One of the plagues of learning Dutch is rehearsing something in your head, working up the nerve to say it — and being met with the inevitable response in English.
We get that the Dutch speak great English and are just trying to simplify communication. But seriously: how are we meant to learn Dutch if we never get a chance to speak it?
Well readers, boy do I have a solution for you. A new app has launched that lets you practise your Dutch skills and talk as much as you like.
Meet PraatMet: the app that mimics a normal Dutch conversation
Picture this: an app asks you how you feel today. You respond. The app responds. You respond back! It’s a whole conversation! In your new language!
Say hello to PraatMet, the new app to learn Dutch that harnesses the power of AI to give you a Dutch conversation partner in your pocket.
And best of all? There’s no social pressure if you forget a word or mess up your sentence structure. The app is there to understand and help out.
Conversations that mimic real life
Want to practise inviting someone for coffee? Ordering at a restaurant? Buying groceries at a supermarket? PraatMet is loaded with real conversations you’ll experience in your day-to-day Dutch life.
From healthcare, to housing, to transport and emergencies, PraatMet is ready to let you practise those conversations again and again.
Prefer to go with the flow instead? Dat kan! The Free Conversation option lets you talk about whatever is on your mind, whether it’s your job or how your housemate forgot to feed his goldfish again.
Get instant feedback
So you can speak — but will you improve? Natuurlijk! At the end of each conversation is a full report of your conversation.
In the Feedback section, you’ll see a score and a quick overview in English of what you did well. You’ll also receive areas to work on: my initial conversation picked up that I used “baan” when “werk” was a more natural word, that I missed a bijzin, and that I didn’t use the plural form of gids.
I found it especially useful that the areas to work on were given alongside real examples from my conversation, so I could see exactly where I had to improve.
There is also a full transcript of the conversation available, so if I didn’t know a word the AI said, I could go back and check it later.
AI that listens AND adapts
But say you’ve only just started your Dutch learning journey? Or you’re basically fluent but want to practise your business Dutch?
Well that’s the power of AI, baby. The app carefully listens and analyses your speaking patterns and word choices and will automatically slow down, speed up, and change the level of Dutch used to make sure you’re being challenged — but not so challenged you want to throw your phone at a wall.
Whether you’re A1 or C2, PraatMet will find a level that you can work with. The goal isn’t to replace Dutch classes, but support them by giving you the regular conversation practice you need.
Use PraatMet free!
If you’re living in the Netherlands, you’ve probably taken on a few Dutch characteristics by now — so you’ll love knowing that you can use PraatMet absolutely free.
The free version comes with ten minutes of conversation per month. Want more? Upgrade to 200 minutes for as little as €5 a month when taking an annual contract.
Have you tried PraatMet? Share your experience in the comments below!
Anything that only works on an iphone is trash, especially in the Netherlands.
Hi Bob, android version is in development, should be out in the next week.