You might know by now that it speeds up your learning curve if you practice Dutch in real life. You can engage in some small talk with other parents at the school yard or talk to someone who is walking their dog. An other occasion to practice your Dutch is at the supermarket or in any other shop. This cannot go wrong. Let me tell you why.
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visit to This is Holland
When you live in Amsterdam like me, you don’t go around to tourist attractions a lot, because you’ve already seen it all. Why make a 4-hour long boat trip along 
the Amstel, when you pass the exact same route as you do on your bike every day? We still did it and it was a bit of a boring attraction for us, but we still had a fun night, maybe because of the ‘advocaatje met slagroom’ – an alcoholic treat you eat with a little spoon. Last weekend though, we went to a much more exciting tourist event in Amsterdam: This is Holland
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Practice your Dutch and talk to a stranger with a dog
If you live in the Netherlands, you can get some free Dutch practice whenever you want. There can be some problems though. There will be cultural differences between your current location and your homeland. Can you just address a random Dutch person and have a conversation with them? The answer is no. There are certainly conventions for small talk. But one group is notably susceptible to hear the right words: Dutch dog owners. It’s quite easy to please them and practice your Dutch at the same time. Read here how to approach them and what to say.
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What is most important for learning Dutch?
Some people learn Dutch faster than others. This is a fact. But why? Of course this has to do with motherland, background and education. But even more important is your overall skill set.
There is one skill that is most important for learning Dutch, and that skill is listening.
Forget about the meaning of the words, but start to listen to intonation and rhythm. Start with getting the feel of the Dutch language.
THE BENEFITS OF LISTENING WELL
By listening well, you’ll also learn to speak Dutch well. Improve therefore your listening skills, because:
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Uitwaaien in The Netherlands
The first week of January the Washington Post dedicated an article to the Dutch custom of ‘uitwaaien’ (Check Forvo for the pronunciation). Although the article focuses a bit too much on surfing to explain the concept, I thought it was quite interesting. Does it really explain an aspect of Dutch culture or does it actually show an aspect of American culture? As a Dutch native, I assume the latter. But yes, that’s my point of view from Amsterdam. I wonder how other world citizens think about it.
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