What should I do first???

[Trellum]

I just started learning Dutch again, but I'm trying to find out what the most efficient way to do it would be.  I've the Pimsleur audio course, but I know it just won't be enough.  But it's ok because I can get different dutch courses quite easily. 

The problem is... what should I do first??  Should I start by learning some new words in dutch and work my way from there? Should I start with full phrases instead?  Should I focus on the written or the spoken form? or is it too soon to be focusing on the written form? What should I do?  It's been so long since I studied a language... I'm so rusty!

Any kind of advice would be highly apprecited!

[Hedonologist]

I would say drill vocab, some basic grammar then look in a dutch newspaper. There is so much familiarity that it shouldn't be too hard to get a basic grasp very early on. Immersion from the start will probably help you more than anything else.

[DaBlink182]

Well it really depends on what your goals are. Trying to understand Dutch is quite difficult, because there are a lot of different accents and words can get mixed up pretty easily. But the advantage is that most of the words are pretty similar to the English version of the word.

I'd recommend you to listen to some tv-shows that you can understand reasonably well and work your way up to other programs that might be more difficult for you. Like Hedonologist said, it's also a good idea to read some newspapers, but don't read difficult ones like De Volkskrant. Try something like De Telegraaf. It's a bit unprofessional in comparison to De Volkskrant but it's perfect for learning Dutch.

Good luck!

[lizbeth19hph]

In learning a new language. you just don't focus on one area. All areas of speaking, writing, listening and reading must be given attention. It is also but important to practice, apply what you have learned. In that way, you don't just get stuck on your level. You have plenty of room for improvement if you allot enough time learning a language.

[pandandesign]

Yes, I think you should learn the basics and some vocabulary words before you jump into more depth. I would at least build that foundation before I often see people rush to learn the language, which they end up forgot eating about the language. I don't mean you should slow down or anything, but building a good foundation will help you to get through the hard times.

[Trellum]

I would say drill vocab, some basic grammar then look in a dutch newspaper. There is so much familiarity that it shouldn't be too hard to get a basic grasp very early on. Immersion from the start will probably help you more than anything else.

I was thinking that would be the best pick for me at this moment as well.  I got a dutch dictionary, but I don't think that will help me learning new words (this dictionary only comes with a dutch-English section, and not an English-dutch one!!!). So, I'm thinking of mostly searching for words online, write them don on a notebook and try to memorize them.  I'm basically doing that with the audio course I'm using to learn dutch!  It has helped me a lot.  I think the grammar isn't so hard, and once I learn a lot words I will be able to handle the language even better

I'll try with online news sites, since right now I have no access to fresh newspapers   I liked your idea  

[Trellum]

Well it really depends on what your goals are. Trying to understand Dutch is quite difficult, because there are a lot of different accents and words can get mixed up pretty easily. But the advantage is that most of the words are pretty similar to the English version of the word.

I'd recommend you to listen to some tv-shows that you can understand reasonably well and work your way up to other programs that might be more difficult for you. Like Hedonologist said, it's also a good idea to read some newspapers, but don't read difficult ones like De Volkskrant. Try something like De Telegraaf. It's a bit unprofessional in comparison to De Volkskrant but it's perfect for learning Dutch.

Good luck!

Thanks a lot for the recommendation!  I was in the Netherlands for a while, but to be honest I never read a newspaper over there, so I had no idea what to look for until you mentioned ''De Telegraf''! I found an online version over here: http://www.telegraaf.nl/  I can totally see what you mean, I have already spotted several words and phrases I can already recognize and will surely write them down in a notebook, so I can review them later

I think I will focus on the Dutch learning podcasts that can be found on ''TuneIn'' (for android phones).  They seem quite useful, wish I could find a transcription of the whole lessons online!  I'd surely pay for that!