My Goal to Learn A New Language in Just 3 Months
Glen / 
65 Comments / 
September 14th, 2009 / 
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In slightly less than 3 months, I’ll be leaving Newcastle which has been my home for the last eight months and heading over to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. As many of you will already know, I’m going with one of my best friends, Diggy (who is dutch), and we’ll be renting an apartment out there for at least 3 months.
I’m not going to get a job and I won’t be doing much work on my own projects (apart from this site). Instead, I’m going to try and party every night of the week and video the adventures along the way. We also have some very unique ideas for the personal development space that nobody has done before, so stay tuned for those.
Whilst three months in a country isn’t usually enough to warrant learning the whole language, I still want to give it a go. I’m also not naive enough to think that I really can become a good Dutch conversationalist in just a few months of practice, but I do want to know how far I can get.
That being said, however, I love a challenge. With at least one hour of practice every single day using some awesome software I’ve just purchased, it should be interesting to see how my skills progress.
The Software
I have no doubt that the best way to learn a language is to spend some time in the country where it is spoke. Even though that is the case, I still want to have some understanding before I arrive at the destination for my next epic adventure. I’ve purchased a copy of the world’s best language learning software, Rosetta Stone.
I’m using the Dutch version, of course, but they also have software for over 30 languages including Vietnamese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Arabic and Russian. What surprised me at first but really makes sense now, is that they do not translate for you. What I mean is that if you are shown a picture of something, you will not be told what it is in your language.
I did find this odd, but I also picked up words very quickly. In fact, after one day, I could remember 99% of the words the next day. In their introductory video, they explain that when we learned our first language, we didn’t use translators. Instead, we used pictures, sounds, and interactions. This format has cleverly been integrated into their software and I believe it will dramatically cut down the typical learning time.
There are 19 parts to my Dutch course, each with more than 4 sections inside. If I tell you that it took me over 2 hours just to finish part 1 A, then you’ll see there’s a lot to learn. The software incorporates:
- Reading and Listening
- Listening
- Reading
- Typing
- Speaking (it records you and matches your voice to a native speaker)
There is honestly nothing else I think I could need in a program and I should have some proficiency in each before the three months are up.
My Case Study
After speaking to a representative from the company, I was told it would take around 450 hours to get up to conversation level. If we assume that I have 90 days, then it would take 5 hours per day to get to this stage. Of course, I don’t have that much time to dedicate, but I will be aiming for at least one hour every single day. I believe this will get me to a decent level and leave me being able to communicate somewhat once I arrive in Amsterdam.
I haven’t decided how often I’ll do updates, but I will let you guys know regularly how things are going. I’m sure tons of readers here are interested in learning a new language and this study will hopefully show what is possible if you remain dedicated over the course of a few months.
If you have any questions or recommendations on how I should update you on my progress then please feel free to leave a comment below (I always read every single one)!
If you enjoyed this post, I would appreciate if you share it on Twitter, Facebook or Delicious!
Hey Glen,
Sounds like an ambitious goal!! I’m curious to see how it works out… and if it is possible to learn an entire language in such a short period of time. I’m sure being there, and the immersion in the culture will help out quite a lot, too… even if you don’t get it all down before leaving.
Happy Learning!
Karen
I definitely believe in immersion being the key (i.e. in the country) but should be interesting to see how this goes.
Thanks, karen!
If you really want to find out how far you can go, don’t start off by saying that you know you won’t be able to learn the language in 3 months. Even while it may be unlikely, we once believed that a man could not travel above the blazing speed of 35 mph. If your gonna test yourself don’t set a limit, just push and find out first hand what you can do. Good luck with your goal, and have fun in Amsterdam!
I know I won’t be fluent Justin. I wouldn’t say that’s limiting myself, just a very, very probable result based on the fact I’m just using computer software to learn.
I will be pushing myself though.
Thanks for the comment!
This is so amazing, you are gonna have a great time in Amsterdam PARTY PARTY PARTY……..i cant wait to see the videos. This is a highly ambitious goal but know you can do it. They must be 100’s of accelerated learning techniques that you can use like NLP etc. You should look them up. Anyway good luck keep us updated
Thanks Faramarz, the videos are going to be out of this world.
Hi Glen. I think that’s cool that your moving out to another country just to have some fun. If you can have a good blogging success within such a short amount of time, you’ll probably be able to learn another language in a short amount of time as well. I wish you the best of luck man, and also, nice blog!
