Learning Dutch FAQ

Welcome to the wiki of Nederlands Leren / Learn Dutch. On this page, you will find a small FAQ on how to get started with dutch! If you instead search for the Frequently Asked Question on dutch itself, you can find it here [link]

Self learning or courses?
The first step is to determine what kind of learning is fit for you and your situation. This is a personal decision. However, do pinpoint precisely what your goal is, what level of proficiency you wish to achieve, your monetary means as well as your personal will to achieve your goal.

Courses
The ressource page does have some courses [link here]

I am interested in self learning dutch. How do I get started?
A good place to start out is a free course to give an initial feeling of the language as well as a knowledge base upon which you can build on. You can check the courses we have in our ressources here [link to section]. You may want to complement it with some (light) reading of essential (but heavy) grammar such as dutch word order. We also recommend reading the "Methodology: understanding how to learn" section as it will become useful in the coming weeks.

Methodology: understanding how to learn
There are 4 commonly mentioned area to language proficiency which themselves rely on mastering elements of the language. Those 4 domains are Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking.

If you wish to learn on your own, it's primordial to clearly discern the domains you wish to improve on and, every time, to work on its components.

All 4 domains rely on understanding grammar (to a certain extent) and vocabulary. As such you should improve your vocabulary and your grammar all throughout your learning process.

On top of that, each individual domain requires additional mastery of certain skills.


 * Reading tends to require a larger vocabulary if you diversify your reading sources.
 * Writing requires a good comprehension of grammar
 * Listening requires listening comprehension (obviously) but also a good command of your already acquired vocabulary and having mapped the words to sounds.
 * Speaking requires training on how to make the sounds as well as quick production of sentences.

Listening and speaking typically can be seen as a step up of reading and writing respectively as they require mostly the same skills but better mastered and, on top of it, the ability to hear and pronounce the sounds of the language. Do not be alarmed if those skills are behind your reading and writing. It is very common among learners but it is, however, an indication that focus has to be put on those two skills.

Tips and Tricks of the efficient learner
[here list of tips and tricks like that one under]

We also recommend learning early on how to spot a participle past (stuff like killed, eaten, launched, ...). You can notice them because they just are a verb with, usually, a ge- at the start. Some participle past won't start with ge- and not all words beginning in ge- are participle past in dutch but it's a good starting point to spot them and facilitate vocabulary acquisition! Learning a verb can lend you understanding of the participle past!

I can't get people to talk to me in dutch, where do i get speaking training?
You can join voice chats online and learning communities or [more stuff]

Surprisingly, you can also train speaking proficiency by: [more stuff]
 * chatting in a written fashion
 * listening to videos
 * repeating words you hear
 * talking to yourself

for another page:

Belgian Dutch sources