A Tip for Learning the Local Lingo

Many years ago, when I first moved to the Netherlands, I received a telephone call from the sales department of de Volkskrant, a leading Dutch national newspaper.

I explained to him in English that my Dutch was non-existent so subscribing to the delivery of a daily newspaper in a language I did not yet speak seemed a waste of my husband's hard earned Dutch guilders (I was also job hunting at that point).

He replied, in English, that it would be good for my Dutch if I read the Volkskrant daily. He had a valid point.

It didn't work as a sales push, but it is certainly good advice for those wanting to master the Dutch language. Reading newspapers and magazines in the local lingo will certainly help immerse you in the native language. Reading a language is far easier than listening and understanding, so an excellent technique to build up some vocabulary, as well as keep abreast of things going on in your adopted land!

Check out Kranten.com for a great overview of the top news in Dutch in national and regional papers.