How I achieved B1-level Dutch in one year

And completed my integration language exams in one go

In September 2024, I became a resident of The Netherlands and had a faily poor command of Dutch. Once you become a resident, depending on your visa type, you have 3 years to integrate which in the past, used to mean having an A2 level of Dutch but this was recently changed to B1.

Learning Dutch was my number 1 priority so before I had even arrived in The Netherlands, I signed up for an intensive A1 course to get me started which would begin virtually the second that I landed. That was last autumn and then in the summer, whilst enjoying some welcome drinks at a Bosnian campsite, I took the expression “Dutch courage” a little bit too seriously and signed up for all of my Dutch language integration exams in one go for the following month. So how did I go from a total beginner to good enough to not only take but also pass my exams?

Know your background

I’ve said it in my Duolingo post but I will repeat it here - transparency matters. I’ve seen blogs or videos of people saying things like “I learnt a language in a week” or “how I became fluent in a language without taking a class” and what frustrates me the most about this type of content is not only the false advertising but also the lack of honesty. Don’t take that content at face value and don’t take my story at face value either. Yes, it took me only a year to complete my Dutch language exams but it may not be the same for you. As a language teacher, it is my speciality to know how to learn a language so I was able to apply to myself what I do for my own students. I was already at an advantage when learning Dutch because my native language is English and I already had a good grasp of German - mixing the two together meant that I was already closer to Dutch than someone with only one of those languages. Combine that with being in a relationship for three and a half years with a native Dutch speaker and having on-demand practice even when I didn’t live here and I was already off to a strong start. Knowing what your background is in learning a language will help you set realistic goals when needing to learn one. Take from tips online, but manage your expectations and adjust them to what works for you.

Go back to the beginning

When I took the A1 course, it was too easy and not designed for people who already had an understanding of language learning. However, the A1 course was vital for me to go back to the basics and fill in any gaps before progressing forwards. Entering into the course with an open mind and a positive attitude is what helped me lay down the foundation of my Dutch and I always learnt something new from each lesson. The funniest part was, I ended up learning more about the Dutch lanaguage than my native-Dutch husband and began explaining rules to him and even correcting his grammar!

Keep talking but…

Whilst I have little to no shame in making language mistakes in front of others and looking stupid in doing so, I do appreciate that this can be barrier for a lot of people. It is so important to apply the language that you are learning - after all, what is the point in learning it if you don’t use it? The Netherlands has a lot of resources to help and connect people with talking the language such as language cafés and expat exchanges. However, on the negative side, The Netherlands has a developed a culture whereby if you don’t speak Dutch as your native language, everyone switches to English because “it’s easier”. You need to hold your ground with this one and insist on speaking Dutch. One way that you can do this is by saying that you don’t speak English but if you then find yourself in a situation where they then ask you where you’re from and you say “England”, the story doesn’t really check out. The other way that you can do this is to politely ask if you can speak in Dutch and that they are patient with you. I say politely because I too have fallen into the trap of frustratedly asking “why are you speaking in English to me when I’ve spoken to you in Dutch?” which brings the mood down a little bit.

… pace yourself

If you have a Dutch speaker in your life, take advantage of them and arrange a Dutch speaking time. I have heard the advice of “have a Dutch day” but I am going to discourage that. Speaking another language tires you because it requires a lot of brain power and if you try to push an entire day in your target language before you are ready to, you will be exhausted and will begin to resent it. Instead of an entire day, my husband and I did “Dutch dinner” where for duration of our dinner time, we would only speak in Dutch. It’s a great way of using different tenses (how was your day? = past; what are your plans tomorrow? = future; what is in this soup? = present) and really utilising the language but containing it into a time so that if I am tired after a long day, I know that I can stop the Dutch once dinner is finished or if I’m feeling the flow, I can continue it afterwards. Containing it to a time frame is also good for your self-esteem in that language and encourages the always effective method of little but often.

Immersion

Part of the reason that I became a freelancer is because I was struggling to find work because my level of Dutch was not high enough. With my Dutch course being the only thing that would keep me occupied and get me out of the home, I turned to hobbies to fill in the time. I ended up volunteering at an animal shelter and joining an all women’s choir - both of which were organised in Dutch. It is daunting walking into a room with only a basic understanding and be immediately thrown into the deep end. You feel like you are constantly trying to keep your head above water but people are kind and will appreciate that you are making the effort. If you need to say “sorry, I’m having trouble understanding”, people won’t be angry and if they are, that is a them problem. Being a part of something within the community will also help a lot with connecting you more within the culture which will in turn improve not only your language, but also your relationship with that language. When I passed my exams, I brought chocolates into the animal shelter to thank the staff because little did they know, they had been a great help to me.

Learn to like the language

Dutch is the first time that I’ve ever learnt a language out of practicality and not out of love for the language. A friend once described Dutch to me as “Sims language” and I cannot unhear it. When you learn a language, it is the beginning of a life-long relationship and so if you are not in love with it, you have to find something about it that you at least like. Think of it as a family member whom although you don’t like them, you still have to find a way of getting along with them. Really look for what it is that you like/dislike about the language and work on using that to your learning advantage. Personally, I dislike the lack of expressiveness in Dutch but because of that I’ve learnt to appreciate how direct and to the point it is. My favourite moment in any language is when you can start picking out meanings from them and get to know their personalities a bit better - yes, I personify languages - and for me the connection was when I learnt that trouw means “loyal”, vertrouwen means “to trust” and trouwen means “to marry”. Now those are values that I can get behind.

Invest in learning

You will need to invest a great amount of time and maybe even some money in learning the langauge. I began with an intensive A1 course in Dutch which required a two hour lesson twice a week and homework and assignments on top of that. I finished the course in November and decided to take a break from Dutch lessons and just focus on immersion until eventually coming back to it in March. From doing the intensive course, I learnt that group lessons were not right for me, except for meeting people, so instead, I opted for a private tutor who could tailor the lessons to my exact needs and level. I took lessons from a Hungarian lady named Kati who I absolutely recommend. It was important to me too that I had a non-native Dutch teacher as I would be learning with someone who had already needed to learn the language and was able to answer my grammar questions with something more than “it just is that way”. Whilst I do trust native speakers, it is important that being native isn’t their only teaching credential. Natives non-teachers can be fine for teaching you the basics and for helping with conversation but as far as lessons go, it’s better to get with a qualified teacher.

Get revising

From my time of teaching GCSE Spanish, I know that the sad reality of language exams is that half of it is knowing the content but the other half is knowing exam techniques. Luckily, there are a couple of free practice papers available online where you can study for your B1 exams. There are also lots of videos on YouTube and podcasts on Spotify that can help you with preparation.

Trust yourself

If you're still on the fence about doing your integration language exams but you’re putting the hard work and effort in, sometimes you need to just take that leap of faith and trust that you can do it. Although, the "Dutch courage" push is optional.