Product Description

Basic Dutch: A Grammar and Workbook comprises an accessible reference grammar and related exercises in a single volume.

This Workbook presents twenty-five individual grammar points in realistic contexts, providing a grammatical approach which will allow students not already familiar with these structures to become accustomed to their use. Grammar points are followed by examples and exercises allowing students to reinforce and consolidate their learning.

Suitable for class use or self-study, Basic Dutch introduces Dutch culture and people through the medium of the language used today, providing students with the basic tools to express themselves in a wide variety of situations.

Features include:

• useful exercises and a full answer key
• grammar tables for easy reference
• frequent comparative references to English grammar
• an appendix of irregular verbs
• an index of grammatical terms.

Customer Reviews (2)

Good - But not worth it
If you are very very new to the Dutch language, dont attempt this book.Not for this price anyway. Page one. IT gives all these words yet gives you NO CLUE on how to prounounce them An example of a word is 'Zij' (The word YOU) . I assume from some further reading that the J in the middle of the word is silent but at the beginning of a word is prounouced such as Je (Ja)If you have previous Dutch experience its a good book, or if you have taken some German its ok. But if you are a absolute starter, stay away from it.

Very good examples and exercises
This book is very good if you want to learn the basic grammar structures of Dutch. It has lots of examples and exercises, and the explanations are easy to understand. Of course, if you want to acquire fluency, then you would also have to buy an audio course, like Michel Thomas Dutch. ... Read more

Product Description
This simple and effective introduction to Dutch teaches everything one needs to speak, understand, read, and write in Dutch. This program assumes no background in the language, and it explains each new concept clearly with plenty of examples, making it ideal for beginners or anyone who wants a thorough review. Living Language Dutch includes:

·A course book and six audio CDs
·Two unique sets of recordings, one for use with the book, and a second for use anywhere to review and reinforce
·Natural dialogues, clear grammar notes, vocabulary building, and key expressions
·Plenty of practice, both written and recorded
·Notes on culture, cuisine, history, geography, and more
·Real life “discovery” activities and internet resources
·An extensive two-way glossary ... Read more

Product Description
It’s a great feeling to know you can be who you are without fear or embarrassment.This Dutch language course is designed to be FUN AND EASY to follow.In this eBook we have covered all of the most likely situations you may face and have prepared you with the KEY WORDS AND PHRASES most commonly used. In this modern age you will most likely have a cell phone and wear a watch - consequently we have avoided tedious chapters on telling the time, counting and things you can point to. Instead, we have replaced them with more of what you will actually need!This programme is ideal if you are taking a short break or making a business trip.Everything from hiring a car, checking in to your hotel, sightseeing, shopping, eating out, from meeting people to dealing with emergencies is covered in topical chapters that you can access instantly.Make the most of your travels with all of our ‘Jump Into’ language courses available in Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch and French.
... Read more

Product Description

Experience the language learning method millions around the world have come to trust

Unlike most language learning systems, the Michel Thomas Method enables you to naturally and intuitively develop the building blocks for language comprehension. You learn at your own speed--listening, speaking, and thinking through the language. Guided by a language instructor and native speakers, Michel Thomas Method--Speak Dutch for Beginners takes you through an interactive lesson with two other students. By the end of the program, you will have the ability to put together words and phrases together naturally and make your own sentences. You will have basic vocabulary, conversation skills, and the confidence to speak in Dutch.

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Good Start
This set of CDs is so by far the best starting material I've found in the US.You will need to augment vocabulary from another source, but that is not too difficult.It's focus on structure is more appropriate to my needs than the stilted conversations on other CDs.8 CDs are not enough to be in any way comprehensive, but they do give a motivated student a good and usable starting point to continue on his or her own.

In a league of its own
Once you have done a Michel Thomas method language course you will never ever go back to the rote memory hell of Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur and all the others. I just finished the Dutch introductory course today. Lo and behold: ik spreek Nederlands!

Very Good Starter
Michel Thomas products are the best.This is a great start for learning Dutch.It gives you what you need to help you get by on a trip to the Netherlands.It concentrates on structure rather than vocabulary. ... Read more

Product Description

‘If you want to get to grips further with any of the [European] languages, Routledge’s Colloquial series is the best place you could start.’ Rough Guide to Europe

COLLOQUIAL DUTCH is easy to use and completely up to date!

Specially written by experienced teachers for self-study or class use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to written and spoken Dutch. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

What makes COLLOQUIAL DUTCH your best choice in personal language learning?

• Interactive – lots of exercises for regular practice
• Clear – concise grammar notes
• Practical – useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide
• Complete - including answer key and reference section

By the end of this rewarding course you will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in Dutch in a broad range of everyday situations.

This pack contains the paperback and audio material, recorded by natve speakers. This complements the book and will help you with your pronunciation and listening skills.

Customer Reviews (9)

Better than most, but not quite there
I'd like to start by saying that obviously you can't rely on a book and a bunch of cd's to learn Dutch [or any language, for that matter]. You have to be a little obsessed and supplement your study with any outside resources you can get your hands on [a native Dutch speaker willing to field your boring questions is also helpful.]

