both.

At times I have been proud to speak, only to find out later that I was mispronouncing certain words. I have also been terrified to speak in front of most locals, unless I believe that I will never see them again.

It sounded so “foreign” to me

As a native Californian; I am used to hearing different languages, especially Spanish. But unsurprisingly, I was not raised hearing Dutch. I remember the first time that I heard Dutch while travelling around Europe at the age of 13, I wrote in my journal how different the language sounded to me.

Of course I was able to get around The Netherlands by speaking English. But after a while, I grew tired of being the “American who didn’t know Dutch.”

Determined to learn the language

When I told locals that I wanted to learn Dutch, they often replied, “Dutch is a very difficult language to learn.” The more that I heard those words; the more challenged I felt to learn the language. I vowed to prove that although it is difficult, it is possible.

My solution was to enrol in daily classes at the ROC (the Regional Olpleidingen Centrum). Daily classes were necessary for me because I knew that I would not have the discipline to study on my own at home. I knew because before I moved here, I had purchased the sure-fire way to learn a new language, “The Rosette Stone.” It may be sure-fire for others, but as I had predicted, I couldn’t stick with it.

First day of school

Although I knew very little Dutch, I entered my class with confidence. I knew the days of the week, the numbers, and a few other basic words including “alstublieft,” “dank u wel,” and the ever so important, “een beetje.” But that was it.

From the moment that the teacher started class, I realized that I was already behind. During the mandatory introduction portion, I learned that some of the students had lived in The Netherlands for several years, and that they spoke Dutch with ease. There were others who had taken some type of Dutch class before, which put them way ahead of me. Although I remained enthusiastic, I slowly began to sink in my chair.

When it was my time to speak, I felt a bit anxious. But the moment I said I was from California, I got a collective smile from my classmates, which put me at ease. This led to one particular question: “Why did you move here from California? Wasn’t it nice there?” From that moment, my excitement returned and I knew that I would be OK.

Four months later

The summer holiday was a good chance to absorb everything that I had learned. Certain grammar rules began to click and my vocabulary grew immensely. I was refreshed from a vacation and full of enthusiasm about beginning the new period of classes. But even better, I was no longer the new kid.

If you already knew Dutch, you wouldn’t be here!

One of the best parts of enrolling in a Dutch class is that I have had the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. My class is filled with men and women from places such as Japan, Poland, Denmark, Thailand, Iran, Albania, England and Taiwan, and we all have one thing in common: We’re learning Dutch. Believe it or not, that single thing is enough to help us form a special bond.

When I asked a new student in my class how things were going, she responded that she didn’t understand what the teacher was saying. She said that it made her very stressed, and at times, she wanted to cry. Boy, did I know what she was talking about!

When she asked if I understood everything in class, I was honest and said, “No.” And then I let her in on a secret: “Sometimes I say that I understand, but I really don’t!”

Learning a new language that you have never been exposed to before can be very difficult, but it is possible. The result is that you get the ability to interact with the Dutch people in a way that you could never do in English; a whole new world opens up.

28 September 2007

More information on Dutch language learning

Where to find a Dutch course

Considering the push for immigrants to integrate as soon as possible, it can come down to getting to grips with the Dutch language. Here’s a short overview of where Dutch classes may be on offer.

Dutch language schools

Expatica's list of schools in the Netherlands that offer Dutch lessons.

Olivia is a freelance writer based on the Netherlands.

 [Copyright Expatica 2007]