There are multiple ways to create a meaningful Dutch learning environment to help your brain get the most out the effort you put into Dutch. It all starts with increasing the amount of Dutch you experience each day. An easy way of upping your exposure to Dutch is to choose a couple of apps and blend them into your daily routine.

Apps for Adults

1.Babbel         

Similar to Duolingo, a free online program to learn the basics of Dutch, funded by the European Union. 

2. Duolingo     

Most people enjoy Duolingo and it’s sense of humour. Devote just a few minutes a day and you will see quite an improvement in your vocabulary. Free.

3. HelloTalk Taal Uitwisseling      

An app that puts you in contact with native speakers that help you improve your Dutch. Free. 

4. Parleremo    

Parleremo is a virtual town that teaches languages. The community uses resources, forums, internet relay chat, voice chats, journals and member feedback. Free.

Apps for Kids

5. Cinekid Applab      

App that helps you find the prettiest and most educational children’s apps.

6. Een Verre Reis

A beautifully illustrated story by Dutch writer Toon Tellegen.

7. Het Muizenhuis

A Dutch adventure with little mice Julia and Sam.

8. Juf Jannie

Apps on different topics, like vocabulary and grammar.         

9. Letterschool NL

A smartphone app that helps young children learn how to recognise, write and read the Dutch alphabet.

10. Maan Roos Vis        

A Smartphone app used by many Amsterdam Mamas and Papas to help kids with their first words of Dutch.

11. Slaap Lekker        

A free app for young children to say goodbye to all the farm animals before going to bed.

12. Storm and Skye en het Geheim van de Autowasstraat

 A little boy finds a magic world, story with nine chapters told in Dutch. First book of a sequence.

13. We Hebben er een Geitje Bij!  

An app thet teaches you the names of all farm animals.

14. Zappelin               

A free app that gives you access to all public TV programmes for children.

The post The Mamas Recommend: 14 Great Apps to Help You and Your Kids Learn Dutch appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

There are multiple ways to create a meaningful learning environment to help your brain get the most out of your effort to improve your Dutch.

It all starts with increasing the amount of Dutch you are exposed to in your day-to-day routine, bearing in mind that it’s easiest to hear Dutch that is relevant and meaningful to you. An easy way of upping your exposure to Dutch is to choose a couple of TV programmes you find interesting and blend them into your daily routine. 

There is a great website npo.nl where you can watch any programme produced and broadcasted by Dutch public television. I recommend documentaries and reality TV shows, as unscripted TV – unlike drama series and movies – is closer to how people in real life express themselves: sloppier, with more expressions, hesitations, repetition, unfinished sentences and genuine emotion. It’s the real thing! For TV extracts on demand that have been carefully selected for newcomers to the Netherlands, check out NPO’s Net in Nederland. You can choose between Arabic, English and Dutch subtitles.

Here are my suggestions (all the below-mentioned programs you can find on npo.nl, using the search option):

TV programmes for beginners (suitable for watching with your children)

1. Buurman & Buurman: A stop-motion show about two dexterous friends messing things up.

2. Knofje: A beautifully designed and styled programme about a little girl and her family, seen through the eyes of a four-year-old.

3. NOS Jeugdjournaal: World news in easy and child-friendly language

4. Sesamstraat: The utch version of an American favourite.

5. Studio Snugger: Everyday things explained to kids, who then have to guess whether it’s true or false.

TV programmes for intermediate learners

1. Buitendienst: A hilarious show for older kids on the functionings of nature

2. Ik Vertrek: Reality TV about Dutch families who leave behind everything to start a new life somewhere else. But before they find their expected happiness, many things go wrong.

3. Baby Te Huur: Reality TV about young couples who experience what it means to be a parent when they take care of a baby for a few days.

4. Metropolis: A hilarious programme with interviews with people from all over the world on topics such as love, sexuality, food, and family.

