r/learndutch • u/roachisburnt • 3d ago
Question Tips on learning Dutch?
Any tips on learning Dutch? what apps or books do I need to buy to actually become fluent and learn the language properly?
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u/Medium_Sentence3917 2d ago
Watch goede tijde slechte tijde. Its awful. But day after day it will help.
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u/mister-sushi Intermediate 2d ago
By "fluent," you most likely mean B2 on the CEFR scale. It's somewhat debatable, but many consider B2 the start of fluency, so let's keep B2 as your target.
Reaching B2 takes about 700 to 1500 hours of study and practice. That's a wide range, and it depends on many factors, such as the languages you already speak, your memory capacity, your ability to recognize and recreate language patterns, and your overall intelligence. If you are already fluent in English, remember things quickly, and can easily spot and recreate language patterns, that's 700 hours.
The strategy is:
Get to A2 by any means. Most language-learning apps and courses can get you there in about 200 hours of study. You will learn the basics of grammar and get your first 1500 words. Most apps and courses focus on bringing people from A0 to A2. Choose a well-regarded learning method and stick with it for 200 hours.
After A2 is reached, you have to keep studying, but also add practice to the mix - reading, listening, writing, speaking - those activities. Most people hope to reach B2 with only courses and apps and avoid practice; this mistake costs them years stuck at A2. Don't make this mistake, and start replacing your everyday content with Dutch content.
And again, the road to B2 takes hundreds (sometimes thousands) of hours, and it's not about the perfect book, app, or tool. It's about showing up daily and challenging yourself.