About Laura speaks Dutch
This podcast has been created to help you speak Dutch. Using irregular episodes you’ll learn how to speak the language, some information on the Netherlands and some useful tips. I onced aimed at presenting five minute episodes that are easy to follow, informative and fun! Now the podcasts are of irregular length, but generally somewhere around ten minutes. I don’t claim to bring you a perfect Dutch course, but just a fun way to pick up some sayings and learn about out beautiful nation at the same time.
Why is this podcast called Laura speaks Dutch? Well in 2006 I met Laura Davis in San Diego. We fell in love and I wanted her to know what type of work I do and what a podcast is. It helped with the endless long distance between us (more than 6,000 miles is not really easy to overcome). Since the Internet is an open medium quite rapidly other people joined the party and the podcast started to really live. Meanwhile a large group of people are enjoying the lessons and that’s a good thing.
Unfortunately the distance killed the relationship in the end, but both Laura and I feel the podcast is a fun and good thing. We are still good friends and as you can’t erase the beautiful memory of the times we had together in the US and the Netherlands, the podcast is still some testimonial to that. So after a short interruption I continued the episodes and they are now available nearly every week. I will make them as long as it is fun to do so and that is clearly the case at the moment.
The concept is simple: After a short introduction I take a subject and teach sentences that match the subject. I repeat each sentence three times in order to help you repeat that better. After that I repeat the whole lesson so you hear the story in a coherent setting. Recently I started to end the show with a question about a certain subject, where an expert explains the answer or sometimes I myself give the answer. This will help you understand the Netherlands and the Dutch somewhat better. I don’t make up the question, but the listeners do by replying to a story or sending me e-mail.
Enjoy the podcasts and feel free to respond by e-mail or as a comment under an episode.
Comments
Comment from susymac
Time: January 20, 2007, 11:00 pm
great website! read about it this evening in “living” and went right to the site. i’m a canadian married to a dutchy and living in assen for almost 6yrs now. wish this kind of site was available yrs ago when i was in the planning stages of moving over. i’m a dutch citizen now and speak the language quite well (so i’ve been told)…i still think language is best learned when a want and need are there…like in my case moving to the netherlands and getting a dutch-only job 9mths after my arrival (YIKES!)…that being said…this is the very next best!
good luck to both of you…i know how hard it is to be far from the one you love.
suzie
Comment from finem
Time: March 16, 2007, 10:30 pm
Hoi,
Thanks for keeping the podcast going! Thanks also for giving us the written texts on the website. There is so much crammed into each episode that it helps to listen and read along as well. Laura with the Queen!!
Dag,
Michael
Comment from Hijden
Time: April 3, 2007, 9:14 am
Great website! I thinks you’re doing a great job teaching people the basics of Dutch. I’m living in South Africa and have never been to visit my Dad’s family in Nederland. I am planning a trip there soon and it would be great if you could do a podcast about meeting family for the first time – telling them what I do, what I like, and so on. (Family things)
Carry on with the good work!
Shaun
Comment from Hijden
Time: April 3, 2007, 9:16 am
Great website! I thinks you’re doing a great job teaching people the basics of Dutch. I’m living in South Africa and have never been to visit my Dad’s family in Nederland. I am planning a trip there soon and it would be great if you could do a podcast about meeting family for the first time – telling them what I do, what I like, and so on. (Family things)
Carry on with the good work!
Comment from Joel
Time: May 22, 2007, 10:43 am
Hallo!
Great podcast! I’m so glad I found it. I’m only at episode 9, but it’s keep getting better. I’m from Israel but my family from my mother’s side are from Leeuwarden. Love the NL!
Keep up the good work.
Bedankt en tot horen,
Joel, Israel
Comment from cleverleap
Time: June 1, 2007, 10:15 pm
You are excellent! I spent wonderful semester in Belgium and learn little bit of Dutch. Your podcast helps me to remember those wonderful days, keep warm memories in my head and further improve my Dutch. Thank you and keep going.
Comment from Evie
Time: June 4, 2007, 1:31 pm
I only recent found your site – and love it! I practised this song for my father’s birthday yesterday, and I think sung it quite well! I live in Australia and my father’s family is from Netherlands. I plan to visit the rest of our family next year with my father. So I’m practicing hard. Thank you this is just so helpful and thank you for your efforts.
Comment from karolina
Time: August 4, 2007, 9:48 am
Hoi!