5. Keuringsdienst van Waarde: Reporters try to reveal the reality behind the food industry’s clever marketing to discover what our food is really made of. Funny and interesting.

6. Ali B op Volle Toeren: Beautiful programme where young Dutch musicians meet up with the older generation to create something new. An interesting insight on Dutch culture and the changing society.

TV programmes for advanced learners

1. Mocro of Kaaskop: A Moroccan Dutchie digs deep to find out who he really is – Dutch or Moroccan. Or something in between?

2. De Wereld Draait Door: A talk show about news topics, with various guests.

3. Zondag met Lubach: A humorous perspective on the news and Dutch society.

4. 3Doc: Documentaries on various topics such as music, politics, human interest.

5.  A’dam en E.V.A: A funny and realistic drama series that takes place in Amsterdam about a girl and a boy falling in love in spite of life.

Good to know! Did you know you can watch all NPO programmes with Dutch subtitles? Just press teletext 888 on your TV or click on the T on the online player, and subtitles will appear in real-time!

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Why Learn Dutch?

The reasons for learning Dutch are different for everyone. I still remember my first days in Amsterdam after the big move. At that time, one of the main reasons I wanted to learn Dutch was to be able to communicate with my partner’s family and friends in their own language. I also wanted to be part of all the conversations and not to feel ‘lost’ like I did at my first Sinterklaas party.

Many people who live and work only in the capital never need to speak the language because almost everyone can speak English. However, there are matters such as contacting the tax offices which require you to speak Dutch, but if your accountant is taking care of all that hassle, you can yet again get away with just speaking English or your mother tongue. However, most foreigners who move to the Netherlands eventually consider learning the language.

For non-Dutch parents, whose children are growing up in the Netherlands and go to Dutch schools, it is crucial to learn Dutch for the sake of their children and to facilitate their children’s education.

Many parents would like to advance their careers in the Netherlands. Undoubtedly, when you speak the local language you have a better chance of doing so. 

The starting point for learning Dutch is usually choosing a language institute, a good tutor or just finding the right books/study materials and methods for self study. I followed the last path and I learned the most by reading Metro newspaper while commuting to work every day and also following the Dutch subtitles on films!

Our Favourite Dutch Schools and Tutors

If you’re looking for a language school, getting recommendations from others is a great way to help make your final decision. Here is a list of recommended schools from the Amsterdam Mamas. Veel succes!

ALC (Amsterdam Language Center)

Situated in the beautiful building of Beurs van Berlage, ALC offers both private and group language courses. They also have special accent training!

Berlitz

This school is focused on speaking Dutch and not much on grammar. They offer classes for both adults and kids as a group or individually. They also offer kids language camps.

Dam Dutch Language Institute

Variety of options from ‘living room lessons’ to group lessons are available.

Dutch Courses Amsterdam

Dutch Courses Amsterdam offers one on one training in Dutch so you can feel comfortable living in the Netherlands. The one on one courses are specifically tailored to the individual, so you learn what you need for success in your particular situation. Their nationwide staff can help you get your Dutch Language and culture skills up to where you need them in as short a time as possible. 

Dutch & Such

Both private and group lessons are available on weekdays. Private lessons are available only during working hours. Teacher Nick has been specifically recommended.

Excellent Dutch

Features teacher Christine Wolfs, who has been specifically recommended for private lessons.

Koentact

Reported to be fun and practical. Koentact offers a variety of Dutch courses, from a 1 week intensive course to regular group classes.

Language Institute Regina Coeli

Not located in Amsterdam (based in Vught) and slightly expensive but still highly recommended by mamas and papas. They offer intensive courses where you learn Dutch with the nuns.

LingQ

An online language learning community which offers Dutch courses next to 13 other languages.

Lingua Incognita

Check them out especially if you need to go through inburgering exams!  

Rubio Dutch Amsterdam

Highly recommended in the community, Joska Rubio offers her students the best study plan based on their needs, including mindset courses to help overcome shyness. She also has a room with a play area for ‘bring your baby’ classes. The intake session is always free.

