Learn to Speak Dutch

More than 20 million people speak Dutch as their native language. It is the official language of the Netherlands and its overseas territories, and is one of the official languages of Belgium, Suriname, and the European Union. Dutch speakers can also communicate with over 5 million speakers of Afrikaans, a daughter language of Dutch, spoken in South Africa and Namibia. The once powerful and colonizing power of the Netherlands gave rise to the language and although the Netherlands may no longer be considered a major world power, the influence of Dutch traders spread the language to various parts of the world.

Dutch is a West Germanic language, which also includes English and German. Because of similarity with English, Dutch is actually one of the easier languages for native English speakers to learn. Dutch pronunciation and spelling also follows logical patterns and the language has strict rules concerning the position of verbs, subjects and objects. Dutch is also a stress language, meaning which sounds of word are stressed effects the meaning. Dutch devoices all consonants at the end of words (for example, a "d" becomes pronounced like a "t", which can present a problem for English speakers trying to learn the language and vice versa. However, the similar structure of English and Dutch make it one of the easier language for native English speakers to learn.

There are a variety of ways to learn Dutch. While it may be sometimes difficult to find a community college or private institution that offers courses in Dutch, a great way to start the language learning process is by purchasing a program like Rosetta Stone, which can jumpstart the learning process by teaching you basic Dutch pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. Another option is to hire a private tutor, who may be able to sit down and not only teach you the basics of reading and writing in Dutch, but also basic conversational skills. Of course the best way to learn Dutch is with total immersion in the language. However, while about 20 million people do speak the language worldwide, Dutch speakers (especially from the Netherlands) tend to speak excellent, if not perfect) English. Especially in tourist centers like Amsterdam, English speakers will find as many signs in English and English speaking people as in their own language, making total immersion sometimes very difficult.