Dutch for semi-advanced students

I have been living in the Netherlands for 4 years and I wanted to speak the language for personal reasons but also for work purposes. A friend told me about the flexible lessons and that the focus of the lessons was on speaking Dutch in everyday life. That was exactly what I was looking for.

I had a great experience in all aspects. We had a good pace, with the group members at the same learning level. The book was clear and well structured, each time teaching a new and useful topic for everyday life. And the teacher patiently guided us during the lesson, was open to questions and asked for feedback. But what impressed me the most is how she listened to everyone and involved everyone, which made us feel comfortable making mistakes. What I found difficult in Dutch was the way the language is structured when you form a sentence. It is very different from the languages ​​I speak. However, after a while it makes sense to formulate the words in the Dutch way.

Sometimes Dutch is still difficult to speak, but that is a matter of time. I’ll to become more fluent in speaking. What I know for sure is that I am now more experienced in conversations that I did not understand before the lessons. I can also write a small essay when needed and communicate with my friends in Dutch. This makes me feel more involved in the Dutch culture and community, which is so important when you live and work in the country.

I started my Dutch lessons after living in the Netherlands for 6 months. I believe that knowing the language of the place where you live gives you an advantage. You can always communicate in English, but a skill like talking the native language creates more opportunities, not only in your daily life, but also in your professional career. I found the school through a Facebook group for Greeks in the Netherlands.

I believe that learning a new language and culture through your native language makes it easier to understand and it creates the right connections in your brain to fully understanding. At the same time, the opportunity to take online classes and learn something new, during this period with the uncertainty of the pandemic, helped my decision to choose Learn2speak Dutch. I had a great experience with Effie. The choice of book, the different homework exercises and the methods of learning Effie follows fit perfectly with my busy work schedule. Effie fully understands and contributes to the best learning experience. I totally recommend her. In the beginning, pronunciation and accent were quite difficult for me. But after a while and with the books we used, it got easier.

At the moment I can understand and read almost 70% now. I'm still not quite sure about speaking Dutch in my daily life, but this is my goal until the end of this year. At the moment I use Dutch in the administrative tasks of my life here in the Netherlands.

I wanted to learn Dutch because I have been living in the Netherlands for five years now. I wanted to speak the language in everyday life. I started the course because my employer wanted me to be able to use the language at work and to be able to consult colleagues or follow presentations in Dutch.

I found Effie through a Greek Facebook group where I asked for advice. Learn2speak Dutch was a smart option especially during Covid times as the course was online and I didn't have to travel anywhere else. It was also a fantastic opportunity to meet other Greeks.

The course was an amazing journey from A0 to B1 in a short period of just 1 year. The book was great with lots of grammar and words, as well as speaking, practice and everyday expressions. I often felt there was too much information and the pace was a little too fast, but Effie was always patient and helpful.

In the beginning I found speaking difficult but now I can have little conversations and I feel more confident talking to Dutch people.

Nowadays I mostly use Dutch at work with my Dutch colleagues, but also in everyday life whenever I have the chance. The whole experience gave me a feeling of being at home, no longer as an expat but as a true resident of the Netherlands.

I wanted to learn Dutch because I live in the Netherlands and I think Dutch is an interesting language. I found Learn2speak Dutch on Facebook and I chose them because the reviews were very good.

I found the lessons very structured and the book suited my level well. The teacher was the best Dutch teacher I've ever had. Effie was very helpful and friendly.

I think I now understand Dutch better. I can read a newspaper and I understand the lyrics. I try to use more Dutch with my colleagues and family.

I started the course because I wanted to learn Dutch, but mainly to find a job. I heard about this language school on a website (Super Greeks). They have very good reviews and the prices are very affordable.

I am very satisfied with the lessons and the teacher. The interaction between the teacher and me, but also with the other students, helped us a lot. At first I found the grammar and pronunciation difficult. I still do, but a little less. Now I understand much more.

I use Dutch every day and at work. Now I finally understand what the other people are saying, much more than I used to.

I wanted to learn Dutch because I wanted to better understand the language. I started learning Dutch because I moved to the Netherlands 2 years ago and I wanted to speak the language. I thought Effie was a really good teacher. I chose Learn2speak Dutch because I knew from my friend that it is a good Dutch course. My experience with the classes was very good and interesting. Nt2 course from this language school is a real help, the pace is balanced and the teacher is my favourite. In the beginning I found listening difficult but now it is easier. Now I can speak Dutch daily with my friends, I also use it at work. I understand Dutch better now, I speak and listen to this language really well.

I wanted to learn Dutch because my family lives in Amsterdam. So I started learning Dutch to understand what the Dutch say to me when I visit my family. I wanted to know more about this country and their way of life. I often visit the Netherlands. In the beginning I was looking for a language school in Greece but I couldn't find one. Then I found Learn2speak Dutch on the internet. I saw an add and called for information. That's how my online course started. At first I was hesitant because it was difficult and unprecedented for me. But once I started to understand some words and I started to make sentences, I really liked it. My teacher helped me a lot with the lessons. Now I can understand very well what I read. I still have a hard time speaking but I believe I’ll improve pretty soon.

