I have already listed the reasons why Dutch would be a difficult language to learn in another article. Now, I will reassure you by listing 10 reasons why Dutch is an easy language to learn.
1. Dutch is from the same family as English and German.
English speakers often tell me that Dutch is an easier language to learn. This makes sense because Dutch is part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family, just like English. And if you compare it to another language in this family, German, it’s even easier. Generally speaking, the more languages from the Germanic branch you know, the easier it will be to assimilate and understand Dutch grammar.
2. Dutch is open to other languages
Dutch culture, and therefore the Dutch language, is not afraid to accept foreign words or expressions. French, German, and especially English words easily find their way into everyday Dutch conversation. You may be surprised, but it is also perfectly correct to say ik heb genordicwalkt (I went Nordic walking). And Ik heb je foto op facebook geliket. (I liked your photo on Facebook.) And then there is the Dutch word skaten (to roller skate). A word that originally comes from the Dutch schaatsen, which in English became “to skate” and came back as skating, but this time on wheels and not on the ice.
3. The Dutch like it when you try to speak Dutch.
Dutch is not the biggest and most important language in the world. We know that very well. That is why the Dutch appreciate it when foreigners try to learn their language. You can simply say “You want to speak Dutch, I want to learn Dutch” (kan je Nederlands spreken met mij, ik wil graag Nederlands leren) and most people are happy to speak Dutch with you. Which brings me to number 4 on my list.
4. You can start talking immediately
With basic vocabulary, grammar, and key phrases, you can start a basic conversation. And I can promise you that the more you do it, the easier it becomes. If you can find the opportunity to practice your Dutch daily or dedicate some time to online self-study, you will see that your Dutch skills will increase exponentially.
5. You can practice with people in the same situation.
If you are afraid of making mistakes when speaking directly to native Dutch speakers, I can understand that it can be intimidating at first… You can meet people (on social networks, dedicated platforms, as well as alumni networks from former intensive courses for example) who are also learning the language. It is very stimulating, and especially reassuring to get started with pronunciation which remains difficult for a person speaking a Romance language.
6. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
You should not be afraid to make mistakes. The Dutch speak badly and make mistakes too Yo uu will never meet a person who speaks perfect Dutch. After all, when you speak, the information you want to convey is not formed into a perfectly structured sentence in your head. In addition, you add or change things while speaking. Even teachers do not speak perfectly (me included, eh!), even if they are professionals.
7. Your pronunciation doesn’t have to be perfect
The way you pronounce doesn’t have to be perfect, because there is no perfect pronunciation. Almost every person speaks differently, and you may know that there are many accents and dialects. This means that the Dutch are used to different sounds of R and G for example.
8. You can find Dutch people in many different places
Maybe you learned a language at school by repeating conjugation lists and learning uninteresting vocabulary. That’s not the only way to learn a language. You can find Dutch music and Dutch books that are specially written for people learning Dutch, and there are Dutch films that you can choose Dutch subtitles for. If it’s fun, it’s much easier to learn.
9. You can choose your program
If you study online, you can decide how you want to learn. If you are the type of person who likes to do a little vocabulary and grammar every day, you can do that. If you are more the type of person who learns in chunks, you can do that too. To each his method! Here is an interactive program for beginners that I highly recommend to my students to get started in Dutch.
10. The udutchdoes not have a declension system.
Unlike German, Russian, Finnish, Icelandic, Japanese, Korean an d other languages, English and Dutch do not have a declension system. To be honest, there is a mini declension in adjectives in Dutch, it is a matter of adding an E or not to the adjective, it is learned in one lesson and it is quite simple! As learners of any language with declensions know, it is an endless frustration to have to remember the different forms of words. Fortunately, the Dutch ddonot have this kind of declension at all! No more need to remember der, des, dem, den, die, etc.