Secondly, I think it's important to debunk the myth that Dutch is so much harder to learn than any other European language. Its phonetic inventory isn't terribly threatening [outside of 'ui' and 'ij/ei' which can take a little practice to get right], though it can be a little grammatically tricky [so can most of the Germanic languages], but sit down with some books on Polish [with three genders, seven inflected cases] or Danish [with an orthography to pronunciation disparity that could make a native English speaker cringe] and you will see how much more difficult it can actually get.

That said, despite Bruce Donaldson being a godsend to English-speaking learners of Dutch and Routledge producing a number of excellent materials to study with, Routledge colloquial courses tend to be a little pricey for their limited scope and have a learn-by-rote tendency that takes the wind out of the course's sails a bit. Dutch, like pretty much any other language, is rife with peculiar idiomatic usage and the 'cut-and-paste these phrases into your inventory' approach is somewhat weak and disappointing. Additionally, this course [and pretty much every other Dutch-learning volume I've come across] has a less than thorough explanation of modal particles, which are pretty much essential to spoken Dutch. All that aside, while this course is hardly a must-have, it is handy for an early intermediate learner.

a number of pluses and one major minus
This book has a great deal to offer a beginning learner. The material is very conversational- and very idiomatic- and the subtleties of syntax are well presented. From very early in the course, one has a chance to get used to the idea that the verb must always be the second element of a sentence. For students who learned German first, of course, this isn't new, but as a beginning Dutch learner I reverted readily to old English habits until I started working with this course. Word order in subordinate clauses- another crack in the cement for beginners- also gets covered very well. The accompanying CDs are excellent and almost essential for learning an authentic pronunciation.It is hard to understand, though, why the author did not provide vocabulary lists for each lesson.The sentences in the dialogues (which are often quite entertaining)are translated, of course, but the translation is often pretty idiomatic and it is easy to develop wrong ideas of what individual words mean- or where and how they are used. So get a good dictionary- I recommend the one by Routledge- and keep it by your side.

Save Yourself Some Serious, Hard-Earned Money!
It is totally, absolutely, never-in-a-lifetime possible to learn Dutch from just a book and/or CDs.Period.Full stop.

Save Yourself Some Serious, Hard-Earned Money!
It is totally, absolutely, never-in-a-lifetime possible to learn Dutch from just a book and/or CDs.Period.Full stop.

Awesome!
Buying this little book is a great way to start learning Dutch. As for the reviewer who said this book is for parrots; it's called "Colloquial Dutch" for a reason! While it's true that this book doesn't offer much of an in depth study of Dutch grammar or linguistics, that doesn't stop it from being a great little primer course that will help you learn Dutch the way the Dutch actually "spreek" it.

I went to Holland in 2005 to study history in Utrecht and I took a Dutch class while I was there. They gave us "Taal Vitaal" books in the class, but I found myself continually referring back to Donaldson's book throughout the course. I simply found it more useful than the Taal Vitaal books.

Dutch people are usually surprised and very appreciative when a non-native speaker makes an earnest effort to learn their language. That being said, one of the most difficult things about learning Dutch in Holland, is that the Dutch tend to start speaking English with you as soon as they find out that you're an English speaker. It's hard, but you have to kind of insist on fumbling around in Dutch. (If you're incredibly inhibited about doing this then try having a few "biertjes" at a pub with some locals.) In the end, whether you like the linguist's approach or the "colloquial" approach, speaking with native speakers and listening to them speak is the single best way to learn a language.

If you're really "serieus" about learning "het nederlands" I would highly recommend that you pick up "201 Dutch Verbs" and "The New Routledge Dutch Dictionary" to augment this book. With these books in hand, you'll be ready to go to Holland! ... Read more

Product Description
This compact volume provides essential grammar—including word order, parts of speech, forms of usage—idioms, rules of spelling, guides to special constructions and problems. Lists of useful expressions and irregular verbs. Glossary of grammatical terms. A complete study tool emphasizing immediate, practical communication; created for adults with limited learning time. Fully indexed for easy use.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Should be retitled as "Basic Dutch Grammar"
I took one semester of Dutch at the college level and I thought I had hardly gotten anywhere, but I learned more than is in this book.This book is lacking on details where it wouldn't take too long to provide them.For example, the book mentions there are several diminutive endings for Dutch nouns and provides a few examples.But it doesn't bother to explain when to use the different types of endings, which is important to know and would not take long to explain.Thus, it is useless to know in the first place that there are different endings if you don't know when to use each one.This book does not explain the essentials as it claims.If you know hardly anything, it's a nice un-intimidating starting point, but if you are looking for something more detailed or technical, get Dutch: A Comprehensive Grammar (Comprehensive Grammars).I wish I hadn't spent the $7 I did on this book and had gotten Donaldson's in the first place.

Can't judge a book by its cover.
This books is an eye-sore, however it is the best you can buy.It is a skeletal introduction yet thorough explanation of grammar..This book taught me how to speak fluent Dutch.

This book, and all of the books in this series, are best for people who have maybe learned a second language before or have a natural understanding of grammar.For me, I already knew how to learn a language, so all I needed was condensed instructions on how to understand and reproduce the grammar.

