The Delft method
This method was developed at Delft University of Technology. It was designed to quickly prepare Chinese students for a Dutch university education. It allows you to learn Dutch quickly and efficiently.
In every session, we focus on one text. For each lesson, you need to fully understand the text. That means looking up all unfamiliar (new) words. You also need to make sure your pronunciation is correct. The online materials will help you with this. You can record your voice and listen back. This preparation will take about two to three hours.
The lesson itself is almost entirely dedicated to conversation. You’ll be speaking Dutch with your fellow students, guided by the teacher. Each lesson lasts one hour and is immediately followed by a short test.
If you’ve done your homework, I guarantee you’ll understand the conversation because we only use the words you’ve already learned. That means we just use 50 words the first lesson! Grammar is not taught explicitly. Instead, you acquire it naturally through imitation, just like a child learning their first language.
Your learning curve will be steep, because you’re learning actively. You’ll be constantly producing the language, rather than passively listening to a teacher. That’s where the progress happens.
Results will come — but only if you do your homework for every single lesson.
If you don’t, you won’t be able to participate in the conversation and will need to catch up immediately. Otherwise, you’ll quickly fall behind. This method is for the disciplined!
The green book
