Dutch

If, like many Americans, you are of Dutch descent and want to get in touch with your roots, you should start learning Dutch this year. Doing this is a great way of connecting with distant relatives you may have who don’t necessarily speak English very well, and also to understand more about the country where your ancestors come from.

On the other hand, learning Dutch is also a great idea if you’re planning to visit the Netherlands or even some parts of the beautiful Dutch Caribbean anytime soon.

Once you become bilingual, you’ll be able to communicate with locals much more easily, get a job there, and experience these countries without having to rely on translators or guides.

Although many people attempt to learn Dutch on their own, if you want to avoid wasting time and becoming frustrated along the way, you should sign up for one of our language courses! But before you do, you should take a look at this short guide and find out what you can do to learn this fascinating language more effectively.

Want to become fluent fast? Then take a look at some of these tips you can start implementing right now!

Take Advantage of Cognates

English and Dutch are both Germanic languages, and because of that, they share many words that are spelt very similarly and mean the exact same thing, like water, kat, hart and drink. This means that If you want to build your vocabulary quickly, you should take advantage of this, and learn as many cognates as you can by using flashcards or mnemonics that help you remember them.

Find a Language Tutor

One of the first things you should do in your journey to fluency is find a language tutor who can create a learning plan that helps you achieve your language goals fast.

This will ensure you stay motivated, practice your skills regularly, and have someone you can ask any questions you have about the language, so as you can see, it can make a big difference in the speed at which you learn the language.

Practice Your Skills as Much as Possible

If you want to become a proficient speaker, you should put your conversational skills to the test every time you have the chance to.

Fortunately, you don’t need to leave the USA to find Dutch native speakers to chat with, as there are plenty of websites where you can find people willing to help you work on your language skills in exchange for you teaching them English, like Interpals or Meetup.

Alternatively, If you live in a big city, you can attend any of the language exchange events that are held in bars and restaurants or look for any kind of events that celebrate Dutch culture where you can meet foreigners and other language enthusiasts.

Track Your Progress

A great way to stay motivated while you learn is to track your progress. There are many ways you can do this, but one of the most effective ones is to take Language Level Tests every other month.

Fortunately, on our website, you’ll find a completely free Dutch Language Test you can take as many times as you want, which will help you have a better understanding of your current skill level as well as identify your strengths and weaknesses.

This is especially useful if you’ve studied Dutch in the past and want to know what kind of resources you should be getting, and what kind of lessons you need, so make sure you take our test before you sign up for one of our language courses.