If you are like me, and you learn by actually doing the language (watching videos on the net, reading foreign websites, talking to friends), then this book is a MUST.It is really the only thing you will need.If you are someone who must have formal courses or lessons or need to do multiple exercises before things click or have never studied another language before or just someone who does not generally have a "knack" for languages, use this in conjunction with a formal language instruction book. If you need further practice or elaboration on one of the points in the book, just go to googleBooks and steal some exercises from some online Dutch grammar books or go to websites that have exercises.

A good product for dutch learners
Yes, ofcource I can recommend this product to a begginner(should atleast know how to prononce a letter/word) in Dutch language.The speciality of this book is that you can learn Dutch language by practising the sample sentences and phrases given in the book.It also includes the commonly used words in our daily life with the explanation of different rules for framing a sentence in Dutch.

The only problem that I faced was the unavialability of a CD/mp3 to listen to the words and sentences gien in the book. That why I mensioned in the begging that the begginner should atleast know how to pronunce a letter in Dutch.

Overall I evaluate it as a good product and true value for money.

Thanks and regards,
prasanth

Perfect for its purpose
This book is a perfect example of a good thing delivering to its promises.

If you want to a understand the most important elements of the Dutch grammar, buy this book. If you want to know Dutch grammar at a level beyond intermediate, then you need extra material.

However, "Essential Dutch Grammar" not only presents the simple things in a simple manner, it summarizes the most frequently used mechanisms of the language.

So, with this book you get the most for the least.

Great start
I think that this book is an asset for the elementary level.Grammar is explained very clearly and really sets one up to begin reading and constructing sentances in Dutch.The concise format of the book was also extremely helpful for reviewing rules and constructions before quizzes. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

Product Description
Living Language In-Flight Dutch is the perfect boarding pass to learning Dutch before you land.

There's no better way to make use of all that spare time on a plane than to master the essentials of a language.This 60-minute program is the simplest way to learn just enough to get by in every situation essential to both the tourist and business traveler.

The program covers everything from greetings and polite expressions to asking directions, getting around, checking into a hotel, and going to a restaurant.There are even sections for meeting people and spending a night on the town.

Short lessons make In-Flight Dutch easy to use, and a handy pocket-sized insert is included as a cheat sheet for use on the go. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

This product met my expectations.
This product satisfied my expectations.I easily learnt the basic sentences in correct pronunciation.Easy to carry and make you easily memorise the sentences.It's very clear and handy book.

Good refresher!
This language CD is a good refresher for those that know a little of the language.It is certainly not realistic to absorb this information on the flight.You will need to listen to it for at least a couple weeks before your trip.I would have liked to see them repeat the phrases a couple of times, but it's nice to hear the phrases in the native language.

Takes longer than 1 flight
This CD is just for Basic dutch, but that's quite alot to learn even on long flight.Maybe I'm retarded, but after about a week of listening in my car daily, I retained about 80% of the phrases and words.
Ironically, people in the Nederlands speak English as a second language.So Listen to chapter 2, "Sprecken ya Anals?" (you speak English?) is all you need.I did pretty well talking dutch and it did impress my fellow travelers.I did introduce my buddy as my girlfriend a bit too many times, funny though.

Does Just What it Intends To
An excellent quick introduction to Dutch, this CD doesn't pretend to give you a complete grounding in Dutch, but teaches you the important phrases you need when travelling in the Netherlands (where is the train station? How much is it? Good morning, etc.). One of the things I liked about it was, it was short and simple, short enough to listen to on the airplane (hence the name). After all, most people in the Netherlands speak very good English. I just wanted to learn enough Dutch to be courteous. Although the packaging said you can use it without the accompanying booklet, I wouldn't advise it! The phrases are spoken once without being repeated, and I needed the book to keep up. Besides, its useful to know how Dutch looks written. ... Read more

Product Description
Bestselling language courses now with audio CDs!

From Danish to Spanish, Swahili to Brazilian Portuguese, the languages of the world are brought within the reach of any beginning student. Learners can use the Teach Yourself Language Courses at their own pace or as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are based on the very latest learning methods and designed to be enjoyable and user-friendly.

Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:

Up-to-date, graded interactive dialogues
Graded units of culture notes, grammar, and exercises
Step-by-step guide to pronunciation
Practical vocabulary
Regular and irregular verb tables
Plenty of practice exercises and answers
Bilingual glossary
The new editions also feature:

Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
Self-assessment quizzes to test progress
Website suggestions to take language study further ... Read more

Customer Reviews (46)

Great book
I've been learning Dutch with this book at my own pace for almost 3 months and I feel like I'm doing well. The book is really easy to understand and the CDs arevery good complement. I've found only two or three sentences that are "old school" but in general, the methodology is "Uitsteikend".

learning Dutch
This was a gift for my oldest son who plans to travel through the Netherlands. He states that it has been quite helpful as well as informative. The CD that was included has also been helpful in hearing the correct pronounciation, as well as the proper sentence structure, of the words as they differ greatly from other Germanic-like languages.

