{"id":4573,"date":"2021-06-29T11:31:16","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T09:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/?p=4573"},"modified":"2021-06-29T11:31:16","modified_gmt":"2021-06-29T09:31:16","slug":"my-efforts-to-learn-dutch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/weblog.wur.eu\/international-students\/2021\/06\/29\/my-efforts-to-learn-dutch\/","title":{"rendered":"My efforts to learn Dutch"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a couple of months, all of the newly accepted students will begin their exciting journey to the Netherlands to study at Wageningen University. I can imagine then that a lot of you might be wondering if you need to learn Dutch when coming here.<\/p>\n

Talking from my own experience, I didn\u2019t know any Dutch when I first arrived in the Netherlands besides a couple of words like \u201cHallo<\/em>\u201d, \u201cDoei<\/em>\u201d and \u201cDankjewel<\/em>\u201d.\u00a0 But to be honest, this was not a problem, since almost everyone can speak English really well.<\/p>\n

Depending on where you do your research, you will find that Dutch is the third most widely spoken Germanic language after English and German. And besides the Netherlands and Belgium, it is also the native language of the majority of the people of Suriname, Aruba, Cura\u00e7ao and Sint Maarten. However, as you see, it is not a worldwide spoken language which makes the resources to learn Dutch before your arrival a little limited.<\/p>\n

I am not going to lie to you, I have found learning Dutch very challenging since there are so many grammar rules, pronunciation and little exceptions to the rules that make it all so complicated. However, if you want to feel more connected to the culture of the country that will become your home for the next years, I would definitely recommend giving it a try! It would make you feel a bit more comfortable and after all, it is always a great experience to learn something new.<\/p>\n

Study Dutch at Wageningen in\u2019to Languages<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"About<\/p>\n

Whether you are a complete beginner or if you already have some experience with the Dutch Language, Wageningen in\u2019to Languages<\/a> has different courses that will suit your needs. In my case, because I have already lived in the Netherlands for some years and have learned on my own and with other small courses, I took the course \u201cIntermediate Dutch\u201d. But as I mentioned, they have many options like \u201cSocial Dutch\u201d, \u201cBasic Dutch\u201d, \u201cIntermediate and Advanced Dutch\u201d and intensive summer courses as well. And the good news is that for the levels \u201cSocial Dutch 1 and 2\u201d, the student council at WUR has drawn a pilot plan to offer these courses for students for free.\u00a0 I suggest you check the website of Wageningen in\u2019to Languages on a regular basis for any updates about this.<\/p>\n

How did I experience my course?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I have to say that I really enjoy taking language classes so the experience for me was very positive. Unfortunately, because of Covid-19, the classes had to take place online which is a shame because for me an important part of the learning process is to be able to interact in person with students and teachers. Even though my course was entirely done online, I learned a lot and I found that the teaching methods and the discussions we had in breakout rooms, were very useful to practice the language. We often had to do a lot of speaking exercises with the other students and prepare small presentations. All of those activities are a great way to boost your confidence and give you the push to dare to practice your Dutch skills with others.<\/p>\n

What next?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As you know, Master\u2019s programmes at WUR last for two years and Bachelor\u2019s for three years. So, being in this beautiful country for these long periods is a perfect opportunity to learn to speak Dutch. I know you are probably going to be very busy with your studies, but if you also want to truly experience the Dutch culture and have some spare time, learning the local language is a great way to do it. You can also download some apps on your phone to practice, maybe do some volunteer work with Dutch people and listen to the local radio stations. Like that, you can get used to the sound of the words and even feel more integrated with the Dutch people and mindset.<\/p>\n

I hope these tips are useful for you and remember that nearly everyone in the Netherlands can also speak Dutch so don\u2019t be scared and just give it a chance!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a couple of months, all of the newly accepted students will begin their exciting journey to the Netherlands to study at Wageningen University. I can imagine then that a lot of you might be wondering if you need to learn Dutch when coming here. Talking from my own experience,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":392,"featured_media":4588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-student-life","category-tips-and-advice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMy efforts to learn Dutch - International Students Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you need to learn Dutch as international student? Or will you manage with English. 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