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Dear Dutch Learner,
Sometimes, people ask me: how can I learn to speak Dutch as fast as possible? There is no
short answer for this. First of all, there are many different learning styles. It also depends on
your mother tongue and knowledge
of other foreign languages, and how long you’ve already been exposed to
Dutch. Plus: what exactly is your goal and how much do you want to reach
your goal?
For people whose native language is for example
Chinese or Japanese, I would suggest to take some lessons with a speech therapist first, to learn
how to pronounce the specific Dutch sounds. If you start learning vocabulary without the right pronunciation,
nobody will understand you, so you’ll have to unlearn bad habits later
in the process (that usually takes longer than learning new stuff). This
way, it seems you’ll have a slow start, but it will save you a lot of time and frustration in the end!
Some people usually learn very well by just
reading about a subject. It might be interesting to discover some Dutch (or
any other language) that way, but it will only improve your knowledge ABOUT
Dutch… To speak better Dutch, you have to start speaking it
and learn from your mistakes! So, find a comfortable environment and
use your Dutch right away after you feel more or less comfortable about
your pronunciation. (Don’t wait too
long before starting to use your Dutch!).
After you have mastered the basics, you can think of
finding a Language Exchange tandem
partner. (For more information on Language Exchange Sessions, click here.)
Last but not least, everybody learns best when the
offered material is interesting and
fun, and makes you curious for more!! Every month, I offer 1 or 2 sessions
where you can use your Dutch (like
the free Aloe Vera workshop, January 17th). Just look on the
schedule below or on the site to see if there is an interesting subject for
you.
On my site, you can find some activities to increase your vocabulary and grammar. (The new activity for this month
is a dictation at basic level).
But again, don’t just sit behind the computer, go out and try out the newly-learned vocabulary on your neighbours
and/or colleagues! This way, 2012
will be the year you speak Dutch!
Ik wens iedereen een gelukkig en gezond 2012!!!!
Syl
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