Great for self study
I moved to the Netherlands several months ago. Before going, I studied this book on my own. The learning process was quite straightforward: self-contained and almost no missing words. After arriving in the Netherlands, it turned out that the colloquial expressions that I had to learn are all used and applicable. I bought some other Dutch study books, but this is by far the best.

interesting and useful
This course is a very good place to start learning Dutch, particularly for those planning to visit the Netherlands or Belgium. The lessons are strongly oriented toward everyday subjects and particularly those that would be useful for travelers- getting around town, making travel plans, using public transportation, different kinds of shopping situations-from buying clothes in a department store to shopping for fruits and vegetables, and seeing a doctor, to name just a few of the topics that are covered, beginning with the conversations that start each lesson. While the book is not particularly grammar-oriented, the coverage of it is certainly adequate for a beginning learner (those with stronger interest in the minutiae of Dutch grammar should check out 'Dutch: A Comprehensive Grammar' by Bruce Donaldson)and there are lots of exercises to reinforce every point that is introduced. At the end of each chapter there is a text, usually a few paragraphs long,covering some aspect of political, cultural or economic life in the two countries, which may require several readings, even though the necessary vocabulary is well-glossed. So when you reach the end of the course, while you won't have native speaker fluency, you will be able to speak reasonably correctly,get where you need to go,converse a bit with native speakers, and have a very buildable nucleus of street smart vocabulary. Need directions to a cannabis club? No problem.

it was ok but not great
I found 'teach yourself Dutch' to be very difficult. This is not for beginners. I was hoping to spend more time on pronuciation. It was too fast and went too soon into conversation. Also, there were sectons in the book that the narrater skipted. The book seemed to be a good study guide but it was hard to tell because of the speed and parts skipted on the CD's ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Fun for Language Lovers and Things Dutch
An entertaining and informative book especially for anyone who loves Dutch culture or is interested in American history and language. The author traces Dutch Immigration to America, shows where the largest settlements led to numerous Dutch Place names still in use today and lists the origins of numerous wordscontributed by Dutch immigrants to English still in use today. Important words like waffle,noodles,turkey,caboodle and the all important cookieStroopwafels - 20 Dutch Caramel Syrup Waffle Cookies. ... Read more

Product Description
For those who find learning a new language daunting, the Teach Yourself Beginner's Language Series is just what the language teacher ordered. Each friendly and practical course introduces the new language without overwhelming the learner and includes:

• Lively dialogues and exercises
• A helpful pronunciation section
• Manageable lists of practical vocabulary
• A glossary of grammar terms
• Hints on how to make learning easy
• Fascinating language and cultural information
• Accompanying dialogue recordings on CD

Customer Reviews (1)

One the best language teaching books I've ever met, period.
I have studied English and German and have lots of experience with various styles and books since 1980s. This is the first book I met that introduced the language so smoothly and without ever going into grammatical terms in such a subtle way that I even didn't realize how much Dutch I have learned, until I saw that I was reading a lot of Dutch text without many difficulties. The authors are the masters of what they do. Pedagogically speaking, I wish these types of books were available when I was studying English and German back then. I'll study every other language book written by the same authors immediately. ... Read more

Product Description
This comprehensive and contemporary two-way dictionary is ideal for Dutch language learners and users at all levels. Key features of the dictionary include: · Over 25,000 Dutch entries
· The use of colloquial and idiomatic language
· Useful contextual information within glosses
· Phonetic transcription for all Dutch headwords, aiding pronunciation
· Gender marked for all Dutch nouns
· Appendix of Dutch irregular verbs
... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Very good, but not quite good enough
All in all, this dictionary is pretty fantastic. It's not the Van Dale, but it's bidirectional and contains a substantially large list of important vocabulary. In general, Routledge produces a pretty fine selection of Dutch learning materials [which should definitely be used in conjunction with one another and not individually]. That said, the farther along you get along in your study of the language, the less use you will have for it. In fact, it frequently lacks terms that can be required just to read a newspaper. Additionally, and I think this is essential as a learner, it doesn't always list words in both directions which can be problematic if one is trying to deduce nuance.

Fabulous dictionary for English-speaking students of Dutch
This is the best Dutch-English / English-Dutch dictionary I've found. It's not the most comprehensive but it's set of words is fairly complete for non-specialized vocabulary. It helpfully gives whether nouns are common or neuter (use "de" or "het"), although if you're looking up a translation from English, you have to then look up the word by Dutch to see this info. The list of contextual examples of word use and phrases is also helpful. If you're trying to learn Dutch, I highly recommend this dictionary.

Ripoff
Pages 17 through 48 and 465 through 496 are missing from my copy of this dictionary. The pages are missing because of a bookbinder's error, so I suspect that there are many other copies out there that are similarly deformed.

If you buy it, don't count on finding any Dutch words appearing, alphabetically, between "afhouden" and "betrokkenheid." Nor will you find any English words translated into Dutch from the start of the alphabet up to the word "black." If you need to know the meanings of words within those ranges, you had better buy another dictionary.

Review Dutch-English dictionary
Excellent product and good value for money. However, a dictionary, given its intended frequent use, should perhaps have a hard cover.

Up to date Dutch - English / English - Dutch Dictionary
Haven't come across a word I couldn't find.All the words I have looked up have a short and clear definition. I highly recommend it if you are studying the Dutch and/or English language. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A bad way to learn Dutch
"Just Enough Dutch" so far, is the worst Dutch reference I have come across.The pages look like photocopies, and are quite hard to read.I am just thankful I checked it out at the libarary before buying it. ... Read more

Product Description

This intensive foundation course in Dutch is designed for those with no previous knowledge of the language. It is lively and fast-paced, providing students with a wide range of activities, and drawing on an impressive selection of source material from many different media. Audio materials are presented on accompanying CDs, to be purchased separately.

