Tips and tricks to learn Dutch faster

• Borrow Dutch children's books from the library. The stories are not only relatively easy to read, but are also often very enjoyable. Well-known Dutch children's book authors include Annie M.G. Schmidt, Guus Kuijer and Anna Woltz.
• Ask Dutch people not to speak to you in English. Many Dutch people immediately switch to English when they realise that Dutch is not your first language. Tell them straight away that you would like to learn Dutch and ask them to communicate with you in Dutch. They will enjoy helping you and will appreciate you trying to learn their language.
• Speak Dutch as much as possible, even if you are not yet very good at it. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, that is the best way to learn.
• Ask people around you to correct your mistakes. It is not always fun to hear that you do not pronounce something correctly or that you write something down wrong, but it will probably help you to do it right next time.
• Watch Dutch TV series such as ‘Penoza’ or ‘Flikken Maastricht’. Children's programmes such as ‘De regels van Floor’ are also suitable. Many programmes from the public channels can be watched again for free via NPO.nl. It can also be good to watch foreign programmes on Dutch television: you can also learn new words from the subtitles. On the NetinNederland.nl website you can watch television programmes with Dutch, English and Arabic subtitles. Tip: you often have the option to play the series more slowly!
• Practise extra on free websites such as NT2 taalmenu and Oefenen.nl. Here you will find opportunities to practise all skills.
• Listen to Dutch music, such as De Dijk, De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig and Van Dik Hout. Look up the lyrics and read along while you listen.
• Attend (free) lectures or meetings on topics that interest you. Even if you don't understand everything, you will probably learn a few new words each time. Ask at the library or town hall.
• Write down new and useful words in a notebook and review what you wrote the day before every day. This way you will remember the words you want to learn.
• Learn the Dutch words that are used a lot, with the help of a glossary of frequently used Dutch words.
• Learn set expressions, proverbs and sayings. The Dutch use many expressions, proverbs and sayings. These can sometimes be difficult to understand. On the website Woorden.org you can look up their meaning and learn new sayings and proverbs.
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And finally: good luck! It won't always be easy, but you will get there step by step. Every time you have a conversation in Dutch, you can be very proud of yourself.