The School for Dutch

An innovative, interactive approach with a focus on conversation.

Talencentrum Holland

Talencentrum Holland offers Dutch language courses at all levels, from beginners to advanced. Classes are held at Café Kiebêrt in Amsterdam Oud Zuid. They are repeatedly recommended by mamas and are also one of our partner businesses.   

The UvA Institute for Dutch Language Education

This is intense with lots of homework, but it gets results and has been recommended by many mamas!

Volksuniversiteit

This school features good teachers and course material. They have special speaking classes for small groups.

VU Universiteit

Offering Dutch language courses especially for expats. This two-month course is highly recommended.

The above companies have been recommended by one or more of our members. The recommendation does not reflect the views or opinions of Amsterdam Mamas and we advise you to thoroughly research all your options independently before choosing a Dutch language school.

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My two-year-old daughter wants to leap off the sofa, run in the street without holding my hand, and be pushed as high as possible on the swing. She enjoys new challenges and sensations and, like most toddlers, she knows no fear.

It is no surprise that this age group is also open to the experience of language learning. Toddlers delight in communicating with their parents and are neither self-conscious nor afraid, and so make quick progress. Expatriates seeking to acquire Dutch as a second language could learn a great deal from them.

As a Modern Languages teacher, I was keen to see how my own children acquired language in a more natural setting: the family home. As they learnt to talk, they made many mistakes but they didn’t care and neither did anyone else. They did not sit and learn lists of vocabulary and they weren’t berated for poor grammar. Instead, language learning was a fun and exploratory process with just one aim: to communicate.

Accuracy is Less Important than You Think

Once we have acquired our mother tongue, we quickly forget our early experimental use of words and often feel that our second language must be perfect. When I was learning German, I was so scared of using the wrong gender and case that I was struck dumb. When I moved to the Netherlands, I knew that I could not allow the same to happen with Dutch.

One impediment to learning Dutch here is the nation’s proficiency in English. More often than not, our attempts to speak are met with English, which can be discouraging. After a while, I noticed something: when speaking English, Dutch people were fluent and confident, but most sentences were inaccurate and their accent was foreign. It was of no importance to them or to me because we were still communicating. This observation gave me the courage to try out my shaky Dutch on them too.

It’s also helpful to remember that the majority of communication is non-verbal. We can over-think the importance of words and their accuracy.

Self-Belief is Key

A can-do approach to language learning is also essential. We are not wired for our native language alone; we could have been born anywhere, speaking any language. It is true that children’s young, flexible brains can pick up language more quickly than ours, but we can all learn a foreign language given the right attitude and environment.

As a student, I spent a year in the French Alps, skiing throughout the winter. My brother, who had never skied before, joined me for a short holiday, hurtling himself clumsily down the slopes. By the end of the week, he was the better skier. He was inexperienced and inept, but he was fearless. We learn more from our mistakes than our successes: this we know, but it takes courage to implement it.

Where language teaching and assessment falls down in our classrooms, in my experience, is the way students are heavily penalised for inaccuracy. This creates a fear of making mistakes which inhibits communication.

Research Confirms the Negative Effect Fear has on Learning

The impact of anxiety and stress on learning is well-documented. In her 2009 paper, Amy Arnsten, neurobiologist at Yale University School of Medicine, examined the ability of humans and animals to perform tasks under variable stress conditions. She writes: ‘Even quite mild…uncontrollable stress can cause a rapid and dramatic loss of prefrontal cognitive abilities’.

A Relaxed Environment is Crucial to Learning

How can we regain that childlike confidence that makes us so receptive to learning? One way is to situate our learning in an environment where we feel at ease. If the classroom is a source of anxiety then it may not be the best place for you to learn.

