After a couple of weak attempts, I finally learned to speak Dutch over a 10-month period that took me from A0 speaking level in September 2023 to successfully passing the Staatsexamen Nt2, Program I (B1 level) in July 2024.
Gerlando, bootstrapping vocabulary is one of the tougher stages. But I do think you can still take it easy on yourself and ignore advice to actively repeat the words out loud, etc. Try replacing intentional effort with just more passive listening. What I think is a bummer with this 2000 Words audiobook is how much time you spend listening to English, but given the format it’s the only way to get the translations. At this stage you can’t easily look them up by typing Dutch words into Google Translate.
I’ve purchased the 2000 Common Dutch Words audiobook and have been trying to listen to it whenever I can. Let’s see if I can replicate your success. 🤞
Gerlando, bootstrapping vocabulary is one of the tougher stages. But I do think you can still take it easy on yourself and ignore advice to actively repeat the words out loud, etc. Try replacing intentional effort with just more passive listening. What I think is a bummer with this 2000 Words audiobook is how much time you spend listening to English, but given the format it’s the only way to get the translations. At this stage you can’t easily look them up by typing Dutch words into Google Translate.
Thank you for clarifying the passive vs active listening approach! I was curious which method you used.
Yeah super passive like a baby in a high chair with his Dutch grandma droning on and on at the table.