Dutch 101: Everyday Words
This post is a class syllabus and progress tracker for part of my “adult-school” curriculum. Overview here.
Subject: Foreign Language & Cultural Studies
Course Title: Dutch 101: Everyday Words
Dates: Monday September 1st to December 22nd.
Learning Objective: Build foundational vocabulary, practice conversational skills in real-life daily, and work towards passing A1 exam in Spring 2026.
A1 Level Context:
Vocabulary: ~500–1,000 words
Skills: Understanding familiar expressions, forming simple sentences, introducing yourself, answering personal questions
Grammar: Basic sentence structures, conjugation of common verbs, articles, plurals, and simple prepositions
Cultural understanding: Polite interactions, greetings, basic etiquette
Requirements for A+ Grade:
Attendance
Meet with tutor (online via Preply) 8 times
Research, Study and Media Consumption
Weeks 1 to 4: Foundational Vocabulary & Simple Sentences
Weeks 5 to 8: Practical Daily Use & Expanded Grammar
Weeks 9 to 12: Time, shopping, directions, expressing needs, basic past tense.
Weeks 13 to 15: Putting it all together in simple dialogues and common scenarios.
Immersion / Practice
Create 400-500 flashcards with vocab and phrases
Sign up for “Daily Dutch Word” emails
Take 1 free online Dutch quiz per month for placement
Final Capstone Project
Record a 2–3 minute self-introduction video in Dutch
$300 Grant:
Preply Tutor. Average cost of about $25 per session x 8 = $200
Pack of 500 flashcards = $10
Weeks 1 to 4: Foundational Vocabulary & Simple Sentences
Everyday objects, greetings, numbers, simple present verbs.
Greetings, introductions, and polite phrases
Core nouns (household items, people, animals)
Simple verbs in present tense
Word order: Subject + Verb + Object
Singular vs plural (man → mannen, huis → huizen)
Basic question formation (Wie? Wat? Waar? Hoe?)
Simple negation: Ik ben niet moe.
Question word: Wie? Wat? Waar?
Present tense regular verbs: eten, drinken, lopen
Numbers 1–20
Articles (de/het), singular/plural, simple negation
By the end of Week 4, you should be able to introduce yourself, ask simple questions, describe people and objects, and handle very basic daily needs.
Weeks 5 to 8: Practical Daily Use & Expanded Grammar
Food, travel, home, family vocabulary + forming simple questions
Numbers 21–100, telling time
Days of the week, months, dates
Food, shopping, transportation, directions
Simple past tense (ik ging, ik werkte)
Modal verbs: kunnen (can), moeten (must), willen (want)
Question words in context (Waarom? Wanneer? Hoe laat?)
Prepositions for location and movement (op, in, onder, naast, naar)
Making small talk (weather, hobbies, family)
Combining short sentences into slightly longer statements
By the end of week 8, you should know practical vocabulary for everyday situations, modal verbs, past tense, prepositions, combining sentences, small talk
Weeks 9 to 12: Travel, Shopping & Conversational Fluency
Food, travel, expressing needs and forming simple questions
Travel vocabulary
Shopping and money (prices, paying, asking for help)
Dining out (ordering, asking about menu, dietary needs)
Emergency phrases and basic health-related expressions
Giving and understanding directions
Polite requests, invitations, and simple social exchanges
Forming compound sentences with en, maar, want
Expanding past tense usage and basic future expressions (gaan + infinitive)
By the end of week 12, you should be able to navigate travel and shopping situations, order food, handle payments, and ask for directions, express basic needs in emergencies and engage in short conversations using past and near-future tense.
Weeks 13 to 15: Conversational Confidence & Real-Life Application
Putting it all together in simple dialogues and common scenarios
Everyday conversations and role-playing scenarios (café, store, travel, social settings)
Expressing opinions, likes/dislikes, preferences, and feelings
Refining past tense, present tense, and near-future expressions (gaan + infinitive)
Using conjunctions and linking words (en, maar, omdat, daarom, dus)
Practice small talk, introductions, and cultural phrases
Listening comprehension: short audio clips, dialogues, announcements
Reading comprehension: menus, signs, emails, short articles
By the end of week 15, you should be able to handle common real-life situations, engage in short conversations about everyday topics, navigate social interactions, read simple texts, understand basic announcements, demonstrate comprehension and practical use of key grammar structures.