Lessons are also expensive and time-consuming. Instead, I got my grounding in Dutch using the Michel Thomas CD, where the focus is on relaxing, so that learning is unhindered. There is no need to write anything and no homework. In the privacy of your own home, you glide through the language, adapting basic structures alongside the two students on the CD, who share in the experience and, reassuringly, often make mistakes.

The CD also reminds the learner that their native language is a springboard to the new one. Dutch is one of the easiest languages to learn. It is grammatically simpler than many European languages and, like English, is Germanic in origin so they share masses of vocabulary. You are not starting from scratch: this is one important advantage you have over a toddler.

How Can You Help Yourself to Learn?

Find a sympathetic ear, preferably someone with limited English, who will not correct you or speak back to you in your own language. Or, if you have school-age children, practise with their teachers, who are used to helping with language acquisition. They were supportive as my children and I found our footing in the language.

While they may not always have the most polished Dutch – less important than our key goal of communicating – bilingual people, who speak Dutch as a second language, are often sympathetic listeners. Our postman, cleaner and builder have all been quite receptive to my faltering Dutch.

Learn with your children. Many experts say that you should only use your mother tongue with your children. Certainly, you should never abandon your native language for fear of confusing your child, as their capacity for multilingualism is considerable. But I can’t help feeling that the importance attached to keeping to your own language again prioritises accuracy over communication.

Moderate use of Dutch can be beneficial, especially if your child has plenty of authentic exposure to the language outside the home. Despite the risk of modelling poor pronunciation and grammar, I have found that reading books and talking together (especially when in an environment such as school or crèche, where you want the child to speak Dutch) helps to normalise the use of this new language, and makes it an enjoyable and interesting pursuit. 

Ten Tips for Learning Dutch Stress Free

1. Start with simple, context-bound communication, such as greetings, ordering in a café or buying a ticket. This places you in a comfort zone where the outcomes are limited and predictable.
2. Get Dutch children’s books from the library, beginning with picture books and then progressing to more complex material as a child would.
3. Model good behaviour for your children. An interest in words and sounds is infectious.
4. Find a sympathetic listener and agree with them to speak mostly Dutch to you.
5. Adopt a glass-half-full approach: make use of what you already know and can use, rather than worrying about the gaps in your knowledge. Even with a handful of key verbs (can/must/know/want/have/are/go), you can say vast amounts.
6. If you can’t face Dutch TV, watch your usual channels with the Dutch subtitles on. You will find you can quickly match them up to English and broaden your vocabulary. I learnt some interesting expressions lazing in front of MTV.
7. Be kind to yourself. It’s OK to dip in and out of Dutch. Sometimes I’m just too tired to sustain it, and slip back into English mid-conversation. Dutch speakers often mix English words into their sentences – it’s not a big deal. Just do what you can: people will see that you are trying.
8. Immerse yourself as far as possible in Dutch life. Meet your neighbours, take part in the festivals, join a club and visit exhibitions. You will acquire vocabulary without even noticing it.
9. Know that you can do it. If you can speak one language, you can speak another. Relax, work at your own pace, and have fun.
10. Try not to feel embarrassed: you are one of thousands of people new to the language of this country – toddlers included.

So say something in Dutch, anything, and you will see how it snowballs. This, and immersing myself in Dutch life, is how I made the most progress. Abandon fear and babble like a baby if you have to. It worked for you once before and it will work for you again. 

The Drongo Festival, the largest languages fair in the Netherlands, takes place in Utrecht every October. 

The post Learning Dutch is Child’s Play appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

How Songs Help You Learn Language

From the moment we are born music surrounds us, from the gentle low nursery rhymes our parents sing to lull us to sleep, to the activity songs to help us get moving. Music is everywhere.

Have you ever wondered why you remember the words to your childhood songs more clearly than the events of your childhood? Or why a song can get stuck in your head for days? That is because music stimulates the memory like nothing else can. In fact a 2013 study conducted by the University of Edinburgh showed that language learners’ memory skills are greatly improved when memorising to music.

