Stay in touch. Keep up your Dutch! #3
At Direct Dutch Institute we always tell our students: ‘practise makes perfect’. And: ‘use it or lose it’. But how do you practise your … Read more
dutch language course
The Dutch love afair with freedom
Written by Ruud Hisgen of Direct Dutch Instutute for I am Expat More than wealth, status and love, the Dutch love to be free… … Read more
7 tips for learning Dutch gained from 30 years of teaching Dutch
Last year Direct Dutch Institute celebrated its 30th anniversary. Founder and director Ruud Hisgen looks back at three decades of teaching Dutch, and shares some useful lessons … Read more
Herfst is here: Time to update your Dutch vocabulary!
Written by Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute) for I am Expat Summer is definitely over and we’re right in the middle of autumn. Storms … Read more
Dutch words and expressions every cyclist needs to know
By Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute) for I am Expat One of the first words a newcomer in the Netherlands will learn is “fiets”. … Read more
Learning Dutch with Annie M.G. Schmidt
This article is written by Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute) for I am Expat. Almost all Dutch natives grew up with Mrs Schmidt, i.e. … Read more
Direct Dutch film club CANCELLED
Direct Dutch film club on Sunday March 15 is cancelled. Central Library The Hague is closed until March 31 as a safety precaution against … Read more
23 ways to ‘sod off’ in Dutch
Written by Ruud Hisgen of Direct Dutch Institute for I am Expat Sometimes enough is enough and you just have to tell an obnoxious … Read more
Four typical Dutch sweets
By Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute) for I am Expat It is a well-known fact that many Dutch men and women have a sweet … Read more
7 tenacious myths about the Dutch language
Why do many foreigners living in the Netherlands and Belgium shy away from learning Dutch? Is it because they think it is too difficult? … Read more
Spreek Nederlands met mij: Seven reasons to learn Dutch
By Dr. Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute), written for I am Expat Ninety percent of residents in the big Dutch cities speak English fluently, … Read more
Talking Oscars with the Dutch
By Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute) for IamExpat In February each year we are all anxious to see who will receive an Academy Award, … Read more
Four useful phrases made famous by Dutch statesmen
This article was written by Ruud Hisgen of Direct Dutch Institute for I am Expat We all know and use phrases like “Liberty, equality, … Read more
Mevrouw Mondriaan heeft geen zin om naar buiten te gaan
Mevrouw Mondriaan heeft vandaag geen zin om naar buiten te gaan. Het regent veel te heel hard. ‘Kom, denkt ze, ik ga lekker naar … Read more
7 Dutch expressions about the weather
Number one in the top five of Dutch conversation topics is the fickle weather. Breek het ijs(break the ice) by making a remark about the … Read more
Six ways of saying sorry in Dutch
By Ruud Hisgen (Direct Dutch Institute), for I am Expat The United Kingdom may be leaving the EU (so sorry for that!), but the … Read more