Thanks for making this site. its brilliant! One question / favour though, could you possible attach to each podcast written form/dialog so I can listen and see text at the same time? This would help in learning not only spoken but written Dutch.
thanks in advance
prettig dag en groetjes!
karolina
Comment from michaela
Time: August 27, 2007, 9:01 pm
Hey,
thanks for these wonderful small storys, that makes learning much easyer. When i visit Utrecht i hear your podcast on the way and when i arrive i am ready to speak 
groetjes
michaela from berlin, germany
Comment from istvanszabo
Time: November 1, 2007, 12:58 pm
Hoi
Nice job the podcast is great! I’m only at episode 9 but catching up fast.:D Thanks for making it. I’ve been in The Netherlands for a year and now that I came back I started a Dutch course 
kind of stoopid not to do it when i was actually there, but anyway…. better later then never.
Wish you and Laura the best and nice to read that you are still together – what a love story
groetjes uit Hongarij
Istvan
Comment from jud
Time: November 8, 2007, 9:11 pm
I’ve been listening to the podcast for a couple of months now and love it. I studied dutch at university and always really enjoyed the language but I have not kept up with it. The podcast has reignited my interest. Keep up the good work. One suggestion: Repeating the entire dialog in dutch at the end of each episode would be very helpful in getting the rhythm of the language.
Dank U wel en tot horens
Comment from oztrev
Time: November 19, 2007, 1:42 pm
I found your podcasts when downloading some material to learn Dutch.. I found your website when I heard you give the URL in the first lesson. Thanks for the lessons, they are quite entertaining, and I enjoy listening to them immensely. I am planning on visiting some friends in Belgium in 2-3 years, and am determined to learn the beautiful language as well as I can for when I visit them. Keep up the excellent work!
Comment from Erwin
Time: December 4, 2007, 2:56 pm
We just started 2BDutch. 2BDutch wants to help non-dutch to learn about the dutch culture and language. To achieve that goal, we use online available dutch webvideos (from Google and YouTube) and give them multiple subtitles. So everyone should be able to understand the videos. The webvideo’s can be used to practise dutch listening skills and to increase the vocabulary.
We are still looking for people that want to help us with subtitles and suggestions for online available webvideo’s. And we invite people to let us know how they experience the concept.
Be welcome to visit our site: ( http://www.2bdutch.nl)!
Comment from MacNapier
Time: March 10, 2008, 7:38 pm
Great little place to get acquainted with basic Dutch and how it is spoken. Please continue the podcasts and continue with more grammar and some vocabulary.
Greetz!
Comment from scottc89
Time: June 24, 2008, 7:49 pm
Just wanted to thank you for putting this great pod cast on Dutch so up beginners can begin to learn what’s important in gasping a new! language.
Sincerely;
Vern Scott Kennedy
Comment from kbhattac
Time: October 19, 2008, 9:58 pm
Incredible site!!
Please keep it up as long as the sun shines….
Hartelijke bedankt voor jouw geweldig hulp!
Kaushik.
Comment from billhs711
Time: September 2, 2009, 3:31 pm
My Dutch wife and I are looking to move (back) to Holland, so I surfed the net to find help.
As I use an iPod regularly I thought I’d check the App store. I have downloaded all of them from “Greetings” to “Wedding speeches”. I am listening to them as I commute. They are a welcome break from the other teach-yourself course.
Very enjoyable. Well done.
PS Anyone got a job for me?
Comment from Lizzy
Time: September 5, 2009, 12:24 am
Every morning when I get ready I listen to your podcast! Thanks so much for making the effort to create this! As a Brit living in Asia and married to a Dutch man, it helps me become acclimatised to his culture and family.
I do have one suggestion! How about if I go food shopping? How do I ask for things? Also, some vocab on food would be nice…:-)
Also, going out to a restaurant…?
If you have time to help with that, that would be nice!
Many thanks again!
Liz
Comment from clementinax
Time: June 3, 2010, 10:05 pm
Hello!
I’m just found out about this podcast and I love it!
I went to Holland (Amsterdam) last summer and I completely fall in love with the country. I’m even planning to move over there and your lessons are given me the basics on Dutch!
I a little bit hard to repeat all the sentences (the soccer lesson was a little bit difficult but really fun!) but Im triying to do it every day. And I love it to because is not only a good way to learn some Dutch but also to know things about your wonderfull country.
I know that you began this podcast four years ago, but still fun and easy!
Thanks from Caracas, Venezuela!
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