Apple = appel. Hello = hallo. Insurance = …verzekering?! Learning Dutch seems easy to start, but you’ve probably discovered that it’s not a piece of taart. 🍰
So what are your experiences of learning Dutch after moving to the Netherlands? We have good news: it’s time to share your voice — and have it really be heard.
Want us to sweeten the pot? Alright, here it is: you also have the chance to win an Amazon gift voucher just for taking 10 minutes to share your thoughts. Leuk!
Time to #ShareMyVoice on learning Dutch
Alright, here’s the lowdown: hundreds of thousands of people come from all over the world to work in the Netherlands. This is awesome for the Netherlands and its economy — so understanding these migrants’ experiences is vital.
That’s where you come in. ⚡️
In a brief survey, you’ll share your experiences on learning Dutch after moving to the Netherlands to work. You’ll cover things about whether you learned Dutch, the obstacles, the help you received, and more.
Your feedback will go straight to the Share My Voice research panel, run by Het Kenniscentrum Arbeidsmigranten. Then, the magical research machine will take your thoughts and turn them into real changes for internationals working in the Netherlands in the future.
Why should you take part?
We all know the struggles of moving to a whole new country that speaks a foreign language. There were plenty before us who did it, and there’ll be plenty more to come.
Now, the Netherlands is finally saying, “Hey, we’re listening.” That means your experiences are valuable and can truly change the landscape for future internationals.
Here are our top three reasons why you should take part:
- You can give your opinion on living in the Netherlands and have it heard 👂
- You have the chance to win an Amazon gift voucher and buy yourself a treat 🎁
- It takes less than 10 minutes (We tried and tested this ourselves!) ⏱️
Oh, and the best of all: you’ll contribute to improving the lives of internationals in the Netherlands. Warm fuzzy feelings all around!
How can you take part?
Alright, here’s the good stuff. You can take the survey here or by clicking the big button below.
It takes less than 10 minutes of your day, so you don’t even have to move to your comfy chair (but by all means, do).
You’ll answer questions like:
- What language do you normally use at work?
- How did you learn Dutch?
- Why do you want to learn Dutch?
- Is something currently preventing you from learning Dutch?
Oh, and a bonus: the survey is available in English, Polish, Bulgarian, Romanian, Spanish, Ukrainian — or even Dutch if you want to show off your language achievements. 🇳🇱
At the end, you’ll have a chance to enter your name and email address for the chance to win one of those Amazon gift vouchers. There are five €100 vouchers and 20 vouchers worth €25 to be won!
Who wants to know?
The survey is one in a series by Share My Voice, an initiative of Het Kenniscentrum Arbeidsmigranten. This independent foundation is dedicated to finding out more about expats in the Netherlands.
Previous surveys have covered working conditions, housing, integration into society, and ambitions. With the information, more is known about those who have moved to the Netherlands for work — and how they can be assisted.
That’s right: the information is used to make the Netherlands even more attractive to internationals, motivate people to make the move, and make internationals’ lives better while they’re here.
Apparently, being the fourth-best country for working abroad isn’t enough! It’s just awesome to know there are people looking out for us. 😎
Have you taken the survey? Tell us what you think in the comments below!
I grew up in the USA speaking Dutch at home and English elsewhere. I finally visited NL in my 40s and expected to communicate in Dutch but, not so much. My thuis geleert basic child level Dutch, in my parents’ Zeeland dialect called Steense, was useless. Literally everyone, except the elderly, spoke better English than I could speak Dutch. In Amsterdam no one understood me and orderred me to use English. To my relief, when I got to Gemeente Hulst, my dialect Dutch was understood by locals and I could converse a bit, although by then I hesitated to speak Dutch at all. In years since, I improved my skimpy Dutch but I can only follow normal Dutch conversation with difficulty. My difficulty as a buitenlander, even with a head start and proper Hollandse uitsprak, makes learning Dutch from scratch seem very challenging..