Archive by Author
Pronouncing the R in Dutch Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Mar 14, 2017
The R is by far the most interesting letter in Dutch pronunciation. It can be pronounced with a tap of the tip of the tongue, a contortion of the middle of the tongue, a gurgle from the throat, or any of a handful of other ways. Sometimes it sounds like a rolled Spanish r, sometimes…
Dutch Children’s Books for Bookwormish Beginners Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Jan 31, 2017
Have a healthy appetite for reading, but your language skills aren’t quite ready for the great works of Dutch literature yet? Try starting slow with children’s books. Dutch literature has a rich and long-running tradition, despite the fact that it’s usually quite underappreciated in the English-speaking world. But for beginner and intermediate Dutch learners, the pearls of the Dutch…
9 Dutch Phrases that Illustrate Work Culture in the Netherlands Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Dec 29, 2016
One of the biggest perks of learning a smaller language like Dutch is opening the door to moving to and working in the country where the language is spoken. In the case of Dutch, the Netherlands’ work culture is reason enough to start studying. Work culture in the Netherlands is different than in the US…
Dutch Literature for Language Learners: 8 Books to Add to Your Reading List Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Nov 8, 2016
Reading is one of the best ways to strengthen your language skills by learning new vocabulary in context and engaging thoughtfully with new ideas in a foreign language. When it comes to providing page-turners that build your vocabulary and deepen your cultural insights, Dutch literature doesn’t disappoint. Whether it’s a comic book, a Wikipedia page, or the…
Moving to the Netherlands: Your Dutch Immigration Vocabulary Checklist Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Aug 30, 2016
As if there aren’t enough good reasons for moving to the Netherlands anyways, Dutch language learners have the extra motivation of getting the complete linguistic and cultural immersion that can only be truly achieved by moving to another country. Many readers of this blog may be planning a future move to the Netherlands, and rightly so…
The EU, de Globalisering, and the Dutch Language Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Jul 19, 2016
The summer is off to a shaky start for the European project. For the 27 remaining member states, it’s not only politics and public life that stands to change, but also language, languages, and the balance between them. In the midst of it all, the Netherlands and the Dutch language have front row seats, right in the…
4 Ways to Get Dutch People to Actually Speak Dutch with You Posted by Jakob Gibbons on May 31, 2016
Every Dutch learner learns this real fast: the hardest thing about learning Dutch is getting Dutch speakers to speak Dutch with you. Welcome to the linguistic conundrum that is Northern Europe, those wealthy countries along the North Sea where English fluency is upward of 90% and people tend to automatically speak English to foreigners. I…