Hi. Newby here. I had all of 3 weeks notice before coming over to the Netherlands, which means I no speaky Dutch very at all. Well, not totally true. I know lekker and bedankt and houden. That's about it. I've been here all of 2 weeks now. Desparately trying to learn using an online translation program. Lukily every single clerk I've dealt with spoke English at the computer store, shoe shop and Albert Hein. Gas station not so much, but I just hand over the credit card and press the green button.

Anyhoo, does anyone know of a quickie way to learn Dutch? Either online or some sort of class. Just enough to get around, and just enough so that the natives will take pity and switch to English.

Thanks.

hey clogboy...sorry, but there are no easy ways to learn any language...i've been here 7 yrs (coming from montreal) and am pretty fluent now in dutch...but man, it didn't happen overnight!...i'd suggest taking a beginner's course at a local uni or college and then going out there and using it...even if someone speaks back to you in english..keep plodding through. watch dutch TV, read the newspapers (i like the free ones like spits, etc..)
good luck!

Welcome to the land of cheese and windmills!!!

If you want to learn the language beter buy a book or much better take an intensive dutch course if you really want to speak it fluently. Otherwise you can always rely on google or the dutch website www.startpagina.nl and browse. Goodluck!

Mylene

I was talking to this guy representing the Dutch classes at the University of Amsterdam last week...I was researching Dutch classes for my 21-year-old son arriving here in May for a year (maybe longer if he decides to go to uni here)...He said that two 6-week sessions of their intensive, 5-day-a-week classes should make a young person pretty well conversationally fluent.

Not cheap...about €650 a session...but if you have the money and three months to commit, it might be worth it...

http://www.hum.uva.nl/intt/home.cfm

Well, if he decides to stay for uni that €650 truns into €195 as a student.

To the OP, you can also try http://www.learndutch.com where they are €420 for an 8 1/2 week session of two evenings a week.

Like everyone else said, take a language course.



What, then, is the point of going somewhere new if you want everyone to speak your language? Travel and living abroad is about expanding yourself and learning about others, not impose yourself and your culture on your hosts. Ever hear the expression 'When in Rome, do as the Romans'? Maybe you should have gone to England instead. And while we're on the subject of politeness ...



Look, I know you come from Canada, where waitresses in a 100-dollar-a-plate restaurant call the patrons 'guys' and then have the audacity to expect a tip for it, and where call centre agents who've never met you in person call you by your given name, but this the Netherlands, and the Dutch language is like French in that there are forms of politeness in the language. Which means they should definitely be used, until you're told it's not necessary by the person to whom you're speaking. 'Bedankt' is considered casual, and should be reserved for friends or closer acquaintances. 'Dank U wel' is polite, and shows good manners. Doesn't matter whether if it's at the pub or at a job interview. 'Bedankt' to someone you don't know just makes you look like a chav.