Hey Tristan,
That’s a nice example
– Thanks buddy!
Hey dude,
I was raised bilingually in Dutch and English.
The hardest thing for non native speakers is usually pronouncing the ‘G’ correctly, and persuading the locals to speak Dutch with you in stead of English.
I’m struggling with the rolling-r to be honest
In words like rood (red) it seems very difficult
Interested to see how that goes. Diggy was also brought up to speak english and dutch.
OK Glen, I have been doing the same thing with Italian and here is a couple of tips.
1- Create a blog in Dutch. Yes, try writing in Dutch. When you try to find the meaning of a word and then you use it in a sentence, you will not forget it, you will also learn the idiomatic usage of that word. Also ask your Dutch friends, If they have free time, to check the blog and correct your mistakes. Allow them to make you look like an idiot. I have an Italian blog on my local server where I practice occassionally and It has been an effective tactic for me.
2- Don’t speak anything else but Dutch. You will be frustrated, sooner or later. I get frustrated here, but I try as much as I can to speak Italian. What hasn’t been helpful for me though is my flatemate is Russian. She neither speaks good English nor Italian, so I am kindaa stuck. Try to live with Dutch speakers and never use English. An English friend of mine named Charlie studies with me here in Perugia and only speaks Italian. Crappy Italian, no problem. She just tells you that you have to deal with it cos she doesn’t know English (she is a native speaker) but she is comitted to using this tactic. I sucked it, I always tend to make people comfortable by speaking to them in their language If I can.
So there you go, I am sure you can do it!
Hi Glen,
I learned Spanish in 3 months. I didn’t use Rosetta Stone but other CD’s and programs, and had the opportunity to speak it with others daily (this is what really solidified it for me — it put my learning into practice in the real world, and made all the learning relevant).
It makes sense that the CD’s don’t have English translations. College courses in foreign languages are usually conducted entirely in the foreign language.
I think you should bring the CD’s with you when you go. Even if you have a good handle on it before you go, it will all really sink in once you’re there. Of course, the best way to really learn the language once you get there is to get a Dutch lover who doesn’t speak any English. The language of love is universal
Miche, Adam: The trickiest part will be finding Dutch people that don’t speak English. I think the thing for Glen is to pretend he doesn’t speak English either.
Yep, that has been effective for my friend especially since she becomes stubborn and never gives up. However, I think writing a blog in Dutch can make the difference in terms of acquiring vocabulary. Conversation with native speakers only helps your brain to adapt to the speed of speech and recognition of words, but never with vocabulary.
Great, Glen. Let me encourage you.
I’m currently on a full-force, language-learning mission (Mandarin/Arabic & French – in parallel – no previous language training) and cram at least 2 hours a day, every day.
Here’s some things that work for me – in no particular order:
a) follow foreign language Twitter streams. I follow and respond to about 20 French streams. They are great for idiomatic phrases around your interest topics;
b) Get a coach/tutor asap. I have one for French and another for Mandarin. I write out all the questions and sentences that I normally use in everyday conversation, and then get them to teach me how to say them (using an ipod to record each lesson for review later);
c) Use flip cards. I use ‘Chinese in a flash’ for Mandarin. They are excellent;
d) Use multiple audio tools. I use about seven different audio programs for French. Michel Thomas was especially good for grammar, used in conjunction with Pimsleur for speed/idiomatic phrases. These are both a bit dated in the sense that there are other “younger/informal” programs that have more modern, conversational material;
e) Watch the foreign news and weather on TV/web – I do this for all three languages. Great for speed.;
f) Plaster your walls with mini posters in key locations that you frequent through the day. We have them in the kitchen, bathroom, car etc. These are great for things like learning numbers, days of the week etc i.e. the more laborious stuff;
g) Find local vendors who speak target languages and engage in regular conversation. We have Chinese people working in our local newsagents, laundromats, restaurants, post offices, cafes etc. They are all quite used to me engaging in conversation with them. My habit now is to ask anyone who looks like they might speak a target language. It’s amazing how many local Arabic speakers I have found.
Hope this helps,
Robin
Excellent comment Robin, thanks for your tips.
I’m hesitant to go a little overboard (although i can fully understand why you have done what you have) as I’m not sure I will ever use the language again after my trip there.
However, I will consider some of the ideas and implement them when I can.
