Learn Dutch for Free: A Guide to the Best Online Courses

By Ben Schmidt

Gaining proficiency in Dutch has several advantages. It’s surprising how many doors speaking it opens, whether you’re learning it for vacation, business, or other personal reasons.

Additionally, learning Dutch can be a great starting point for learning different languages like German due to their linguistic similarities.

Knowing Dutch can give you a leg up in the European business scene! It makes negotiations with Dutch companies flow much smoother and builds stronger relationships.

Plus, since Dutch is an official language of the European Union and the World Trade Organization, it opens doors to even more professional opportunities on the global stage.

Free Courses To Learn Dutch Fluently:

Best Apps To Learn Dutch Fluently:

With more than 22 million speakers, Dutch is one of the most widely spoken languages in Europe. While there are many resources available to assist you in learning Dutch, many of them are also a complete waste of time. To help you save time and money, we have analyzed the available applications to determine which ones are the best.

LingQ

Best App to Read and Listen to Dutch

Available on: iOS | Android | Web

The LingQ app is an excellent choice if you’re an autonomous learner who wants to go at your own pace. It produces lessons using real Dutch media, including books, YouTube videos, podcasts, and more. If a word is unclear to you, you can click on it to view its definition, examples of its usage in other contexts, and other content that contains it.

You can import Dutch content that you like and have it included in LingQ to create custom lessons.

Among the app’s most awesome features is this one. LingQ automatically produces a lesson from the media and a transcript after you import them.

Rosetta Stone

Best Immersion App for Dutch

Available on: iOS | Android | Web

If you’re interested in learning Dutch but don’t want to commit to studying with a private tutor just yet, you should check out Rosetta Stone. Known for more than three decades, this program is among the most well-known for language learning.

It differs from other language apps in that it immerses you in the language from the very beginning of the course. Unlike other programs, Rosetta Stone trains you to think like a Dutch speaker.

Busuu

Best for conversational skills

Available on: iOS | Android | Web

The greatest app for honing your conversational Dutch is Busuu. It’s a fantastic tool for learning Dutch and speaking with confidence because it emphasizes conversation with native speakers and real-world communication.

The program offers lessons created by language specialists with an emphasis on useful conversational skills. Personalized study schedules, feedback from native speakers, and a vocabulary trainer are some of the features of the app.

Clozemaster

Best for sentence-based learning

Available on: iOS | Android | Web

If you want to improve your grammar and vocabulary through context, Clozemaster is the ideal option.

For a more organic and interesting approach to teaching Dutch, it employs the cloze (fill-in-the-blank) method.

The basic version of Clozemaster, which gives you access to thousands of words, is free. For more sophisticated functions including offline mode, analytics, and sentence listening drills.

Babbel

Best For Structured Lessons

Available on: iOS | Android | Web

Babbel is home to award-winning language courses and includes a solid Dutch course, aimed at beginners and covering 2,000 words and 200 useful sentences.

Among language learners, Babbel is one of the most widely used applications. Through a variety of activities, including vocabulary drills, reading exercises, and practice conversations, it is designed to help learners hone their language skills and become fluent in the target language rapidly.

Duolingo

Best App to Learn Dutch for Free

Available on: iOS | Android | Web

Duolingo is a love/hate relationship for language learners. Its free access to all of its courses is the key factor in its popularity. Dutch is a complete course that can be found on Duolingo.

Online Dutch learning is probably really popular with Duolingo’s free course. Duolingo is an excellent place to start your learning journey because it offers basic courses with quizzes and assessments throughout, as well as concise yet thorough explanations of the fundamentals of the Dutch language.

You will have a solid understanding of basic Dutch and be able to carry on basic conversations in Dutch by the time you complete the Duolingo Dutch course.

DutchPod101

Most Flexible Dutch App

Available on: iOS | Android

For those who prefer a self-directed approach to language learning, DutchPod101 is well worth a look. Thousands of text, audio, and video Dutch classes are accessible. You have the freedom to select the subjects and abilities you wish to practice.

Numerous other capabilities are at your disposal to aid. With the help of a Dutch instructor, you may design a customized study schedule and get feedback on written work. There’s always something fresh to learn because there are new classes every week.

Tips To Help You Learn Dutch:

Switch the Device’s Language

Consider changing the language on your phone and laptop to Dutch for a quick language boost that you could begin right now.

Frequent language exposure can be very helpful in acquainting you with Dutch terminology and facilitating its easy integration into your everyday lexicon. This immersion method improves your language acquisition and helps you incorporate Dutch into your daily life.

YouTube Tutorials

Explore the world of free YouTube tutorials if flexibility is what you’re after. Learners of all skill levels can find beginner and introductory Dutch classes on countless channels. These courses let you establish a personalized learning environment and go at your own pace, regardless of whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner looking to improve your skills.

Grab a Language Buddy

By matching non-native speakers with Dutch volunteers, Gilde Samenspraak provides a practical way to studying the language. Participants meet for an hour once a week, whenever and wherever they choose. The pair decides what they want to accomplish on their own as well.

The plan is to spend a year living with your friend. With this approach, you may study Dutch casually and laid-back while speaking the language like a native.

When out and about, use Dutch

It may seem not easy at first to use Dutch in daily situations, but many Dutch people actually value the time and effort you take to learn their language. Pick up one of our “Praat Nederlands met Me” (speak Dutch with me) pins at our monthly Meet&Mingles at the VVV Leiden Tourist Information Office to help urge and remind Dutch people not to switch to English.

Try Dutch the next time you’re in the grocery store, ordering a drink, or asking for the bill in a restaurant. To get “the bill,” for example, try saying “de rekening, alstublieft” instead.

Apps for Languages

Download free language applications to help you on your language-learning journey and use your screen time for study sessions. While many of these applications are fantastic for expanding vocabulary, some aspects might not work well in grammar courses, even if these are still great resources.

Nonetheless, we’ve discovered that Babbel, LingQ, and Duolingo are the best mobile tools for learning Dutch. Ideal for the inevitable second-class train delay.

Also Read: The Best 10 Resources To Learn German Online