3 negative beliefs about learning Dutch that you should dump
Negative beliefs about learning Dutch. Not too many people actually think about them, but if you like to learn fast this is what you should do with them. Throw them away, just like your Christmas tree!
If you walk around in Amsterdam these days, you will see them a lot: abandoned Christmas trees. The reason is obvious… they don’t serve anymore. Somehow the new year is always a perfect moment to throw things away that you don’t need and then imagine what could be better instead… So here is the thing… what if you could throw away some things that normally stand in your way to speaking great Dutch? If you do, you’ll immediately notice that speaking great Dutch is a lot easier!
If you think about it, it really makes sense. If you like to boost your Dutch fast, then one of the best things that you could do is to honestly ask yourself what you believe about speaking and learning Dutch. The reason is simple. People that learn Dutch fast and speak it with ease believe in certain things. People that struggle with Dutch, believe in other things. Here is one hint: people that struggle with Dutch, never believe that it is fun… So, here is the deal… If you could only get rid of some negative beliefs, then this could make a radical difference, right now! So once again, wouldn’t it be good it you could do the same thing with those beliefs as with the Chrismas tree? Sure… both things may have brought some fun in the past, but… you’ll be far better off without them. So let’s have a look at a top 3 of negative beliefs, and see if you can dump them…
3 great negative beliefs to dump
1) If I say something in Dutch, it has to be perfect
Sure… it is never wrong to do your best. And if what you say, sounds perfec,t then congratulations! But…. if striving for perfection is the only goal that you have in mind, you are in deep trouble! By the way, have you ever noticed that in English you often use the word perfect for talking about the past tense? So now we have a problem. Perfection is a static place where nothing new is going to happen. This means: no excitement, no new adventures, nothing to add, nothing els to discover and therefore at the end boredom… not a very desirable state, right? Here is something that could help. Instead of looking for perfection, just make it as a goal to discover new things, to explore new territories…. Learning and speaking Dutch MUST be an adventure, if you like to learn it fast. You’ll have more fun too and… only if you make mistakes, you will reach higher levels!
2) Dutch is illogicial, there are no rules and if there are, then there are hundreds of exceptions.
People that learn fast, somehow understand things that other people who only struggle, simply do not see…. Here is one example… Wat is een naaldboom? Naald is needle and boom is tree… It should not be that difficult, we already talked about it… literally it is a needle tree …. Does kerstboom ring a jingle bell? In English you would call it conifer…. but….would you agree that also in English, they have needles? People that learn fast accept this logical way of thinking immediately. Slow learners only bitch and complain why the Dutch word is not conifer…. All right then… if you like to sound snobbish, just call your Christmass tree kerstconifeer…. If you like, you can get away with it… At least you’ll sound like an intellectual…
Here is something else to consider… the fact that a logical explanation is missing in your book, does not mean that it does not exist. Science clearly shows that Dutch is one of the closest languages to English and… if you like, you could see it as simplified German! More info
3) You should be able to pick it up automatically
Here is another widespread belief that sounds positive, but it can be very harmful if you truly believe in it… Many people believe that if you just start speaking Dutch, then everything will be taken care of automatically. The trouble is that there is some truth in it. If you never open your mouth, then nothing can happen. But… in order to really speak Dutch, you must change your thinking first! Sure… this may sound intimidating, but… there is some good news… it can be a great adventure if you know how to do it. Luckily it has little do do with hard studying, high intelligence and memorizing…. One thing that you need to do is to open your mind, relax and… to play and to experiment. While learning new ways of thinking, be open for many surprises, amazement and fun… and yes… make sure that you really take the time to dive in. However, once your thinking chances then soon enough you’ll notice that your perspective about learning and speaking Dutch will be different!
If you like to know more, then simply check this webpage… there is a free eBook and a free workshop Finding Dutch Flow, and if you like you can even dive in, in a unique 7 day program the Dutch Brainwash!