What is the Dutch Brainwash Effect?

If you want to learn Dutch, there are many different courses to choose from. So, which one to pick? One course is different from the rest. It is the Dutch Brainwash, run by Albert Both from Talencoach, in the center of Amsterdam. Albert promises that within seven days, your Dutch will change radically.

7 days to speak much better Dutch? At first, it seems impossible. You cannot learn a language within 7 days. You’ll need much more time than that. At least 7 months, if not years. That’s why we asked Albert Both how your Dutch can improve so much within 7 days.

Why should learning and speaking Dutch be so frustrating?

Well… says Albert, let me first explain that I can understand 1000% that speaking Dutch for real within only 7 days seems impossible. Chances are high that if you tried to learn and speak Dutch on your own, you came to the conclusion that Dutch must be very complicated. Even if you take a course for complete beginners, it can be extremely overwhelming.

There are multiple reasons for this. Most courses heavily depend on studying and memorizing. You’ll start with chapter 1, and then what you do is you learn some vocabulary lists by heart, and then of course you also try to hammer in some useful sentences.

If this is your strategy, you will encounter problems sooner or later. First of all, it’s hard to remember something that doesn’t make sense, and second, you feel bored so that learning will slow down even more. Here is another unpleasant thing that often happens. Many teachers believe that if they only speak Dutch, you will pick it up faster. This is ridiculous, of course. You can never learn things that you do not understand.

When it is time for a change, why not change how you learn?

Once again, it’s easy to feel defeated during your Dutch course. Everything looks complicated, and most things do not make sense. No wonder that many people leave it all together, because why would you work so hard if you see minimal results? Here is another unfortunate thing that too often happens… People feel discouraged and shut down completely. Whenever they see or hear Dutch in everyday life, they block it off and just focus on English.

For some while – sometimes even years – this strategy seems to work. No Dutch, only English, problem solved. But… when life goes by, some things also change. Maybe you got a new job, have a Dutch partner, or even have kids. Or, for some mysterious reason, you realised that many years have passed, and you may stay in the Netherlands just a little bit longer. All of a sudden, speaking Dutch seems to be important.

Of course, it’s easy to understand that if you speak Dutch, life will be easier and more fun. But then, of course, the question arises: how can I learn this language quickly? You may not be in the mood to feel frustrated or annoyed again.

Luckily, there is some good news. Any experience you may have had with learning Dutch so far says little or nothing about the results you can achieve right now. But here’s another thing that’s also true. It’s not very wise to do the same thing and expect different results.

How do you want to learn Dutch?

Contrary to what you may think, you are more gifted at learning and speaking Dutch than you initially imagine. But… you have to be willing to accept some new ideas. The first question you need to answer is: How would you like to learn Dutch?

The question of how you like to learn Dutch is more important than you may think. No wonder that many people never think about it. Let’s ask it this way: would you like to learn it the traditional way, or would you prefer to learn it much faster while having a lot of fun?

Yes… learning and speaking Dutch can be an eternal struggle if you don’t know how it really works. The truth is that Dutch and English have many things in common, and you do not have to start from zero. You can start on a much higher level, and if you speak other languages than English, it is even better.

Then, what you need to do is learn how to be relaxed and have outrageous fun, says Albert. If you can see learning and speaking Dutch as an exciting new adventure, then everything changes sooner than you think.

The good thing for me, says Albert, is that I love many languages. I call myself a language monster. It helps me whenever I work with people. On top of that, I have been training for over 20 years, so I’ve learned how to speed things up quickly.

In a way, what I do is a very gentle process. I ask people certain questions and let them solve little puzzles. Once people discover that they can figure out many things on their own, it automatically unleashes natural learning. You hear and read Dutch things, and all of a sudden, it makes much more sense!

Read Also: 8 Peculiar Things You Wish You Knew Before Going to a Birthday Party in Dutch

When people join my Dutch Brainwash, it’s hard for my students to imagine that their Dutch can actually improve significantly in such a short time. Luckily, the atmosphere during a Dutch Brainwash tends to be gezellig, good and already on day one, people feel more excitement, confidence, optimism and hope.

Then, after 3, 4 or 5 days for many students, things start to shift. It’s something I like to call the Dutch Brainwash effect. People begin to dream in Dutch, and all of a sudden, they notice that they’ve really opened up. They begin to experience that you can continuously improve your Dutch in real life, which strengthens their connection with people around them.

One challenge is that you learn how to think in simple ways. When most people try to say something in Dutch, they tend to make it too complicated. Certainly, if you have a higher education, this is likely what you often do. On top of that, you must learn how to operate in playful and creative ways. Certainly, when your vocabulary is still limited, you need to think and act in flexible ways. But… once you know how to do all this, you’ll experience great freedom. Even with limited information, you can discuss anything you want!

Another great advantage of diving into Dutch for 7 days in a row is that you can learn that Dutch has a clear and predictable structure. This is not something you need to study for hours. Once you actually do it repeatedly, having a good laugh now and then, it becomes the easiest way to make Dutch your own.

The most important part of the Dutch Brainwash Effect is that most students actually start to like Dutch, and this is important. It is hard to be good at something that you don’t really like. On top of that, once you start to understand the people around you on a deeper level, life starts to feel richer. Some people even say that now, being in Holland, begins to feel like being at home, and that’s a beautiful thing… You can feel at home in the Netherlands sooner than you think, and once you do, it’s a bonus: your Dutch will get better and better.