How to Learn Dutch as an Expat: A Beginner's Guide
Vivian 
Discover the best methods to integrate smoothly into Dutch life and access a free Dutch training to accelerate your learning!
Why Bother Learning Dutch?
You might wonder, “Do I really need to learn Dutch if everyone speaks English?” While it’s true that many Dutch people are fluent in English (unless you live in a small village), learning their language opens up so many doors:
- Feel at home faster – Small talk with neighbors, chatting at the local bakery, and understanding signs will make life much easier.
- Make real connections – Dutch people appreciate when you try their language, even if it’s just a few words.
- More job opportunities – Many employers prefer candidates who speak at least some Dutch.
- Handle official matters smoothly – From doctor’s appointments to tax forms, knowing Dutch saves time and stress.
Moving to the Netherlands as an expat can be exciting, but the language barrier can make things challenging. In this post, you'll discover the best ways to start learning Dutch efficiently, even if you're a complete beginner.
Want structured lessons? Start with my Dutch course!
How to get started?
Knowing Dutch is not the same as speaking Dutch confidently. Free learning apps will be fun, but you have to ask yourself: "Does this help me speak?"
1. Work towards real-life situations
Instead of looking endlessly on YouTube or reading a grammar book from chapter to chapter, it's better to work towards real speaking situations. Why? You can immediately test if you have achieved your goal by speaking in public.
2. Use the proven ABCD strategy
And I hear you thinking: But how do I work towards real-life situations?" Easy! Use the ABCD strategy to go from receptive learning (listening, reading, understanding) to productive learning (writing and speaking).
In this free 30-minute training (from Vivo Dutch), I teach exactly how to implement this strategy, and as a bonus, you'll get an overview of all the topics and grammar you should work on to achieve levels A1, A2, and B1.
3. Set small and realistic goals
If your goal is to be fluent and/or to pass exams, then I want to challenge you to create smaller goals for yourself. Yes, speaking fluently is an awesome goal, but it's a longterm goal.
Which goal can you achieve within 2-14 days?
For instance:
- Ordering a beer in Dutch
- Making an appointment at the doctor's
- Canceling a meeting at work
If you focus on your small goals (and use the ABCD strategy to achieve your goals), you'll achieve your goals quickly. This will help you stay motivated and it will boost your confidence.
Which resources to use?
It's important that you pick the resources that help you achieve your goals. That sounds obvious, but this is exactly what most people don't do. They buy a book and start at page 1, and finish the complete book, page by page. They start looking for YouTube videos but there's no structure.
And structure is what you need!
If you're learning to order a beer in Dutch, skip the past tense. It doesn't make sense to learn how to conjugate verbs in the perfectum if you go to a bar and order 'een biertje'.
In this free 30-minute training, I show an overview of all the topics and grammar you should work on to achieve levels A1, A2, and B1 and I share all my recommendations for resources too.
Want to learn faster? Join my free Dutch training today!
Categories: : How to start (beginners)