Five signs that it’s time for you to learn Dutch
#MentalHealth
- You have started to find the small talk of Dutch people around you interesting. From the supermarket to the optician in your neighborhood. From the courier to the waiter. You are constantly missing out on the opportunity to exchange a few words with the locals who regularly share a joke and spread their smiles.
- You miss watching a live theatrical show or a cultural show. You live here in the Netherlands, but you don’t feel a part of the country yet. You feel excluded from cultural events and you lose the joy and benefits from attending one. You would have learned new things and we all know that this country is a source of opportunities.
- You find yourself all the time amidst Dutch speaking groups and you feel it’s a shame that you can’t communicate with them, apart from using English. Sometimes you feel uncomfortable that so many years have passed and you haven’t learned the language. Other times, it’s up for the group to decide whether to speak in English or to exclude you from the conversation, as simple as that.
- You have a child that goes to school and soon enough it will speak the language as a native speaker. Yes, and this child will correct your speaking and leave you stunned because you can’t speak Dutch nor communicate with your child’s friends and teachers.
- You are missing out on business opportunities because you don’t speak Dutch. Some positions are reserved for the natives, indeed, but you can definitely fight for some of them and they are only a B2 level in Dutch away from you.
If these thoughts have crossed your mind, then yes, the time for you to learn Dutch has arrived.