If you think about it, it does make sense. Songs are carefully constructed and packed full of grammar and vocabulary, which is all waiting to be unlocked when the songs are sung. Songs will expose you to a wide range of words and encourage you to work out their meanings in context.

A pleasant side effect of singing is that your pronunciation will also improve. Really! You will be hearing the native pronunciation over and over again, allowing you to refine your pronunciation of words for a more natural tone. It will also help you recognise where words begin and end, which is considered the most difficult challenge in learning a new language.

To give you a head start in learning Dutch through music, there is an easy Rapid Dutch course available from Earworms, a company dedicated to teaching language through music. Their courses are available on CD, as an audiobook download or as apps for your smartphone and tablets. So you can have music with you wherever you go.

Other Ways You Can Learn Dutch Through Music

• Listen to the local radio. Try to pick one that plays predominantly Dutch music.
• Join a choir. If you are brave enough and can hold a tune, why not seek out a local choir. Not only will it help your Dutch, but it will also expand your social network. If group singing isn’t your thing, then you could also consider a singing tutor.
• Search for Dutch songs on YouTube and practise translating them. The translation will help fix the words in your memory.
• Watch Sesame Street in Dutch with the kids! It is a programme designed to facilitate learning which means that their songs are perfect if you are trying to learn a new language.
• For more tips, pick up a copy of Language is Music a comprehensive guide to learning languages through music.

Photo credit: Flickr via photo pin cc

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Books play a particularly important role in the lives of international children, linking them with their home culture and helping to integrate them into the new one. Everyone knows about the Netherlands’ most famous rabbit ‘Nijntje’ (Miffy), but did you know that there are a whole wealth of books for children of all ages, which have been translated from their original Dutch language into English?

We asked the members of Amsterdam Mamas which books they would recommend for children of all ages to help them start exploring Dutch literary culture. Below are their recommendations:

Annie M G Schmidt

Hugely popular as the celebrated author of the Jip and Janneke series of children’s books (also available in English), Schmidt’s credits go far beyond the famous little boy and girl. Also try her books Pluk and Pink Lemonade: Poems for Children.

Max Velthuijs

Endlessly popular with pre-schoolers both in English and the original Dutch. The charming Kikker (Frog) books have simple cartoonish illustrations, and are a joy to read with your little one. With titles such as Frog is a Hero and Frog Makes a Friend, your children are sure to love them.

Hans de Beer

In de Beer’s delightful story Little Polar Bear, the littlest bear gets lost while out hunting, and drifts all the way to the jungle where a helpful hippo shows him the way home. Wonderful to read with your preschooler.

Mathilde Stein

Stein’s books have recognisably Dutch illustrations by Chuck Groenink. There are some Christmas-themed titles in Dutch and some translated works such as Mine!, Brave Ben and The Child Cruncher.

Hilda Van Stockum

Evocative and heart-warming, A Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic, was written and illustrated by the author while she was studying in Dublin, and is based on her recollections of her Dutch childhood. The drawings are lovely and the story perfect for cold days ahead. The book tells the story of a brother and sister who go skating for the day with their classmates.

Guus Kuijer

Kuijer’s fame in the Netherlands comes from his popular series of books starring ‘Madelief’ and his award-winning book Polleke.  They have yet to be translated into English but his lovely novel The Book of Everything has. In this story our hero, nine-year-old Thomas, uses his imagination to escape an overbearing father and eventually overcome his fears.

Thea Beckman

Author of acclaimed children’s book Crusade in Jeans,  Beckman won the Children’s Historical Novel of the year in 1974 with her sweeping novel based on actual historical events across Europe.  Recommended for ages 8+.

Jan Terlouw

Set deep in the second world war, Winter in Wartime tells the story of fifteen-year-old Michiel who becomes involved in the resistance movement after coming to the aid of a wounded British soldier.  Perfect for teen historians.

