Breda Travel Forum

can anyone tell me what is the cheapest way to learn to speak dutch. I have been here now 12months and i understand the language college in Breda to be very expensive. I do not need to work just to get myself understood and understand what people are saying to me. I have 3 children that have done the special school so speak excellent dutch. We are planning to live here for a while so speaking and understanding dutch would be a great help for me.

Have you tried looking at the bulletin board at your local Albert Heijn, library or buurthuis? There may be tutors advertising their services, (don't know about Breda, but this is always true in Amsterdam) or you could put up your own notice requesting same.

You have been there a year and havent learned it? I dont think classes would help you at all then if you havent picked it up in a year. If you think they would help however, I am assuming there are things similar to a Volkshochschule in Germany or city colleges in the UK which offer cheap or free language courses for foreigners. I would check into that option.

There is a Volksunviersiteit in every big city and normally they give courses of Dutch for foreigners.
(e.g. there is one in Delft here is the site www.vudelft.nl)

There are also courses organized by Mondrian College, but they are tought in Dutch.

Good luck

There is a Educational Unit at the Baronie College.

There is an open day at saturday 29 januari at the College from 10.00 tot 16.00. Have a look!
Terheijdenseweg 414, Breda

PJ

Well, let me put it plainly.

If you want to spend nice time, get some friends, and pick up a little bit of Dutch, go to the evening courses which are once or twice per week, like Volksuniversiteit. Even if you take the whole course (in Delft, it is in 4 steps), you will not be able to speak Dutch, only to decipher ads and make yourself understood in a reatsurant. My wife just did it and she does not really speak Dutch. She spent two years for this course.

If you are really detertmined to learn the language, there are two options. One is to ask in the gemeente about the state courses which are obligatory for the majority of the immigrants. They may be called ROC courses, or Mondrian College, or smth else. They are not really expensive, very intense (typically three times per week, like 4 or 5 hours), the students are typically newly arrived wives (most of them Turkish and Moroccan), and, even though rather low-level oriented, they are rather efficient. Another option, more efficient and more expensive, is tyo take one of the university courses - like you mention in Breda. I took the university course in Delft four years ago, paid Eur 400 for each of the three steps, and after the second one (four months) was able to speak. But this was 4 times per week, 4 hours per day, plus homework.

Thank you for your reply which i did not find very helpful yes i have been here a year and have some understanding of dutch and can understand some of it but as it is not the easiest language to speak i feel the need to learn how to speak it correctly and in the right order of words. But i expect you are perfect and can learn something within a few months well then you are very lucky we are not all that good in life but some of us are just happy. Think about how you write something to someone before you put it down i was asking a good question at least i did get some sensible replies.

Thank you for your reply i have taken on board what you have said. We do have a language college in Breda and upto 4 years ago we would have got the language course for free but now we all the extra people coming into Nederlands the EU people have to pay for it now. When i enquired it was 195.00 to register and then 2-3 evenings per week for 2 -3 months at 800.00 euros which i thought was expensive.
I do have dutch friends and as women do we like to chat and chat so therefore we mainly talk in english with the odd dutch words...i have picked up lots of words but shy away from talking to much dutch as not sure that i will speak it correctly and also hearing someone else talking it sounds different.
i have my manners in dutch that is the made thing.

But thank you for your help i will look into it more

Hi Kerry,

I've been living in Breda for 1,5 years now and my Dutch is not perfect either. Well, I am not as talented as some of the people who replied here.

She asked for help not for opinion about her ability to learn foreign languages!!!!!! And yes, Dutch is a very difficult language.

I know what you mean by not having many opportunities to practice the language. I can have a basic conversation in Dutch, but once people realize that I'm a foreigner they start speaking English with me.

However, I'd like to help you, at least try to help. I was lucky to take my Dutch classes in the university where I'm currently studying and didn't have to pay extra. I had a very nice teacher and I thought maybe she wouldn't mind if you just come to her class without being a registered student.

If you'd like me to ask her just send me and e-mail. I can't promise anything, but I don't think she'll say "no".
If it doesn't work you're always welcome to copy my Dutch books and notes.

Nathalie

Hi Thank you for understanding me and how hard things can be yes if possible i would love to except your help....i have a home email address if it would be better to email to that then by all means you can:-
MallettsEurope@hotmail.com
I look forward to any help in this matter if you can.....let me know one way or the other. Again thank you for your help.
Kerry