Learning Flemish Dutch in 100 Days

Trisha founder of
Language Learners Journal

Hallo there, starting in September my next language project will be learning Flemish-Dutch in 100 days!

Dutch is spoken by around 23 million people. It is a Germanic language at the heart of Europe. Spoken in the Netherlands (Holland) and Belgium. Flemish is the Belgian variant of Dutch and is spoken by over 5 million people in Belguim and parts of France!

Over the last few years, I’ve undertaken a number of language projects including…

  • Icelandic Basics in 28 Days – (Success).
  • Exploring Scots in 28 Days – (Failed).
  • Spanish in 90 days – with the goal of having a 15-minute conversation with a native speaker. I managed 20 minutes PLUS a Facebook LIVE! (Success – goal smashed).
  • A Year of Mandarin 2019 – I’ve had a 15-minute conversation, but the ultimate goal is for 30 minutes of conversation time!

During each challenge, I’ve documented my personal language learning journey on social media to inspire and (hopefully) help motivate other language learners. Plus to share the resources I have used.

For this challenge I want to demonstrate…

  • What you can achieve in just a minimum of 15-30 minutes consistent study a day over 100 day period.
  • Prove that you don’t need to move to a country to learn the language!
  • Demonstrate that you can learn a language independently and without breaking the piggy bank.

Why Learn Dutch?

Bruges, Belgium. Photography by Simon Dunbar.

More often then not English is spoken better in Europe than by UK natives! So if that is the case why bother!?

During my last trip to Belgium just saying things like please and thank you seemed to earn me the respect of the locals and they appreciated me trying.

As Holland and Belgium are my favourite places to visit I’ve been feeling for some time now that learning Dutch would be of great benefit to me – even if it’s just to read the menu without a double take.

Image may contain: text

The Goal: To learn to speak and read in Dutch to A2/B1 cusp level within 100 days, so I can have conversations with the people I meet – in Dutch – and make sense of the menus!

The Starting Line…

Currently, I am an absolute beginner in Dutch, but I’ll aspire to a B1 ‘cusp’ level within 100 days. Given my native language and knowledge of other Germanic languages, I feel this is challenging, but not unrealistic.

Goal setting is really important in language learning and I will have a plan in place because ‘you will never reach you destination if you don’t know where you are going‘!

Further Reading: Dutch in 100 Days Project – In the Beginning… * Dutch in 100 Days Project – The Midway Mark

The Plan?

Bruges, Belgium. Photography by Simon Dunbar.

To set aside a minimum of 15-30 minutes of consistent study time per week for the next 100 days. I’ll spend the first 10 days listening to materials and building vocabulary. Then I will move on to reading and writing before speaking.

I’ll be documenting the whole thing via my blog and on social media and post updates every 25 days. I’ll be working in blocks of 25 days.

Prep Week

To take a placement test to determine my current level of Dutch (done). To learn 1000 most common words in Dutch and complete the mini-review tests and exams. Then retake the placement test to see what progress I have made.

Block 1 : Greetings and Survival Phrases

  • The input method through audiobooks, podcasts, and vocabulary builders.
  • Work through the ‘Learn Dutch’ modules.
  • 15-30 minutes study per day.

Block 2: Dutch Grammar and Reading

  • Start to speak and read in Dutch.
  • Continue to work through the ‘Learn Dutch’ modules.
  • Increase study time to 30-45 minutes per day.

Block 3 : Getting Conversational

  • Book some lessons with professional tutors.
  • Find a Dutch-speaking study buddy to speak with!
  • Continue with the input method.

Block 4: Wild Card and Final Review

  • At the end of my ‘Dutch in 100 Days Project’, I’ll be doing a Facebook LIVE in Dutch!

Resources For This Project

Bruges, Belgium. Photography by Simon Dunbar.

I’ll be using all of the resources on Parleremo. This free language learning platform is packed with useful tools and materials. This will mean that I do not need to waste time searching the web.

I’ll also be taking part in the Parleremo Language Marathon to help keep me motivated whilst learning Dutch. Many challenges tend to use Facebook Groups, but what I like about this challenge is that it is hosted on the Parleremo platform. It has a wide range of tools and resources in 35+ different languages to help build a consistent study routine within a very supportive language learning community!

I have invested in the Dutch in Three Months Course from DK and the Lonely Plant Dutch Phrasebook, which is available on Amazon.