Toon Tellegen

Whimsical and philosophical with a healthy dose of surrealism, Tellegen’s acclaimed Letters to Anyone and Everyone is an award winning title, both for its original content and its English translation. Letters from animals to other animals and the world around them are interspersed with stories.  Fun for children and also a quirky read for adults.

An abridged version of this article has previously been published in the ACCESS E-zine in 2012.

Emmy McCarthy is the Director of Stichting Amsterdam Mamas. She is a Mama, Entrepreneur, and Connector on a never-ending quest for balance in her life.

photo credit: Flickr via photo pin cc

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Why Children Often Learn Dutch Quickly

Having made the big decision of which school to send your child to, international parents may be feel a sense of relief as the school semester comes into full swing. This relief may be short-lived however, as the next inevitable issue that often comes up for families living in the Netherlands is the matter of learning Dutch – for you and your child.

Are you planning to stay in the Netherlands for only a short period? Or is your family here indefinitely? These are questions to consider when deciding on whether or not to learn Dutch yourself. Your child, however, won’t necessarily think about such practical matters and, as a result of simply trying to make friends and “fit in”, they are likely to pick up the language with much less effort than will be needed in your case. No matter which school you’ve chosen for your child (an international environment or native-language school), you may find that your child’s exposure to the Dutch environment means that they are beginning to pick up the language without even trying.

Young children, especially, lack certain complex social anxieties that adults possess, and are less embarrassed about making pronunciation or grammatical errors when speaking amongst their peers, so they will be more willing to try to speak Dutch even if they make mistakes. In addition, for serial expat children in particular, research suggests that because they are used to relocating – and therefore have more experience with making new friends – these children will dive into personal relationships in a different way to children who have not experienced a similarly transient lifestyle. Expat children may often quickly jump into deeper levels of friendship – levels where it is OK to discuss personal opinions, and to disagree with peers. In order to communicate at such a level, such children need to be able to express themselves effectively, and often, as a result of this urgent need for self-expression, their non-native language (in this case Dutch) develops more quickly. Finally, aside from social reasons, children are more able to pick up any language than adults because they don’t have the sound and contextual associations with words that us adults do, making it easier for them to pronounce new sounds and words.

So your Child Speaks Better Dutch than You, Does it Matter?

Perhaps you have not planned on learning Dutch while you are here, or perhaps you are simply too busy. That is your personal choice, but keep in mind that your child might be out there absorbing the language without even trying, and it could bring up some interesting issues within your family life at home.

Practical implications

Living here in the Netherlands means it is very likely that your child will in some way become socially involved with Dutch children. When this happens, your child might want to bring their new Dutch friend over for a play-date. It may become difficult for you to be able to look after your child and their friend if you cannot understand the Dutch they are speaking to one another. Another example: Your child might learn about special Dutch holidays in school, such as Sinterklaas, and want to celebrate them at home with your family. Often there are Dutch songs involved, and since your child knows the songs and customs and you don’t, it might bring up some difficulties. You may find you have certain feelings about the fact that there is some (cultural) distance between you and your child.

Developmental implications

No matter where you are in the world, as a parent, the most important thing is that your child feels happy and safe in their environment. Family dynamics (things like trust, attachment, and love) become particularly important for expat families, as they rely on each other during transient times for comfort. In times of mobility, even those with normally high levels of confidence can experience a lack of self-esteem because they are starting over, culturally speaking, and have to re-learn norms, values, and re-establish a sense of self and purpose in their new environment.

Expat children often (re)develop their own self-esteem and confidence during transition times through their attachment to their parents or primary care-givers. Therefore, it is critical that parents are willing to be involved in the transition process alongside their child in these situations. If there is a gap between your child’s language development and your own, this could make certain aspects of your family’s support system strained. As you can see, this issue of To Learn or Not To Learn Dutch can become an important, and not-so-easily-resolved topic for foreigners in the Netherlands.

