Albert Both, from Dutch language school Talencoach, gives his advice on how to get confident speaking Dutch - even before you're perfect at it!
Have you been learning or studying Dutch for a while and noticed that, despite your efforts, speaking Dutch in real life is still a challenge? Are you always worried whether you are saying what you really want to say, or properly understanding what others mean? Wouldn’t it be great if you could feel far more relaxed?
My name is Albert Both, also known as Meneer Dutch Brainwash and for over 20 years, I have helped people find what I call a "Dutch flow": a place where speaking Dutch is fun and easy. I would like to share some simple and powerful ideas that can, in a very short time, have a positive impact on how you express yourself.
1. Not feeling confident can be a good thing
Let’s start with something that many people don't understand. No one likes to feel nervous. A normal reaction to this unpleasant feeling is to want to feel as confident as possible, because then you can get rid of the negative sensations, such as uncertainty. Feeling confident feels a lot nicer, right? But the thing is, a feeling of uncertainty is not necessarily a negative feeling at all. It only means that you need to be alert, and it shows that you still have more to learn.
Paradoxically, over-confidence can also stand in your way, because then it is easy to not pay enough attention. Nothing is worse for your Dutch interactions than doing the wrong things but still feeling confident about it! Only fools think that they already know everything.
So, if you are feeling doubt and uncertainty, make sure that you embrace it. These feelings help you to stay alert and support you in making progress. Real wisdom starts with the knowledge that you do not know everything.
2. The power of being positive
It is tempting to think that the more you learn, the more confident you will feel. You might think that once you get B2 or C1 certified, you’ll feel confident expressing anything you want. Unfortunately, this is not usually true and, in fact, the exact opposite often happens. The more you know, the more you doubt and hesitate.
I experienced it first-hand when I studied Spanish at university. I thought that once I graduated, somehow I would feel enlightened and capable, but unfortunately, it did not happen. All I could see were the things that I could not do, and then, despite hours of study, I kept making mistakes. To make it worse, I genuinely believed that once I had completed my studies, I would be able to fool even native speakers into thinking I was one of them. Ouch - not a very useful thought!
Here is a harsh truth: In some ways, a new language will always feel overwhelming. No matter how much you have learned and studied, you will always find new things you didn't know.
After feeling inadequate with the Spanish I had learned, one day I changed my focus. I decided that from now on, I just wanted to focus on all the positive things that I was able to do and then simply let it expand.
Think positively
You may feel that you don't seem fully yourself when you speak in Dutch, especially if you are mimicking being a Dutch person. It's important to remember to be yourself when speaking Dutch, and that with everything that you do, you are only adding to all the talents and abilities that you already have.
One of the most important skills to learn is how to recognise and appreciate when you have made progress. It can be extremely hard to acknowledge that you do get better and that you have every reason to feel good about that.
Mistakes happen
It is crucial to understand that if you make a mistake, it does not mean that you are stupid or silly. Whenever I hear my students making mistakes, I see it as a sign of intelligence, and I can usually understand why they make them. In most cases, it has something to do with your native language, and then all you need to do is change your way of thinking.
3. You can't memorise your way into confidence
You might think that you’ll get better at having conversations by simply studying a lot, but unfortunately, this isn't true. I dare to say that if memorisation is the only strategy that you use, a good grasp of Dutch will never be yours. Well, I might be exaggerating a little, but one thing is certain: if you rely on memorisation alone, it will take you a lot longer to build your confidence.
Sure, it would be nice if you could know how to say everything that you want to. But to feel more resourceful and confident quickly, a better strategy is to really start exploring and discovering Dutch, instead of just studying and memorising.
This can be a gentle process, one where you start to see all the things that Dutch, English and other languages have in common with each other. You can do this in a very playful way, and the first thing this trains is your mental flexibility. What matters most is that you learn how to solve little puzzles and how to look at things from different perspectives.
Another great game-changer is to stop going for the perfect execution and give yourself time to explore and discover things. You may have set ideas about what you have to know before you can speak Dutch, but in conversation, there will always be surprises and things that you don't expect. The sooner you discover this, the easier it will be for you to make progress.
4. Stop translating and think in Dutch
Something that can stop you from speaking Dutch confidently is thinking in your own language first and then translating it, word by word. If this is your strategy, you must have noticed that it often fails within a couple of seconds!
Did you know that translating is at least 20 times more difficult than just speaking Dutch? You need to let Dutch words appear in your mind and then simply turn these words into a sentence. Contrary to what you may think, it is not that difficult, and if you want to, you can learn this important skill within days.
Another great strategy is what I love to call "speaking Dutch the lazy bastard way". If you just use a simple system with some very straightforward rules, you can create hundreds of sentences with ease, about any topic you like! By resisting the temptation to make things more complicated than they need to be, you progress much faster.
You must learn how to be relaxed about your words. If you think there is only one word that will fit your meaning, then the chances are high that you will not find it. You must resist the notion that there is only one right way to say something. This is never ever true.
In the end, the process can be quite simple. Learn how to relax, learn how to think in a certain way and learn how to be more creative and resourceful.
5. Learn how to have fun with it
I think that this last tip is probably the most important one. Learn how to have fun while learning and speaking Dutch! The good news is that you can discover that Dutch is extremely funny, and if you let the naughty part of yourself loose, you can have more fun than you could ever imagine.
Most people are too serious, certainly when they want to learn and speak Dutch. Why not be light-hearted and easygoing about it? The more you like Dutch, the more likely it is that you’ll be good at it. Once you have fun, everything changes.
Although you need to be patient, it is easy to enjoy things when you are having a good time. If you can do this for a couple of days in a row, your whole perspective can change and then suddenly, you’ll speak Dutch and it feels gewoon, just normal.
The Brainwash courses from Talencoach are designed to get you actually chatting in Dutch and having a good time with it. Find out more and sign up for the next course on the Talencoach website.