Everything You Need To Learn Dutch
Dutch is spoken by over 20 million people as a mother tongue, and there are another 5 million second-language speakers. It is the official language of the Netherlands (population 17 million) and about half of Belgium (population 10.5 million).
It is also spoken in Aruba, Belgium’s other two Caribbean islands, Curaçao and Sint Maarten/Saint Martin, as well as by minorities of people in France, Germany and the US.
Dutch is also linguistically similar to Afrikaans, a language spoken in South Africa. The languages are in fact mutually intelligible, as Afrikaans evolved from Dutch. So, if you learn Dutch, you’ll essentially be getting 2 languages for the price of 1.
(Find all the products you need to learn Afrikaans.)
The wonderful news is that, thanks to Dutch’s widespread use, learning materials are abundant. Here you’ll find everything you need to take you from absolute beginner to Dutch fluency.
Dutch Language Learning Books
A great way to study Dutch is through books, whether they be Dutch course books or text books. They allow you to ingest information at a steady pace, and will usually be focused on slowly introducing you to new vocabulary while getting you comfortable with things like Dutch grammar and sentence structure.
If you’re all about speaking to natives and want to learn the most important words and phrases in order to quickly express yourself while abroad, then a Dutch phrasebook is the way to go.
Of course, no Dutch learner’s collection would be complete without a good English-Dutch dictionary. It’ll be your go-to for finding the meaning of words you run into while reading and listenig to Dutch.
For those who are interested in building their Dutch vocabulary in a fun way, you might consider picking up a book of Dutch word searches or crossword puzzles. These are great for learning new words in a non-intimidating way that doesn’t feel like work.
Dutch Children’s Books
If you’re studying Dutch with the goal of being able to read and write it, then Dutch books written for children are just what you need to ease you into the language. They’re written specifically to be accessible by children, and thus use simple language that’s easy to understand.
Beginners should start off with Dutch kids’ books so that they don’t get overwhelmed and consequently dishearted by more complex texts. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.
What’s good about many of the books on this list is that they’re dual language, meaning they come with both the English and Dutch texts in the same book. This enables you to get instant translations of the words you don’t understand, and allows for a much smoother read.
Dutch Fiction
When it’s time to switch to more complex topics and texts, your next stop should be to pick up some Dutch-language books written for adults. These books will likely be much more relatable and offer you a greater challenge, thereby enhancing your Dutch skills immensely.
Dutch short stories written specifically for beginners are the perfect transition from children’s books to more advanced material, and are designed to introduce you to more complex language gradually.
Dutch Digital Courses
Can’t find a suitable Dutch course near you? Not interested in learning Dutch through a book? Then you might prefer a Dutch e-course that’s made up of audio and/or video.
Dutch digital courses are perfect for people who can’t or don’t want to do live courses, either in-person or online, but still want the structure of a well-prepared course to keep them on track.
They’re also great for those who want to start speaking Dutch quickly, as audio courses tend to focus on honing your listening and speaking skills, whilst introducing you to things like Dutch grammar and new vocabulary in a more natural way.
Udemy offers an affordable comprehensive Dutch course that includes several hours of video instruction, can be accessed on almost any device, and comes with a lively community of like-minded learners ready to share ideas and help each other.
DUTCH UDEMY COURSES
DUTCH AUDIO COURSES
Dutch Products
Enhancing your Dutch learning outside of books and digital courses is always a good idea, where you can. These Dutch products will help you progress in more unconventional ways, and possibly make learning Dutch even more fun.