Taking students from beginner to intermediate level in one year, the Routledge Intensive Dutch Course develops a thorough working knowledge of the structures of Dutch and practises the four key skills of language learning: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Guidance for tutors as well as links to related sites is available on the Routledge website.

Customer Reviews (4)

The best for learning Dutch - but as whole course pack
It appears that Routledge intends to discontinue the sale of the language courses as packs with CDs. That's a shame if it's true! I bought the book and CDs separate, but together they make a most powerful learning program.

The coursebook is intended for a college classroom setting. The Unit lessons are broken up and emphasis for each "bite" is either on reading, listening (with CDs), writing or work with a partner/class. There are some exercises that are intended for classroom and/or with a partner, but can be fun when you study by yourself. The full course with CDs has a pronunciation guide in Appendix 2 and there is also an extensive and meaningful vocabulary list.

I want to achieve a Dutch language proficiently level that is fluent and at an intermediate level. It is true that this is probably not the best choice for someone just starting out with no Dutch learning experience. Last year, I worked though another popular program, but, like other programs, that one was centered around "tourist talk" (where's hotel, take me to the airport).With this course, I am busy working toward my final goal of being fluent in the Dutch language.Yes, with this program, that goal is now within reach.

Superb book for learning Dutch
As a native speaker of English, and a learner of English's cousin (German) for 3 years, I began to notice the similarities between German, Dutch and English in terms of vocabulary and grammar. After enjoying the music of so many Dutch musicians (which are not popular here in America-even when they do sing in English), I decided that I wanted to study Dutch. I ran into a few problems over the several months of self study, and this product has helped me overcome these problems.

As the book states, Routledge Intensive Dutch Course is an intensive course designed to develop one's language capability from nothing to the European standard, B2, within the time frame of a year. Those people who are looking to spend a week or two touring in the Netherlands or Belgium will probably find the contents of this book to be a little bit too much. However, if one is a language fanatic or has moved to a Dutch-speaking country, this book provides enough information so that one can be decently conversational, while not being totally fluent with the language.

Routledg Intensive Dutch Course is broken down into 11 different units. The first 8 units provide information on a variety of topics, while the last three units focus on the Netherlands and Belgium. Cultural tidbits about the Netherlands and Belgium are also sprinkled throughout the book, which helps the learners, in reality, learn a little bit more about the language they are learning.

Each unit is further divided into several sections. There are structure sections, which focus on Dutch grammar, communication sections, which focus on speaking appropriately/differently in different contexts, cultural sections and listening exercises. The listening exercises are fewer and farther between than I would personally like, but then again, the authors suggest that this book is to be used within an actual classroom setting, and with the aid of a professor, more listening would obviously be incorporated into the course.

Each unit also contains a nice selection of vocabulary. Several vocabulary lists are scattered throughout each unit. This is nice, as it allows one to easily memorize the words as he or she proceeds through the unit as opposed to having one large/comprehensive list of vocabulary at the end of each unit, which leads the reader feeling ultimately overwhelmed. I was also impressed by the variety and arrangement of vocabulary in this book. Previously, I had worked about half way through the "Teach Yourself Dutch" book, and I felt that the vocabulary selection was not good for someone who already speaks both English and German. I would rarely work through the exercises in that book because I could easily understand 80-90% without actually doing the exercise. With the Routledge book, however, there is a nice variety (and a larger amount) of Dutch vocabulary from the start. This allows one to easily get into the swing of sitting down and memorizing vocabulary.

Using this book as a self study tool, I find that some of the exercises are not useful to me, since I am the only person in my town who speaks/is learning Dutch. For a classroom setting, these exercises seem to be right on. The other exercises (grammar and written) are all appropriate, even for someone who is learning independently.

My only complaints about the book are that there are not enough listening exercises for one who is not in an area where he or she can expose him or herself to Dutch, and also that the audio CDs were more costly than the book itself. I cannot understand why the book is listed at $50, while the CDs are $90. The CDs do not contain any frills, and neither does the packaging. It seems like the book would be more costly to produce, but then again, who am I to judge. Overall, this set is a nice program for learning Dutch. If one wants to "get by" while in the Netherlands, then this book is too much, but if one wants to learn a nice amount of Dutch, than this seems like a good way of learning.

NEEDS CD
What isn't said here is that the course is incomplete without the CD-ROM, which isn't included and isn't available even from routledge.In fact, I would say that without the CD-ROM the book shouldn't even be sold, but apparently the folks at Routledge disagree.

Niet te slecht maar ook niet te goed
Don't purchase this as your first book on the Dutch language. It overemphasizes the colloquial, spoken language, with all its slang and grammatical complexities without laying a solid foundation in the basics of communication. The subjects presented concentrate on day to day situations so it's very interesting, but I would have been completely overwhelmed had this been my first book on Nederlands. Although I know only een beetje (a little) from the other boeken that ik heb gekocht (I bought), I know genoeg (enough) to get through the first few lessons without too much difficulty.

