Help, I want to learn Dutch!

Are you an international student or staff member and ready to learn the Dutch language? And are you looking for some advice on how to go about it? We gathered five tips to help you get started with the Dutch language.

Talking

The best way to learn a language is by practice. That’s why talking Dutch to your fellow students or colleagues is definitely the fastest way to get a hang of the Dutch language. Starting off with small sentences or simple words is a good way to implement this foreign language in your daily life. Try making small talk and don’t worry about the pronunciation. You will learn over time.  

Reading

Reading might seem difficult, but once you manage reading simple books, you can reproduce certain phrases from the book in daily life. Since you’re new at this language, it’s probably the easiest to start with children’s books. This way you can learn the basics. Books can be borrowed at the library in the city center or bought at the second hand bookstore in the Cobbenhagen building. Don’t forget to return your books on time though. 

Music

Music is a really good way to learn a language. It might be more poetic than the language used in daily life, but you gain a good sense of how language is used in different ways, from slang to declarations of love. By remembering the lyrics and maybe even translating them to your own language, you can endlessly repeat a song and learn new words. By the way: it’s also a good way to integrate in the nightlife and the Dutch culture. If you can sing along with Ronnie Flex, you will feel just like a local.

Television

Another easy way to get started? Try watching Netflix and changing the subtitles to Dutch. Watching Netflix and combining it with learning another language is very relaxed, as you don’t have to put an actual effort into it. Or just turn on the Dutch television. This will also help with the pronunciation and the spelling of words. Television and music are probably the easiest ways to learn Dutch without spending a lot of time actually studying the language.   

Language vouchers

The university also provides opportunities to learn Dutch. Each student receives twelve language vouchers which can be traded in for language courses. There are courses for ten different languages, including Dutch, and the level of these courses ranges from beginner to advanced. A great way to improve your Dutch for free. For more information about the language courses, you can go to this website.

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