I am an architect and I started learning Dutch because I wanted to understand the culture. I also started a company in the Netherlands, so I wanted to be able to communicate with customers and understand the Dutch laws. I found this language school through a Facebook event when I was looking for online courses. I chose Learn2speak Dutch because I was looking for a Greek teacher, I thought I would learn the language faster because I'm Greek too. I also liked Effie's approach when she explained everything in the Facebook event. I absolutely loved everything.

The lessons and the workload were evenly distributed and I liked that we were a team trying to help each other get better. The teacher helped a lot to keep the team going and pushed us to reach all the milestones. The book was also good with different kinds of exercises and enough information. In the beginning I found it difficult to make complete sentences, but during the course I got better at it.

I think I can now respond more easily and quickly to a question or when someone is talking to me. I try to use the language every day. I sometimes speak to clients in Dutch and I speak very often with my colleagues at work. I understand most conversations in a meeting and I can read some documents or a newspaper.

I started learning Dutch because I live in the Netherlands and I think it might help me to find a job. I also wanted to integrate into Dutch society and make Dutch friends. Coincidentally, I saw a post on Facebook while I was looking for online Dutch courses.

I took a first course and I liked the teacher and the way of teaching. I really liked the lesson itself. The book explained everything and it was well structured. During the course we were able to practice with all the information from the book. The teacher helped us with everything and she didn't stop at the information from the book but she always wanted to provide us with more knowledge. The purpose of the lesson was to learn Dutch, to be able to speak the language in real life. We, the classmates and the teacher, were a team. We supported each other. During the course I gained more confidence to apply my knowledge and to speak Dutch.

Where in the beginning it was difficult to formulate sentences, I think I conquered this, I also try to respond faster. I try to speak Dutch with friends and in everyday life, e.g. on the market.

I wanted to learn Dutch because I have been living and working in the Netherlands since 2017. I wanted to be able to read books and watch movies in Dutch, as well as better understand the culture of the country. In the beginning I tried to learn Dutch on my own, but I quickly lost my motivation. Last year around September, I saw an add on a Facebook group about a trial lesson online, and I decided to give it a go. I really liked the teacher and the atmosphere in the class so I signed up for the A1 classes without hesitation. I haven't stopped since. Now, almost a year later, I will soon finish B1 level and move on to B2.

My experience with the classes is really great! Effie Alexiadou, the teacher, is not only very good at her job, but also a very nice, patient and smart person, which, in my opinion, is very important in any learning process. The pace is very good, we learned a lot of new things in a short time, but without feeling stressed or pressured. The online group is small, so after a while we all got to know each other and felt comfortable, so for me the class was more like a get-together with friends and less of an obligation. Another thing I really liked was that Effie made us feel like we could ask her anything, there are no stupid questions, so we weren't afraid to make mistakes. The books are also an excellent choice, they explain the grammar rules in a clear and precise way and they contain useful everyday vocabulary.

In the beginning, the hardest thing for me was to speak Dutch outside of class, in everyday life, I didn't have the necessary self-confidence. But with the lessons I find this easier and I am now less shy to speak Dutch! I started reading simple books in Dutch and also I can read the news on social media in Dutch which is very cool and useful! I have realized that learning Dutch is not that difficult and can even be a really fun process, if you use an effective method and you have the right teacher!

I can without a doubt recommend Learn2speak Dutch and Effie to anyone who wants to learn Dutch!

Hi! My name is Angelos Iroidis, I am 25 years old and I am from Greece. I have been living in Utrecht since September 2020. I came here because I started as a Master student at Utrecht University. I wanted to learn Dutch because I would like to find a job in the Netherlands or in Belgium after my Master's. Moreover, learning Dutch is useful and practical for my life here in the Netherlands.

On Facebook I found Learn2speak Dutch after questions about a good school for Dutch lessons. In the end I chose Learn2speak Dutch because the courses are affordable. Secondly, we have classes for 2 hours a week and finally you can quickly go to the next level.

The book is good with nice pictures and a good structure for the new things like the grammar, the exercises, the words and so on. We also have access to the online material of the book where we can log in with our email and password. I think it is very important to be able to find all texts and exercises for listening and answers online on the website of the book. The pace is good; 2 hours a week is enough for each lesson. You still get enough time for your homework until the next lesson starts. I also like our teacher. As a group we are lucky because she is Greek so she first explains everything in Greek and then in Dutch. We always talk about our questions. She is nice and she understands that sometimes a student does not do his homework because his program is very busy with studies or anything else.

I think the structure of this language was a bit difficult in the beginning because it is very different from English or French for example. Now I understand better and I make fewer mistakes. It is also still difficult for me to understand, but I’ll become a winner with practice.

Finally, my level is now better than my level at the beginning of the lessons. I use Dutch as much as possible. Every day in the supermarket, in the shops, in the lab with my fellow students, etc. I also follow the news on online apps or I watch Dutch or Flemish videos on YouTube.

PS: Writing this text is the result after almost one year! Thank you Effie, Thank you Learn2speak Dutch!