Top tips

1. Speak Dutch as much as possible

• If people speak English to you, be very clear and say that you really only want to speak Dutch, because you want to improve your Dutch. Or even better: Say (in Dutch) that you don't speak English.

• Take every chance to have a chat in Dutch: greet your neighbours on the street and chat with the cashier in the supermarket.

• Make a short audio recording or video recording every day in which you tell something about, for example, a news topic, or something you have read, something you have seen on television, something that interests you. Listen back, and write down the points you want to improve.

• Every day, tell yourself out loud something that happened to you that day. Try to be as detailed as possible, because that way you'll notice which words you don't know yet. Look up those words and tell the story to yourself again. If you want, you can also make an audio recording of it, or type it out as you tell the story. Voice Typing

2. For everyday life

• Set the settings on your phone and on your computer to the Dutch language.

• Change the language on Google Maps or on your GPS to Dutch.

• Also put your Google Assistant, Siri or Alexa in Dutch.

• Write your shopping list and your to-do list from now on only in Dutch.

• Write in a journal for five minutes every day - it may seem strange, but it is so effective! It is of course fine to use the help of Google Translate here: after all, you want to learn a new word every day. The advantage of keeping a journal in your new language is that you learn words that are directly linked to your own life, and so you will probably use it more often.

• Read a newspaper or a news website every day, for example on NOS Nieuws.

• View the daily weather forecast on a Dutch website, e.g. weeronline

• If you like to cook, read the recipes in Dutch.

• Read books from genres relevant to you. If you want to expand your vocabulary, read your favourite books or at least favourite genres in Dutch. Don't look up every word you don't understand, but see if you can read on by following the context. This website features interesting excerpts from popular books, rewritten in simple words: Simple language.

Also, read well-known novels,   rewritten in simple Dutch.    

3. Entertainment

• Language Reactor is a Chrome extension that allows you to add subtitles in two languages ​​to Netflix and YouTube. It seems like a fantastic extension to improve your Dutch quickly and in a really fun way. Watch this instruction video and this instruction to Language Reactor as well. A good article: How to use Language    Reactor

• Also nice: Use the site and/or app Lyrics Training to quickly improve your Dutch with songs! Check this instruction video

• Dutch films / series / Netflix / podcasts and audiobooks

   TV, YouTube and more online:    

Ik Vertrek

Daily Dutch conversations 

Dertigers

   Oogappels 

Papadag 

Hello Goodbye

Het Roer Om

NOS Jeugdjournaal

Ik durf het bijna niet te vragen

NOS Journaal 

Het Klokhuis 

Schooltv

    Films: 

    Films

    Film in de klas

    Podcasts:

    Zeg het in het Nederlands 

    PodNL: Echt Gebeurd 

    5NL: 5-minuten Nederlands 

    Lang verhaal kort 

    Plots 

    Fluiten in het donker 

    de Blankenbergen tapes