Learning Dutch with Pimsleur or Rosetta Stone

Dutch is the language most widely spoken in West Germany. This language is currently spoken by approximately 20 million natives located mainly in the Netherlands and in Belgium. There are also many smaller Dutch speaking communities scattered throughout northern France, Aruba, the Antilles and Indonesia among other areas.

Although there are variations to the dialect of the Dutch language, most versions are very similar so if you can understand one dialect you should be able to understand them all. The Dutch language was actually derived from the lower Franconian dialect of lower German.

The earliest example of written Dutch appeared in the 9th century. There are also many pieces of poetry that have survived from the 12th and 13th centuries which were written in the Dutch language. Although Dutch is often referred to as the smallest world language simply because it is so similar to other West Germanic languages such as English and German, this language has survived for centuries.

Dutch grammar shares many traits with the German grammar particularly in terms of syntax. However, the Dutch language has a much less complicated morphology which is caused by deflexion. This makes it much more similar to the English language in many respects. The Dutch language has only three official genders which are masculine, feminine and gender neutral or neuter. There are however, according to many interpretations only two recognized genders in the Dutch language.

These are common and neuter which makes this very similar to the bulk of most Continental Scandinavian languages. The consonants in the Dutch language are much more similar to the English and Scandinavian languages. Like many other Germanic languages the Dutch language has a syllable structure that allows for complex consonant clusters.

For those seeking to learn the Dutch language, there are many resources available to you. If you are striving for a “teach yourself” learning structure then you can find many foreign language learning programs that can help you to master this language. If you speak English or German then you may find it much less than difficult to learn to speak fluent Dutch. Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone are two programs that can help you to quickly and easily master these language skills.

Both offer extensive learning tools and resources to help you to learn the basics of speaking, reading, writing and understanding the Dutch language. If you are not planning to learn in a classroom environment, then these two systems are recommended.

While one focuses on reading and writing the language the other focuses on understanding and speaking. Both do work on all aspects of the Dutch language and you can simply use one program. However if you plan to completely master all elements of the Dutch language, both programs together offer a much better learning experience.

Be sure to set aside time every single day for your lessons. In order to master any foreign language you must devote time and focus to the learning process. You should also strive to practice your new language skills as often as possible.

For instance you should speak the language as much as you can and consider using the internet to search for websites which are written in Dutch. You can practice your reading and comprehension skills easily this way. Overall remember that practice makes perfect. Be sure to stay motivated and you may be surprised at how quickly you become a fluent Dutch speaker.