Worth a Try?

The bottom line is that if you want to make the most of your time here, however short it may be, there are many benefits to becoming, at the very least, familiar with the native tongue. Being able to understand what products you are buying at Albert Heijn, being able to make Dutch friends (the Dutch are terrific friends to have), and perhaps most importantly, being able to experience the same acculturation process that your child is going through so that you can bond as a family together and move forward into your new intercultural world – are all great reasons for learning some Dutch.

Furthermore, studies have shown that bilingual children grow up having more diverse career opportunities, and are more open to being involved in intercultural relationships, so by supporting your child’s new language acquisition here in the Netherlands, you are supporting them emotionally, socially, and setting them up for success!

photo credit: Jon Ovington via photo pin cc

The post Running Ahead: Kids and Language Acquisition appeared first on Amsterdam Mamas.

1. How long are you planning to live in The Netherlands?

The amount of time you plan to live in The Netherlands may influence your decision on whether or not it is worth the effort to learn Dutch. For example, if you plan to be here for two years or less, the time spent learning the language may outweigh the benefit you will gain from doing so.

On the other hand, if you plan to live here indefinitely, learning the language may actually help with your adjustment process within the Dutch community, and will be useful for long-term understanding and communication.

2. Is your goal to make Dutch friends or are you happy within the expat community?

In a perfect world it would be great to be able to quickly learn Dutch and immerse yourself completely within Dutch society, including making Dutch friends. Nevertheless, as you may have already discovered, this is often easier said than done. Cultural differences can make it difficult to develop friendships within the Dutch community, despite speaking the language. Therefore, some expats would rather invest time in making friends with other expats who are more likely to have similar experiences and goals. However, if your partner is Dutch, being able to speak some of the language will probably help you in social situations, and prevent isolation.

3. Will your children be learning Dutch?

If you have children attending a local Dutch school and/or you plan to raise them bilingually, you may need some basic Dutch in order to understand and communicate with their friends. Despite your children also speaking your native language, their friends from school may not. Plus, your own children will most likely at times speak Dutch to each other while you are around, and you may want to understand what they are saying as well as be able to participate in the conversation.

4. Do you have an ‘all or nothing’ attitude towards learning Dutch?

Perhaps you are considering learning Dutch but feel that you need to become fluent or otherwise there is no point. Many people actually hold themselves back from learning something new because they feel that if they cannot do it perfectly then this is embarrassing or shameful. Ironically, most Dutch find that their English is not perfect and therefore do not expect your Dutch to be. Usually, they just appreciate the effort, and learning even a little Dutch can help you in your daily interactons, for example at the grocery store.

5. Is learning Dutch better for you or for the people judging you for not learning it?

Sometimes we do things because society tells us that we should do them, not because we actually want to or need to. When considering whether to learn Dutch, ask yourself for whom you are learning it for. Are you learning it for your job, to go back to school, to be able to understand the nightly news on TV? Or are you learning it because your Dutch neighbor looks at you funny every time you ask to borrow an egg in English?

If you decide that learning Dutch is right for you, then by all means get out there and do it! Taking a Dutch class is a great way to not only learn a new language but to meet other expats in a similar situation. It can also help provide structure to your day as you adjust to life here.

On the other hand, if you decide that it is not in your best interest to learn the language, don’t beat yourself up about this! Only you know what is right for you and what you truly want. If others choose to judge you for your decisions then this says more about them than it does about you. While most Dutch will tell you directly what they think, most will also move on with their lives without a second thought. Only you can determine what you tell yourself about what they think and whether or not you care.

If you find yourself struggling within the Dutch community or would like to learn Dutch but are experiencing difficulties, take heart in the fact that many of us have experienced a similar situation. If you notice it impacting your mood or daily functioning, it may be time to seek professional help so that you can figure out the steps you need to take in order to improve your quality of life.

photo credit: Matilda Wormwood via Pexels

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