Speaking much better Dutch does not have to be complicated or boring… Here are some first tips that can help 🙂
1) Stop believing that English is easy and that Dutch makes no sense
Many people and certainly many Dutch people believe that somehow English is easy and that Dutch is really difficult and that it has no logic. But… contrary what you may initially believe, nothing could be further from the truth. Here is a perfect example. Just read the next words: water & later
Water & later are the same in English and in Dutch. But…there is one huge difference. Water and later rhyme perfectly in Dutch, but not in English. In English you would pronounce the a completely different, while in Dutch they sound exactly the same.
Here is a funny thing… Probably you got so familiar with English already and chances are high that you never ever wondered about the different pronunciation in English. But… once again, if you look at it objectively, then the English system does not make a lot of sense.
If you approach learning Dutch with an open mind, then you could quickly discover for yourself that a many things in Dutch make perfect sense. Sure, the system is different from English, but once you understand and accept certain things many things in Dutch will be more ‘logical’ then you could ever imagine.
2) Never translate
Maybe you have already noticed it. Translating never works. Many people think in English or in their own language first and then they try to translate it word by word into Dutch. Unfortunately, this ‘method’ hardly works. Before you know it, you’ll be stuck and if you create your sentences in Dutch, then chances are high that they do not make sense at all.
When you speak in Dutch, make sure that you start thinking in Dutch. Just think of some Dutch words and use these words while you construct them in a sentence. You can keep your sentences relatively short, certainly in the beginning. Through time, you’ll notice that it will get easier and easier and if you do it often enough, you’ll even find it easy to construct very long sentences as well.
Constructing sentences in Dutch is not that hard. You just have to follow some simple rules and if you do it again and again, it will feel completely natural to you!
3) Understand that Dutch must be different from English.
You probably must have discovered that Dutch is different from English, right? It may look like a stupid question, but here is the weird thing…. Although most people that Dutch must be different from English – otherwise you would speak it fluently already – they keep constructing Dutch sentences the English way.
But… here is what happens if you put English sentences the Dutch way:
Of course understand I that Dutch different from English is
One thing that is certainly different is the order in the sentence is the order of words. It is more or less like German. Make sure that if you like to be understood correctly, that you always put the words of your Dutch words in the right order. Otherwise other people will be constantly puzzles with the things that you like to bring across….
4 Don’t be too serious about it
Many people believe that they’ll learn faster if they study Dutch in a very academic way and once they treat Dutch very seriously. But… guess what? Your brain probably does not like boring stuff
Why not try it the other way? Make sure that you have outrageous fun with it! The more you laugh, the more fun you have, the better you’ll feel and the better you’ll feel, the more you’ll like Dutch. It is very simple…..
It is hard to learn things that you don’t really like, but… once you feel great and intrigued, everything will be so much easier. Sure, you’ll always need to be patient, but if you really have fun, then you’ll learn so much more then when you feel bored….
By the way, did you know that you could make a massive change for your Dutch if you just play with it for a couple of days in a row? If you like this idea, then read how the Brainwash Technique can supercharge your Dutch. You can also check the schedule here….
Always make sure that you follow a clear path. Just follow some simple steps and you’ll never be lost!
Fernanda Lopes
on 13 Nov 2021