Welcome!

Information about the course

If you want more information on the course, here are a few pages that may give you that.

The lessons

If you want to jump right in and start learning: there are three types of lessons:

1. Main lessons concentrate mostly on conversations to introduce grammar
2. Practice lessons concentrate mostly on practicing grammar, vocabulary building, listening, quizzes
3. Cultural lessons teach language the fun way. Songs, stories, poems, videos etc.

There are three levels, each consisting of two cycles of four lessons each.

Special lessons

This course is mostly based on (northern) standard Dutch, but it will at times go into the differences with other varieties. There are two special lessons that consider the relationship of northern standard Dutch with Afrikaans and Flemish

• Afrikaans — Comparison with Afrikaans, the language of South Africa and Namibia, and derived from Dutch.

Until 1928 it was seen as the same language as Dutch. Then both Dutch and Afrikaans became official languages of South Africa. Dutch ceased to have that role in 1961.

Afrikaans has its own wikibook, if you wish to learn it.

• Vlaams — Flemish is a special case, not a language and not a dialect. It is commonly spoken in Flanders but has no official status or something comparable.

Appendix

• Een — Het alfabet ~ Dutch alphabet and Pronunciation Guide
• Twee – Zinnenboek ~ Common phrases in Dutch (Book of Sentences)
• Drie – Pronouns
• Vier – Websites
• Vijf – Hoe laat is het? ~ Asking the time
• Zes – Handig - Handy links - Newspapers in Dutch (& Afrikaans)

Under construction

For children