Sure, in the short term, you can get around alright by just speaking English in the Netherlands. But once you’ve stayed in this wonderfully flat, rainy land for more than a couple of weeks, you’ll inevitably get an unsettling feeling of missing out. That’s when it’s time to learn Dutch!
There’s a scary urban myth living among internationals in the Netherlands that’s trolling people into thinking that Dutch is a terribly difficult language to learn.
In fact, the opposite is true if you know how to learn it efficiently. The Dutch Brainwash course at Talencoach is here to bust the myth and help you seriously level up your Dutch skills — fast. Let’s talk about it. 👇
The perfect way to learn Dutch? Get brainwashed!
The Dutch Brainwash course is nothing like your average language class. The one-week-long, intensive, and highly effective classes are centrally located in Amsterdam, and open to anyone interested in boosting their Dutch skills fast.
With a conscious focus on learning the mechanics and dynamics of the language rather than mere memorisation of vocabulary and grammar, the Dutch Brainwash course is designed to give your journey to complete Dutchness a fun twist.
Start with Dutch that you’ll actually use
You’ll learn to speak Dutch the way Dutch people actually talk rather than meaningless textbook phrases and statements. You’ll learn to express yourself, crack jokes, and show your personality — not just order een biertje, alstublieft (one beer, please).
Immerse yourself in more than just the language
The Dutch Brainwash course is centred around the people attending, not necessarily a certain amount of textbook chapters.
Where some language classes teach you to fill out your gemeente (municipality) forms to schedule your BSN appointment, Talencoach wants you to obtain language skills you can use for the rest of your life.
If you’ve (somehow) never had a stroopwafel (syrup waffle) before, your Brainwash tutor, Albert, will ensure you do — and teach you the proper way of asking for one.
If you struggle to keep a conversation going with your Dutch in-laws, Talencoach will give you a crash course in Nederlandse dinner party customs and even teach you to say het is tijd om te gaan (it’s time to leave) while you’re at it.
The course will definitely get you hyped about Dutch culture. From windmills and tulips to bitterballen and borrelen — you’ll sign up for it all.
Choose to learn about the topics you’re interested in
But it’s not all about Dutch stuff. You also get to talk about what interests you the most, be it the World Cup, pancakes, or Pride and Prejudice.
How cool would it be to be able to explain, discuss, and learn more about your favourite topics, all in Dutch?
Instead of learning to say basic (and let’s face it, boring) things, like de pannenkoek is plat (the pancake is flat), you can learn to describe how much your grandmother’s famous pannenkoeken recept (pancake recipe) means to you instead!
The topic-based, creative, and personalised technique used in the course will make you an expert at speaking Dutch about the things that matter to you.
Enjoy a warm and positive group energy
Have you ever done a language class and felt like you didn’t really get to know anyone? Yeah, we know the feeling. Learning a new language can sometimes feel like it’s a solo sport when in reality, it can be one of the most social things you do as a Dutch novice.
At Talencoach, you’ll all sit around a table together and focus on getting to know each other in Dutch. There will be no classroom-style row of desks, no headphones and no silent booths.
The combination of small class sizes and the interesting and unique topics of conversation makes for great learning outcomes as well as great personal connections.
In other words: the approach used at the Dutch Brainwash course has positive vibes written all over it, and you’re bound to leave class with a bunch of new friends.
How the Dutch brainwash will help you learn, also outside the classroom
The Dutch Brainwash course is only seven days long, which is great if you’re down for a quick, intense immersion into Dutchness. But what’s also great about the Talencoach approach is that with the above techniques, you’ll lay the foundation for even more learning after the course ends.
The Dutch Brainwash classes will also stay with you for a long time because of the people you’ll meet and the connections you’ll make.
No matter how diverse the crowd is in your Brainwash class, you’re very much in the same boat: you’re all trying your best to improve your Dutch. It goes without saying that you’re guaranteed to meet a bunch of new friends you can practise your Dutch with in the future!
Sign me up!
Ready to be able to speak about more in Dutch than just the (bad) weather? Yeah, same here. So why not go for it? There are plenty of seven-day Dutch Brainwash courses coming up this year.
They start at 10 AM (so you’ll have time to grab a coffee and some pepernoten on your commute to or within Amsterdam), and end just before 5 PM (so you’ll easily be home in time for your stamppot dinner).
How is your Dutch language journey going? Tell us in the comments below!