advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
#1
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Joined: Jul 2015
Location: London
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advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Hi All
I have recently come back from a holiday in NL where I met with the HR manager for the NL subsidiary of my current employer.
They have told me that If I can get an adequate level of Dutch they would like me to relocate as I have the required experience they are looking for in my field.
I have literally 8-10 months to learn Dutch whilst here in the UK.
I have purchased Assimil Dutch language system, and have an online Dutch teacher that I speak to once a month, but for those of you have come from zero Dutch to adequate/fluent Dutch how did you do it?
what worked best for you? how long did it take ?
Thanks
SN
I have recently come back from a holiday in NL where I met with the HR manager for the NL subsidiary of my current employer.
They have told me that If I can get an adequate level of Dutch they would like me to relocate as I have the required experience they are looking for in my field.
I have literally 8-10 months to learn Dutch whilst here in the UK.
I have purchased Assimil Dutch language system, and have an online Dutch teacher that I speak to once a month, but for those of you have come from zero Dutch to adequate/fluent Dutch how did you do it?
what worked best for you? how long did it take ?
Thanks
SN
#2
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Depends on your age, your aptitude for languages (and possibly how many you already speak?), and your learning style. I'm still not fluent after years but my children are
Never heard of Assimil before so can't comment. Once a month doesn't sound promising for real practice though. This means you'll be able to read and write far quicker than you'll be able to listen and understand (that was my issue too). There are lots of online resources, including language exchange Skype groups. Or perhaps advertise locally to see if there are any Dutch speakers willing to practice with you?
I went to evening classes to get myself up to A2 in the first year I was here (Volksuniversiteit). A free resource I used: Lees en Schrijf! This went hand in hand with a TV series, so I guess your equivalent of BBC education programmes. Good for cramming vocabulary, free registration. There is a second series that is more related to the workplace, but you'd need to already have a basic vocabulary before starting that one.
Never heard of Assimil before so can't comment. Once a month doesn't sound promising for real practice though. This means you'll be able to read and write far quicker than you'll be able to listen and understand (that was my issue too). There are lots of online resources, including language exchange Skype groups. Or perhaps advertise locally to see if there are any Dutch speakers willing to practice with you?
I went to evening classes to get myself up to A2 in the first year I was here (Volksuniversiteit). A free resource I used: Lees en Schrijf! This went hand in hand with a TV series, so I guess your equivalent of BBC education programmes. Good for cramming vocabulary, free registration. There is a second series that is more related to the workplace, but you'd need to already have a basic vocabulary before starting that one.
#3
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Joined: Jul 2015
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Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Thanks. I only have English and have never really tried to learn a language before. I got a lot of work to do.
#4
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Hi SuperNova It took me three years to learn Dutch to the point of perhaps being mistaken for a 5yr old.(the following 30 yrs to become fluent).I took a 10 week course of daily lessons from 9 am to 1.00pm with set homework every day..Exhausting!!!.My REAL progress began however with weekly coffee mornings with my Dutch (teacher) neighbour.I also made sure I spoke Dutch in the shops etc at every opportunity. This was as a 'Trailing Spouse' i.e. none working partner.My OH was thrown into the language within two weeks of arriving when the companies American partners pulled out and they reverted to speaking Dutch-His business language skills took a year to develop.despite intensive courses and speaking every day.However whether his colleagues took him seriously at that time is a mute point.Like any skill it's all about practice and determination.You have to fight to speak Dutch in many parts of NL.(It's less hassle for them to switch to English) If your serious? Find any source possible to practice on.Local Dutch in your town? Babbel (online school) Once a month is useless frankly.You will need to immerse yourself if you intend to make any real progress in such a short time .
#5
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Posts: 25
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
For me the way was a Dutch Linguaphone course and total submersion in the language. Meeting a Dutch girl who spoke five languages (and better English than myself) certainly helped. Now after 44 years I think and speak in Dutch although my 9 year old Dutch grandson sometimes makes fun at some of my pronouciations. A few years ago a British workmate was visiting with his Dutch wife. While we were talking I realised that I was talking in Dutch to him and our wives were talking in English. In time anything is possible!!
#6
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Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
I've obviously been set a hard task! But hopefully not impossible.
#7
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Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Learning a foreign language is definitely easier if you have already achieved competence in at least one foreign language. This is THE big argument for teaching foreign languages in school.
