Sometimes I think the secret to learning a language isn’t hidden in books, but in walls, tables, and kitchen cabinets. You don’t need a classroom to learn Dutch. Your home is already perfect for it. Free, close by, and full of opportunities you’ve simply overlooked.
Put Language Everywhere
Stick words and sentences on everything that doesn’t move (and maybe even on things that do, if you dare).
On the door: de deur gaat open
On the table: de tafel is groot
On the fridge: in de koelkast ligt melk
You see them, you read them, you remember them. It’s that simple. And if you like color: yellow for nouns, blue for verbs, green for adjectives. A rainbow of grammar. You might think it’s childish, until you realize you’ve started thinking in Dutch while making a sandwich.
Listen While You Live
Learning a language isn’t always about sitting down with a book. Sometimes it’s just listening while you go about your day.
While cooking, cleaning, or cycling to work. Radio 1, NPO Start, or a podcast on BNR, or Dutch YouTube channels (they speak slowly, which is exactly what you need right now).
Don’t understand everything? Perfect. Nobody expects you to. Listening without pressure is how children learn and they seem to manage just fine.
Watch TV with Subtitles
It sounds too easy to be true, but: turn on Dutch subtitles when watching Dutch TV. That way you hear and read at the same time. Programs like Het Klokhuis, Nieuwsbegrip TV, Lubach, or NOS Jeugdjournaal are clear, human, and often funny too. Pause now and then, repeat a sentence out loud, laugh at how it sounds. You’ll notice the sounds start to feel like yours.
Speak Out Loud, Even When No One’s Listening
“Ik maak koffie.”
“Ik ga nu werken.”
“Ik heb geen zin om te koken.”
Sounds silly? Maybe. Does it work? Absolutely.
You’re training your mouth, your brain, your courage. The more you say it, the less strange it feels. And before you know it, you’re talking Dutch to your coffee machine (and at least that one doesn’t talk back).
Look at Yourself
The mirror is more honest than Google Translate. Stand in front of it, say ui, eu, sch, and watch how your mouth moves. Exaggerate a little. Pretend you’re an actor auditioning for the role of “Confident Dutch Person.” Record yourself. Laugh. Repeat.
Create Your Own Dictionary
A small notebook, a notes app, a pile of sticky notes, it doesn’t matter. Write down five new words every day. Not just the word, but also a sentence, a context, a feeling.
gezellig – “We eten samen, het is gezellig.” – nice, cozy, friendly.
Your brain loves stories, not lists.
Build a Routine
Language doesn’t grow from one day of studying, but from a hundred small moments. Pick a fixed time: after breakfast, before bed, while doing the dishes. Set a timer. Do it. Small habits make big progress.
Your home is your studio, your day is your lesson, your voice is your instrument.
Next in this series: how to practice with others for free in language cafés, meet-ups, and community centers.
And if it’s hard to do it alone? You’re welcome at Lingua Academy for a free hybrid trial lesson — a mix of online learning and real classroom interaction.
You can join from home through live video sessions, or come to our school in Rotterdam. You’ll practice with real teachers and classmates, wherever you are.
Visit www.lingua-academy.nl
Remember: you don’t learn a language by waiting until you’re ready, you learn it by simply starting.
