You're new living in the Netherlands, and you see dutch everywhere.
You’ve dodged your fair share of rainstorms, learned that a broodje kaas is more than just a sandwich, and maybe even figured out the unspoken rules of Dutch birthday circles. But what’s it really like when you swap your english for a newly learned dutch skill?
At Brave Ones, we partnered with an Piece of Dutch to help our international community feel more at home in the Netherlands. On this second chapter, we will be telling the story of Kristo, a greek student who moved to the Netherlands and found his work opportunity through Brave Ones.
In his own words:
Hallo, ik ben Kristo. I have been living in Nijmegen almost four years now and recently I decided to learn Dutch, a decision long postponed. I took the decision to learn Dutch because I can see myself living here in the future and although most of the people (if not all) speak English, learning Dutch has its own perks. It is easier to find a job related to your degree by knowing the language, people appreciate the effort to learn their language and overall it helps you blend in with the locals. Hopefully, my experience will motivate some people to learn Dutch, so let’s dig in.
At first, I wasn’t sure if learning online would work for me. I thought I needed a teacher in a classroom. But after starting the course, I was surprised. There was the flexibility to do the course from the convenience of my home. The lessons were clear and interesting. There were videos, games, exercises, and short tests. Also, the group was small which makes it easier to enjoy the course and learn. That was a nice plot twist for me, because I was really concerned about learning from an online course.
But enough with the technicalities. Let’s talk about the actual experience. I do not consider Dutch an easy language especially because the pronunciation and the sound of it is so much different from the sounds I am used to. So when I started this course I did not have many expectations, I was just hoping to learn a few words and find the motivation to keep going. During the courses peaking was the hardest part. Reading and writing were easier because I could take my time. But speaking needs practice. I was nervous at first. I didn’t want to make mistakes but eventually that’s how you learn. By the end of the course I was pleasantly surprised because I could speak een beetje Dutch. I could form sentences and even have small conversation about a few topics. I could ask my colleagues where they live, what are their hobby's, what did they do during the weekend and a bunch of other stuff ( I know, it doesn’t sound exciting but it feels like a small accomplishment towards the task to “conquest” the Dutch language). And all of that took place in a small and friendly environment.
We were four students overall and Debbie, our teacher. Even though the classes were not face-to-face, she made us feel welcome and supported. It felt more like people hanging out rather than an online course. We had fun trying to pronounce words and doing little quizzes. Debbie also taught us about the Dutch culture and holidays. At some point she also sang a song for us so we can memorize some words (honestly, she could pursuit a career in singing).
If I was asked to summarize my experience I would say it was fun, constructive and very enjoyable. I am glad that I participated to that online group, learn with those people, laugh and having fun. Despite that it was an online course it surely didn’t feel like it and for that I want to thank my fellow classmates and of course Debbie for that nice experience.
