10+2 good reasons to learn Dutch

 

Living in the Netherlands you can actually decide not to learn any Dutch: here everyone speaks quite good English.

Even when you do your grocery it is very common to find someone that would gently answer to your “Sorry I don’t speak Dutch; do you speak English?” with “yes a little bit”. And their “little bit” is better than any average English spoken in Italy.

Even Dutch people are not encouraging to learn Dutch. Some of them would ask “why would you bother??”

Despite that, some of us decided to take some Dutch lessons.

Is definitely not an easy language; and probably not the most musical one.

We anyway think that learning a new language is more than only learning few new words.

And here are our 10+2 good reasons to learn Dutch.

1)      It is a way to better understand the culture and the way of thinking of the population that for a certain period is hosting you.

2)      It is a way to get more integrated: it can help feeling “a part”, rather than “apart”, slightly reducing the feeling of no belonging that expats may sometimes have.

3)      If you want to meet people here, it is always nice to start the conversation with some local words. Then of course it would take some time before you can actually properly continue the conversation….but this could be a good excuse to continue talking even if in another language.

4)      And despite the will always deny it is useful, Dutch people will appreciate the effort you are making to learn their language. And as soon as you will show some wiliness to learn, they will immediately help to practice and learn new words.

5)      Learning new things, facing new linguistic obstacles, it is a safe way to get out from your comfort zone, without too many risks. It can become a sort of gym to get trained to face more difficult situation in your life.

6)      If you are here to find a new job Dutch would definitely help, and it will be anyway good for your CV.

7)      Even if people in the streets speak English, majority of the documents you receive via mail are in Dutch. It would be better to understand what they are asking you when is the moment you need to pay your taxes, or your water bill.

8)      When the man cleaning the windows of your house is coming.

9)    Learning a new language make you feel younger: you feel like going back to school time, when you had not time to study and the teacher was looking at you like you were really behaving badly 

10) When your sons will start speaking Dutch before you, even if they go to an English school.

11)  If you find the right people joining you in the adventure of learning the new language… it could be good fun!.

12)  And… you never know how long you will remain in this country….

Tot ziens!