I find myself saying this a lot on this blog: you must, Must MUST get access to actual spoken and written Dutch if you want to take your Dutch language skills to the next level.\u00a0 I can’t emphasize this enough.\u00a0 I know that a lot of you might find this hard, especially if you live outside of a Dutch speaking country, so I’ve compiled a list of resources that you must, Must MUST start using.\u00a0 I think I’ve made my point clear on this issue.\u00a0 In this blog I am going to cover the most popular Dutch newspapers, and hopefully you’ll be able to find something to suit your own learning level.<\/p>\n
Newspapers<\/strong><\/p>\n Newspapers come in all shapes and sizes, and they are geared towards a specific audience.\u00a0 This list is ordered from easiest to hardest, so try to pick one just a slight step above your own level to push yourself further.<\/p>\n Metro:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.metronieuws.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n This newspaper is a free daily handed out at all train and metro stations, stands on the side of the road, and convenience stores.\u00a0 This paper is pretty mainstream and because it is meant to be read during a commute, it’s not particularly in depth.\u00a0 You’ll find information on the most major news items of the day, including some pop culture news, a daily crossword, etc.\u00a0 The paper is designed to be read by people from all levels of education, so it’s pretty straightforward.\u00a0 If you’re just starting out with learning Dutch, this is a great place to start by just trying to read the captions under the pictures.<\/p>\n Spits: http:\/\/www.spitsnieuws.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n The Spits is basically like the Metro, but a little more flashy and a little more exciting.\u00a0 I’m not sure I would call it more difficult to read than the Metro other than that I think the articles are a little bit longer, but for some reason I find my attention is held longer by this paper than by the Metro.\u00a0 If anyone else has any insight into why that might be, feel free to let me know in the comments!<\/p>\n Telegraaf:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.telegraaf.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n Telegraaf is what I would call the first level in serious newspapers.\u00a0 I might compare it to USA Today back home.\u00a0 It has a lot of pictures, tends to be a bit sensationalist, and covers a lot of pop-culture news.\u00a0 You’re as likely to find something on the front page about the latest celebrity gossip as you are the economic crisis.\u00a0 But to be honest, it is pretty fun to read, and a fantastic jumping off point.\u00a0 If you can read the articles in this newspaper, you are well on your way and deserve a pat on the back.\u00a0 Just because it’s a bit sensationalist doesn’t mean you didn’t come a long way to be able to read it.\u00a0 As far as I can tell, the Telegraaf is the most popular daily newspaper in the country, not just because it is sensationalist, but because it covers a wide variety of topics that everyone is interested in, from the economic crisis to who won the latest football match to what’s on the television tonight.<\/p>\n Het Parool:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.parool.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n Het Parool is one step above Telegraaf and is very focused in Amsterdam news.\u00a0 If you are reading this paper regularly, you are definitely at about an “end of high school” reading level and should congratulate yourself.\u00a0 This newspaper will go more in depth into the details of current issues than Telegraaf, has a few less pictures and celebrity gossip columns, and has a focus on events and happenings.\u00a0 It’s still fun to read but will push your vocabulary and grammar just that one step further.\u00a0 I wouldn’t call this academic or intellectual-type reading, but it is a good solid newspaper.<\/p>\n De Volkskrant:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.volkskrant.nl\/<\/a><\/p>\n De Volkskrant is where you start to get into the academic and university level reading.\u00a0 It’s not easy.\u00a0 This newspaper will go into the issues sometimes in great depth, and uses rather heady vocabulary to do so.\u00a0 If you can read this, you can probably read most Dutch and you can stick with this paper to improve your Dutch for a very long time.\u00a0 I like this paper a lot, although admittedly as I was learning Dutch I have been known to get mad and throw it across the room because it’s hard.\u00a0 But I’m also proof that if you stick with it, you will get there.\u00a0 And despite how well I can read, there is always room for improvement.\u00a0 This is a great paper to get you to the academic reading level.<\/p>\n