Print this page Beginner Dutch: A1.1 Course

Begin your Dutch learning journey with the foundations of everyday communication. You will learn to greet people, introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions, talk about where you are from, and exchange basic information such as your age, nationality and telephone number.

You will develop your first practical Dutch language skills while becoming familiar with key Dutch sounds, sentence patterns and essential vocabulary. This course provides a foundation for continuing your Dutch studies at A1.2.

DELIVERY MODE

Language courses are offered in two delivery modes:

• Face-to-Face: WEA Sydney
• Online: via Zoom or Microsoft Teams

Please check the delivery mode listed before enrolling, as some classes are face-to-face and others are online.

TEXTBOOK

• Tutor supplied material

COURSE OUTLINE

Communication

• Greeting people, saying goodbye, thanking someone and apologising
• Introducing yourself and asking someone's name
• Asking where someone is from and responding
• Talking about nationality and languages spoken
• Saying simple numbers, age and phone numbers
• Asking simple questions such as "What is this?" and "Where is…?"

Grammar

• Pronouns: ik, jij, hij, u, wij and others
• Present-tense verb forms, especially zijn and hebben
• Inversion in simple questions (Kom je uit…?)
• Articles: de, het, een
• Negation: niet and geen
• Sentence structure: subject + verb + complement
• Word order in simple statements (Ik ben…, Ik kom uit…)

Phonetics

• Vowels: a / aa, e / ee, ui, eu (vowel contrasts)
• Sounds: g and ch (consonant pronunciation)
• Basic sentence rhythm and stress

Vocabulary

• Personal information: name, age, nationality, profession and place of origin
• Numbers (0–100) and quantity expressions
• Common objects and surroundings
• Countries, languages and nationalities
• Possessive pronouns and family members
• Question words: wie, wat, waar

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Exchange basic personal information and communicate in simple everyday situations;
2. Ask and answer simple questions about people, places and objects; and
3. Use basic Dutch sentence structures, pronunciation and vocabulary in familiar contexts.