Category: Dutch as a second language

Language training during the onboarding of expats is one of the most effective investments an HR professional can make, and one of the most underestimated. You found the best candidate. International talent, strong CV, enthusiastic during the interview. The first day goes well. And yet, a few months later, something...

Your organisation is growing internationally. New colleagues from abroad start full of motivation, but quickly run into an unexpected barrier: the language. Not just at work, but also in informal conversations at the coffee machine, in the hallways and during meetings that drift into Dutch. Language is the silent factor...

Your organisation is growing internationally. New colleagues from abroad start full of motivation, but quickly run into an unexpected barrier: the language. Not just at work, but also in informal conversations at the coffee machine, in the hallways and during meetings that drift into Dutch. Language is the silent factor...

Thinking of moving to the Netherlands? Many people might say “you don’t need to learn Dutch”, but there are varying requirements to meet depending on whether you need a visa, a residence permit, or citizenship. We’ll clear that up. Do you need to speak Dutch to live in the Netherlands?...

When you arrive in the Netherlands as an expat, you’ll probably run into a few cultural differences. It takes some time to adjust to your new situation of working and living in a new environment, but we’re here to help! Together with our trainers and consultants we’ve created this whitepaper...

Whether you are coming to the Netherlands for a short time, e.g. to work or to study, or planning to stay for longer, you’re definitely going to be meeting lots of new people. At work, university, the gym or in the bar. It’s handy to know the Dutch way of...

If I could count the number of times I have wished for more hours in a day to do the things I always procrastinate, I would be a millionaire in quarantine with a list of chores. We are amid a radical change in how we work, study and manage our...

“Today we’re going to talk about everyone’s favourite word.” If I start my lesson with these words, most students know what’s coming. “Does anyone happen to know what that word is?” The response to this question is usually nervous shuffling, eye-rolling and deep sighs, but eventually someone always says “er…”....

What does mastering a language actually involve? Chances are that on reading that question you’re thinking about correct use of grammar and an extensive vocabulary. That’s certainly true, words and grammar rules are the building blocks of language, but to master a language you also need to be able to...

Are you learning Dutch? Do you find yourself confused or amused in the Netherlands or Belgium? Are you trying to puzzle it out by communicating with other expats who know a thing or two about hagelslag? Have no fear, it’s not just you! Dutch is even stranger than you thought....