In a stunning demonstration of crudity, the book doesn't shy away from quoting passages containing foul language, which certainly has no place in any textbook, IMHO.

So, first look for a book that's makkelijk (easy) and then when you've mastered some of the elements of the language, you'll be ready for this one. ... Read more

Product Description
This Basic program contains 5 hours of audio-only, effective language learning with real-life spoken practice sessions.

The Pimsleur Method provides the most effective language-learning program ever developed. The Pimsleur Method gives you quick command of Dutch structure without tedious drills. Learning to speak Dutch can actually be enjoyable and rewarding.

The key reason most people struggle with new languages is that they aren't given proper instruction, only bits and pieces of a language. Other language programs sell only pieces -- dictionaries; grammar books and instructions; lists of hundreds or thousands of words and definitions; audios containing useless drills. They leave it to you to assemble these pieces as you try to speak. Pimsleur enables you to spend your time learning to speak the language rather than just studying its parts.

When you were learning English, could you speak before you knew how to conjugate verbs? Of course you could. That same learning process is what Pimsleur replicates. Pimsleur presents the whole language as one integrated piece so you can succeed.

With Pimsleur you get:

• Grammar and vocabulary taught together in everyday conversation,
• Interactive audio-only instruction that teaches spoken language organically,
• The flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere,
• 30-minute lessons designed to optimize the amount of language you can learn in one sitting.

Millions of people have used Pimsleur to gain real conversational skills in new languages quickly and easily, wherever and whenever -- without textbooks, written exercises, or drills.

The 10 lessons in the Basic Dutch are the same as the first 10 lessons in the Pimsleur Comprehensive Dutch Level 1.

The 10 lessons in Basic Dutch are also the first 10 lessons in the 16-lesson Conversational Dutch edition.

Pimsleur learners progress from either the Basic or the Conversational to the Comprehensive Level 1, and not from Basic to Conversational edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

very basic
These cd's are very basic and don't teach you very much. They go very slow. It's ok if you just want to learn how to say how are you and such.

I really like Pimsleur Method
I've used this program in Japanese, Spanish, and now Dutch. For the other two languages, I bought Japanese I - 3rd Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive) and Conversational Spanish: Learn to Speak and Understand Spanish with Pimsleur Language Programs (Simon & Schuster's) (Spanish Edition), but i only needed the very basics for Dutch.

With the Pimnsleur method, not only did it provide a good foundation for learning more complex sentences, but I have received compliments from native speakers on my accent, which was important to me.

It may not seem like much, but if you at least make the effort to learn to say, "I'm sorry, I don't understand. Do you speak English?" you get treated much better. I've been traveling overseas my whole life, and an American who makes the effort to learn a few phrases makes a better impression than an American who expects everyone to speak English.

If anything, I recommend the basic programs, in case you find yourself stranded overseas due to an unexpected emergency.

Commuter-friendly Dutch
After failed attempts with other lessons that promised "be where you want to be" yet required a workbook, or launched straight into conversations with your dentist, Pimsleur's Basic Dutch is a true, commuter-friendly beginner's Dutch on CD.

The (well-priced) package contains 5 CDs, with 2 lessons per CD, lasting about 30 minutes each. The lessons build upon one another, increasing vocabulary, understanding of sentence structure, and confidence. The male and female characters converse with each other, and the listener, teaching syntax and cases through phrases you'd actually use during travels. You're also exposed to regional pronunciations, (my Dutch husband says the guy is from the south), so a heads-up on a bit of variance there.

Pimsleur's approach is as fun as the language is challenging, and the lessons really work. You find yourself trying to beat the speaker to the Dutch translation, and laughing at the guy's insistence to have lunch at his house. It's the perfect way to make the most of a daily commute, and my Dutch in-laws are impressed with my rapid progress and accurate pronunciation, so I highly recommend this product.

Great to improve pronunciation
This is a really great product, I had a really big improve after I use it. Besides it explains the context from the phrases, it also explains how the pronunciation should be. Great product! I will buy the now Conversational Dutch!!

Beginner Dutch
Outstanding introductory CD course to this language. Pronunciation is made clear as well as slow and repetitious language building.Speed for building pronunciation and vocabulary is quite fast due to the recap beginning at the start of each new successive lesson.A definite recommend. ... Read more

Product Description
Paolo Sanseverino is an Italian exchange student in Belgium. His Flemish friends Peter en Els are going to get married in three weeks. Right now, he is expecting an Italian visitor to arrive. Paolo is looking forward to it all! There is only one problem: Jennifer Armstrong, an eccentric American woman, is around...This play was written for foreign students of Dutch. It contains about 1000 frequently used Dutch words. The language is simple and the world that is being created is full of funny situations and clichés about the Low Countries. ... Read more

Product Description

Say farewell to language faux pas forever!

Based on the revolutionary Easily Pronounced Language Systems approach, Say It Right in Dutch makes mastering correct Dutch pronunciation simple. With Say It Right you'll learn how to use hundreds of Dutch words and phrases in everyday conversation.