You are going to find yourself asking questions like, "What do you mean, it's an adjective ?"
You are going to find yourself asking questions like, "What do you mean, it's an adjective ?"
#8
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 62
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Hi All
I have recently come back from a holiday in NL where I met with the HR manager for the NL subsidiary of my current employer.
They have told me that If I can get an adequate level of Dutch they would like me to relocate as I have the required experience they are looking for in my field.
I have literally 8-10 months to learn Dutch whilst here in the UK.
I have purchased Assimil Dutch language system, and have an online Dutch teacher that I speak to once a month, but for those of you have come from zero Dutch to adequate/fluent Dutch how did you do it?
what worked best for you? how long did it take ?
Thanks
SN
I have recently come back from a holiday in NL where I met with the HR manager for the NL subsidiary of my current employer.
They have told me that If I can get an adequate level of Dutch they would like me to relocate as I have the required experience they are looking for in my field.
I have literally 8-10 months to learn Dutch whilst here in the UK.
I have purchased Assimil Dutch language system, and have an online Dutch teacher that I speak to once a month, but for those of you have come from zero Dutch to adequate/fluent Dutch how did you do it?
what worked best for you? how long did it take ?
Thanks
SN
If I was you, I would learn business Dutch. It's your employer you need to impress, not somebody you ask for help in the supermarket.
I would also have Nos1 on the radio in the background at home (NPO Radio 1 - Popup Luister Live) and watch the Dutch news (NOS Journaal | NOS).
#9
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 62
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
My kids like me to say "groene brug". But I'm still searching for a couch that they sat on the other day when watching something on the TV called "A Movie".
#10
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Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
I learnt a lot from watching the weather every day. The topic was the same so the words became known to me and I soon started noticing the sentence construction.
If I was you, I would learn business Dutch. It's your employer you need to impress, not somebody you ask for help in the supermarket.
I would also have Nos1 on the radio in the background at home (NPO Radio 1 - Popup Luister Live) and watch the Dutch news (NOS Journaal | NOS).
If I was you, I would learn business Dutch. It's your employer you need to impress, not somebody you ask for help in the supermarket.
I would also have Nos1 on the radio in the background at home (NPO Radio 1 - Popup Luister Live) and watch the Dutch news (NOS Journaal | NOS).
#11
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Joined: Nov 2012
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Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Kids TV is good. Simple language with frequent repetition. I mean the sort of programme aimed at very young kids.
#12
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Posts: 25
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Way back in 1975 when I was doing my best to get to grips with speaking the language, one of the Dutch guys in my office laughed at the way I had said something, and a Liverpool lad in the office said "say Smith's Crisps". No matter how he tried he could not say it. It's all about the "s" sound. Most Dutch people have diffculty combining the two words!!
#13
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
Way back in 1975 when I was doing my best to get to grips with speaking the language, one of the Dutch guys in my office laughed at the way I had said something, and a Liverpool lad in the office said "say Smith's Crisps". No matter how he tried he could not say it. It's all about the "s" sound. Most Dutch people have diffculty combining the two words!!
#14
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
I learnt a lot from watching the weather every day. The topic was the same so the words became known to me and I soon started noticing the sentence construction.
If I was you, I would learn business Dutch. It's your employer you need to impress, not somebody you ask for help in the supermarket.
I would also have Nos1 on the radio in the background at home (NPO Radio 1 - Popup Luister Live) and watch the Dutch news (NOS Journaal | NOS).
If I was you, I would learn business Dutch. It's your employer you need to impress, not somebody you ask for help in the supermarket.
I would also have Nos1 on the radio in the background at home (NPO Radio 1 - Popup Luister Live) and watch the Dutch news (NOS Journaal | NOS).
#15
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Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 25
Re: advice from expats on their experience learning Dutch
I've found out over the years that not being able to speak the local language was certainly a disadvantage. Before moving to Holland I was working and living in Montreal, in a completly French area. In a supposedly Bilingual city the amount of people who could not understand English was truly amazing. Moving to the Netherlands was a completly different experience. Many years ago i worked with a Brit who had lived in the country for 19 years and could not speak one word of the language. English is used so much here like the large offshore engineering company, where I worked before retirement, all e-mails and even meetings were held in English. It is possible to live here without learning the language but one certainly misses out on a lot of the culture.