UTalk is one of another one of my favorite resources for learning languages. It uses verbal, visual and fun exercises to teach languages. A fabulous free alternative to this is LingoHut.

Not to forget that I’ll be using Duolingo and Memrise to build my vocabulary.

Finally I’ll be checking out the Learn Dutch course and Dutch Pod 101

If you want to follow my progress…

Like my Facebook page and follow me on Twitter / Instagram

Please leave me your comments below, as I’m very keen to hear from you about this project and any resource recommendations!

The Mindful Language Learner11 Comments

Introducing the Language Marathon from Parleremo…

Register for the Challenge Today!

Do you ‘hop’ between languages without building any real consistency to your study routines?

Are you juggling many languages all at once?

Would you like to learn a language, but feel you are just too busy?

Language Learners Journal is excited to announce that we have teamed up with the Parleremo Language Community to create a brand new and exciting language learning challenge!

Parleremo, meaning ‘we’ll talk‘ in Italian is a free language learning platform with over 1200+ members. It has resources for 35+ languages (and growing). Originally created in 2008 it reopened in August 2019. With some BIG changes, including the brand new (small fee) challenge to help ‘level up‘ language learning!

Practice writing by creating journal articles in your target language.

Online language challenges are becoming very popular for independent language learners as they encourage motivation and community support.

These challenges do have excellent methods to combine accountability and motivation to greatly improve language skills using social media.

Recently prices have soared for online challenges with the average cost now reaching triple numbers for a 30-90 day challenge!

However, Parleremo Language Marathon is slightly different as it is hosted on our very own secure platform with access to many resources, tools and a supportive community to help keep you on track of your language learning.

Practice pronunciation by making recordings in your target language.

“Motivation is important, but discipline is required in language learning to make real progress. It’s the discipline that drives you forward even through those difficult moments, inturn this fuels motivation and the reward pathways in the brain.”

Trisha Dunbar,
Founder of Language Learners Journal.
Co-Creator of the Parleremo Language Marathon.

The Way it Works…

Choose between two options:

Parleremo Language Marathon
The Parleremo Language Challenge
  • The Mega Marathon: Want to make real progress and level up your language learning? Discover what routine works best for you and commit to a minimum of 15 minutes per day language study for the next 100 days within a supportive online community.
  • The Mini-Marathon: Perfect if you want a ‘taster‘ of a new language, revive the love for a language you may have studied years ago OR to check out the Parleremo Randomiser, where a language is generated for you! Commit to a minimum of 15 minutes per day language study for 26 consecutive days within a supportive online community. (Recommended if you new to language challenges).

“The Parleremo Language Marathon is based on the successful Parleremo language platform. We have all the resources you need to kick start language learning with the aim of ‘leveling up’ your target language!”

Erik Zidowecki Director of Scrivermo Publishing
Founder of Parleremo and
Co-Creator of The Parleremo Language Marathon.

Benefits of the Parleremo Language Marathon


✅ Choose a language OR have one randomly generated for you when you create a profile for the Language Learning Marathon!

✅ Keep track of your language learning progress over 26 days (mini-marathon) or 100 days (mega marathon) with the Language Logs feature.

✅ Take part in mini-challenges and earn virtual badges and points to keep you motivated.

✅ Go head-to-head with other participants.

✅ Visit the video vault of languages.

✅ Check out our library of resources.

✅ Record yourself speaking or write a journal entry in your target language using the tools on our platform and receive feedback from other participants.

✅ Chat with other language learners via the forum, messenger or video chat systems avaliable on the platform.

✅ Weekly live check-ins, workshops, and unlimited email/forum support throughout the challenge from our professional and experienced learning coaches.

✅ Certificate from the creators upon successful completion of the Parleremo Language Marathon.

✅ PLUS lots, lots more…

Interested? Register here for more information on how to join the Parlermo Language Marathon or share this article with your language learning friends.

Register for the Challenge Here!

The Mindful Language LearnerLeave a comment

Request for Writers

Have you heard of Parrot time Magazine?

Seeing as this is the International Year of Indigenous Languages, we will producing a special edition of the Parrot Time Magazine, which will be devoted to this cause.

If you are interested or know someone who is in writing an article about indigenous languages, please get in contact with us.

If you run a language business especially in relation to indigenous languages and interested in placing an advert please get in touch and I’ll pass your details to the editor of the Parrot Time Magazine.

Deadline for drafts is the end of March.

Parrot Time Magazine language learning languages

The Mindful Language LearnerLeave a comment