This amazing guide gives you easy-to-read vowel symbols that, when combined with consonants, make pronunciation easy. With Say It Right in Dutch you will:

• Learn more than 500 essential Dutch words and phrases
• Easily create sentences using "Phrasemakers"
• Get a quick reference to more than 500 word pronunciations in the Say It Right travel dictionary

Topics include: Essential Words & Phrases; Arrival/Departure; Transportation; Hotel Survival; Restaurant Survival; Shopping; and Health

Product Description

‘If you want to get to grips further with any of the [European] languages, Routledge’s Colloquial series is the best place you could start.’ Rough Guide to Europe

COLLOQUIAL DUTCH is easy to use and completely up to date!

Specially written by experienced teachers for self-study or class use, the course offers you a step-by-step approach to written and spoken Dutch. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

What makes COLLOQUIAL DUTCH your best choice in personal language learning?

• Interactive – lots of exercises for regular practice
• Clear – concise grammar notes
• Practical – useful vocabulary and pronunciation guide
• Complete - including answer key and reference section

By the end of this rewarding course you will be able to communicate confidently and effectively in Dutch in a broad range of everyday situations.

This pack contains the book and two 60-minute CDs. Recorded by native speakers, these will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Jumpstarter to Dutch...
I emigrated to the Netherlands two years ago from California, an English-monolingual culture. I was familiar with Afrikaans, since I was born in South Africa. This made learning Dutch a lot easier for me, so I very quickly came up to speed. However, it was the book by Donaldson which was the vehicle that brought me up to speed. I know this because after I rapidly moved forward as I used the book, I recommended it to an American who also found the book useful. I had a number of other texts, but I quickly abandoned them and concentrated on Donaldson's book.

After settling down to life in Amsterdam, the things that REALLY helped were the "colloquialisms" mentioned by Donaldson, and the little "culture points". They were enormously helpful. Dutch has a lot of idiom, and you need to understand what is happening in the syntax and delivery and the culture points also help clarify why things are being said the way they are when they are by whom under what circumstances. But any language is that way, including English !

Of course you need a dictionary ! You cannot rely on the word list in the book. Of course you need a verb conjugator (like 201 Dutch Verbs). And I would add, that after you get serious, you will also need a specialist idiomatic reference and dictionary.

The book was not all I needed to learn Dutch. I had to go to courses to get better, and you must also force yourself to use the language and to hurl yourself deep into a Dutch-only environment. English is pervasive and you can end up in an English universe in the Netherlands. A Dutch live-in partner would also help. Watching TV (cartoons are a great help), subtitling, listening to the radio (online too), reading the newspaper and magazines and web pages all add as an addendum to the book and daily usage.

This is a very good, serious first-level starer, folks ! The tapes too !

Een goed boek.
This was the closest thing I could find to a college textbook for first-year Dutch.Each chapter has about 4 grammar lessons, about 6 blocks of exercises to drill you on the grammar lessons, about 4 dialogues to read and hear on tapes which illustrate the grammar lessons, plus a couple of blocks on Dutch/Flemish culture.

The whole thing is very well done.If you're willing to devote the kind of effort you would in a one-year college course, you should be quite satisfied.Bruce Donaldson is a good writer/teacher.The back of the book contains answers to all the exercises, very helpful for self-study.In the dialogues you encounter many common family and tourist situations.By the end of the book, you'll have encountered all verb tenses and many common grammatical constructions.In fact, you'll have a working knowledge of basic Dutch.

There are a couple of things about the book I would like to see changed.At a few places, you're taught the correct way to say something, followed by a statement to the effect that in practice it's often said in some technically incorrect way that you are then taught at length.In effect, you're being taught slang.I personally don't like this in a text for beginners.I suspect that the author was influenced by the "colloquial" in the title.

Another point is that the book doesn't have many vocabulary lists.You usually first encounter words in the dialogues or exercises.You can usually, but not always, find the word defined in the glossary at the back of the book.Get a Dutch-English dictionary to supplement the book.

Sometimes grammatical constructions appear in dialogues long before they're formally explained in the text.You end up initially learning these things by rote without understanding them well.I assume this was intentional on the part of the author (we learned our native language this way).You just find yourself thumbing back to past dialogues at times.Since the dialogues are an essential part of the learning experience, I strongly recommend you shell out the extra money for the tapes.Dutch pronunciation is quite challenging, all the more reason to get the tapes.

The bottom line is that I enjoyed working my way through this book and I'm satisfied with the amount of Dutch I was able to learn.I don't think anything else in print would have served me as well.

Essential in Amsterdam
I'm in the Amsterdam airport right now.The announcements over the loudspeaker for gate changes and such are all in Dutch...which is very scary because I don't speak it.If you plan to spend some time in the Amsterdam airport you should get this book first.Granted, they make the announcements in English eventually but the first burst of Dutch sure can scare a guy.Save yourself the pain and grab this book first.Oh...they are talking in Thai now...better buy that one too.

Companion cassettes...
These are a companion item to the "Colloquial Dutch : A Complete Course for Beginners" book.You will most likely want to buy the book as well, or the set of both.

Descent
Diffucult to understand and the layout could be a lot better.To complicated needs to be simplified. ... Read more

Product Description
Take the frustration out of learning new grammar

The Teach Yourself Language Grammar series brings the languages of the world within the reach of any beginning student. Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually elevates the student to a level of confident communication. Enjoyable and userfriendly, the new editions and titles feature improved page designs and even clearer explanations. ... Read more

Product Description

Comprehensive Dutch I includes 30 lessons of essential grammar and vocabulary -- 16 hours of real-life spoken practice sessions -- plus an introduction to reading.

Upon completion of this Level I program, you will have functional spoken proficiency with the most-frequently-used vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will be able to:

* initiate and maintain face-to-face conversations,

* deal with every day situations -- ask for information, directions, and give basic information about yourself and family,

* communicate basic information on informal topics and participate in casual conversations,

* avoid basic cultural errors and handle minimum courtesy and travel requirements,

* satisfy personal needs and limited social demands,

* establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries,

* begin reading and sounding out items with native-like pronunciation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

THIS is the way to start speaking Dutch!
I keep my boat in Holland and want to equip myself initially with some basic Dutch.

I started with Bruce Donald's Conversational Dutch and CD - but concluded that, while this might be useful for some, it would not do what I was looking for (see my review on this).

Pinsleur, however, completely fills the bill.

The course is made up of 30 half hour sessions (apparently the optimal learning period) entirely based on listening, repeating and participating in conversations using vocabulary and expressions that you have been introduced to. Initially, you repeat what you have heard, then you use it to answer questions; new material is introduced but the material you have already learned is also used again. Speaking aloud appears to hard wire into your brain what you have learned. Grammar is not taught formally, the Pimsleur method assumes that adults learn as children do - by usage.

This is predominantly a "listening and speaking" approach - you need to reach lesson 12 before any reading material appears! The course notes urge you NOT to use dictionaries etc or to write anything down while listening and participating in the lessons. Only Dutch speakers are used, and the words initially are broken down by syllable to ensure that you have every chance of acquiring a near native accent. The Dutch speakers are well chosen. Many courses use speakers that are so gutteral that it is very difficult for beginners to follow. The woman has a particularly clear speaking voice; the man is more gutteral but it is still completely possible to follow him.

And it works!

After the first couple of lessons, I found I could say confidently a few words that were actually useful. (Good morning. Excuse me. I don't speak Dutch. Do you speak English. etc). And the hardwiring worked - they came automatically, I didn't really have to think at all.

I am nearing the end of the course (30 lessons) and continue to be delighted. Right from the beginning, I have spoken confidently and have used what I have learnt (not true of my French, even though I have a much better command of French grammar and a bigger vocabulary). Dutch speakers tell me that they have been pleasantly surprised by my accent - I have not been taken automatically for English. I've also found Pimsleur's vocabulary and situations relate well to everyday usage.

But fairly early on, I slightly departed from Pimsleur principles. After about lesson 6, I got a small dictionary - but I only use it AFTER lessons. I find that difficult words and phrases are better locked if I can see them as well as hear them.

From about lesson 10, I have consciously started to acquire some additional relevant vocabulary using phrase books etc (but ignoring their suggestions for phonetic pronounciation)and a better dictionary. And as my vocabulary improves using the course, I feel more confident that anything else that I acquire will also have a "good" accent - though I do check with native speakers where I am doubtful about stress etc.

Yes, there are a couple of problems about this approach.

Initially, I could speak a little but when confronted with written Dutch, street names, supermarket labels, I had absolutely no idea what the words should sound like. Nor could I write down what I COULD say!! But this is a shortlived problem - and the advantages for me completely outweighed the initial difficulty.

The lack of formal grammar will be also be a bit of a problem for some people. But this is something that I plan to address separately when I get to the end of this course.

And that's the third problem. So far, there is only this one introductory basic course as Dutch is seen as a minority language - and, of course, it is. The more mainstream languages go automatically to 3 courses - 90 lessons. And Italian further still.Please, please Pimsleur, get cracking on an Intermediate Dutch Course!

If what you want to do is to start SPEAKING, I couldn't recommend it more highly than I do. It's given me confidence and a desire to move on.

Was great, and want MORE
I did a study semester in The Hague, but honestly didn't learn much dutch there, as it is so easy to speak English to get around.But, it's just been a fun hobby now for me to learn.And I bought Pimsleur and did the 30 courses, however that's as far as it goes.I know Dutch is an unpopular language, but would be nice to have more, because it IS so easy to just pop it in your car's stereo and absorb it! I've gone now with Rosetta Stone, just so I can advance.Great product though. I am now doing Pimsleur French.

WORTH EVERY CENT
Pimsleur Dutch I, 30 lessons is TOP NOTCH, you will learn how to speak Dutch on a basic level, but you will be speaking and understanding others around you. Hopefully Pimsleur is working on levels II and III.

It comes with a booklet so that you can learn how to read Dutch. This proved very helpful.

It is a beautiful language and at times it seems as if people are actually singing.

Have fun!

Awesome!
I love these tapes. If you follow instruction and really follow through, you're sure to learn!

Makes learning effortless
I don't know how they do it, but Pimsleur make learning a language effortless. It's such a pleasure to listen to the tapes and speak with them, and pretty soon you can do it without even thinking. I kept the tapes in my car and listened to each one over and over until I knew it so well it became boring- then I went on to the next tape. I wish so much they had more tapes to continue with, because now I'm finished with these. ... Read more