Cheers,
Glen
Wow, you’re awesome Robin! I’d like to know how all that turns out for you. I’m interested in learning a number of languages so I’ll try some of your techniques. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Glen, have you come across Benny, the Irish Polyglot? Brilliant blog and really down-to-earth: http://www.fluentin3months.com
Good luck with your adventures,
Caron.
That actually looks like a great site Caron, thanks for sharing!
Hi Glen, posted a comment but it doesn’t looked like it worked- sorry if this is a repeat- feel free to edit/ delete.
Anyway, wanted to give you a heads up about Benny the Irish Polyglot who writes a wicked blog: http://www.fluentin3months.com
Good luck with your goal!
Caron.
Yes, new commenters need to be approved first
There are thousands upon thousands of words in the English language. I have heard it said that the average person who grows up under the English language must learn an average of 20-30 words per day beginning with his or her first day in this world and continuing until the age of 18! Wow, how much we have learned and the majority of this learning was probably not in a formal teacher-student environment.
There is a lot to learn in a short amount of time. But one thing we can do to improve our growth in any language is to focus on those vocabulary words which are most commonly used. I found many sources online for free that feature lists of the most commonly spoken words in English. For example, the 250 most spoken words or the 1000 most spoken words.
I definitely think you can pull it off in 3 months. I don’t buy into the “you need X amount of hours to learn a language.” The only reason why they say that is because most people are ineffective at learning a language, so it’s a conservative figure. To top it off different people learn differently and at different speeds.
If anything, by the time you leave Amsterdam in 6 months, you’ll be proficient at it. Why not? You’re ambitious enough. G’luck!
I’m very interested in your learning progress Glen. You are going to keep us in touch with your language progression right? I personally have been trying to learn Jap for awhile now, but still so far from able to converse in the language without mixing english in between sentences.
Yes Karlil, I think I will do an update every fortnight.
Nice challenge Glen. I’m curious to see how this goes for you. In my experience is moderately easy to learn the 80% of the language. What is hard is to become proficient in it, which usually takes many years.
Hello, just stumbled upon this blog. If you are to have any chance to achieve this (which I believe can be done) you should remember this.
While in the Netherlands avoid Enlish like the plague.
Why do you say that?
Heya Glen
Hoe gaat het met je? Vet cool ! hehe
Really awesome you’re taking the time to learn dutch, gonna be wicked! I’ll help you out a lot too , don’t worry, we’ll have you speaking dutch in no time
Curious to see how things go. I have spent so much time to learn french, but I’m not really dedicated to it, and although I want to learn, I always make up excuses why not to sit down and do it.
Cheers for the post!
Diggy
Ik denk niet dat je vet cool in Amsterdam wil zeggen, tenzij je net 14 bent geworden.
Succes met je studie Nederlands.
Groeten,
Jorrit
Hi Glen! As someone mentioned above you may be curious to check out my blog. I’ve learned several languages and applied the methods I’ve learned to try to achieve fluency in a shorter time. I’ve just summarised my best tips in learning a language in just two months based on a case study this summer with Czech, which you may find interesting.
I think other commenters here have been great in giving encouragement and good tips. Apart from what I said on my blog, I’ll add that in Amsterdam, try to socialise with ERASMUS students and other foreigners also trying to learn Dutch. They are not Dutch themselves, but they will be more likely to speak with you in the early stages and it will be easier to understand them since they speak slowly etc. Once you’ve gotten good practise with them, you’ll be ready for natives! This is what I did with my very first language (Spanish, in Valencia) and it is way less intimidating, and you can learn at a good pace with others.
Looking forward to hearing how you make it. I haven’t learned Dutch yet, but I plan to do so soon enough.
Hi Benny,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m intrigued by the idea of not speaking english at all. It makes sense, but I think it would ruin my whole time in Amsterdam.
Hey Glen! Yes, it depends on motivation. If the absolute priority is the language then you have to avoid English, but for many people that is an unrealistic possibility because they feel the need to be able to communicate their thoughts fully and relax in their “time off”. I can see that partying is important for you, so maybe try to make Dutch the official language that you speak all the time before 8pm (for example), with no exception if you can, but then have that time to look forward to so you can chill out and party.
Just my €0.02 
I’ve tried just-party lifestyles earlier in my travels and it’s excellent fun, but believe it or not it gets old quickly if that’s all you do. However, if you are “working” during the day by focussing hard on Dutch then you will actually enjoy the parties even more because you’ll feel like you’ve “earned” them
Good for you for taking on such a challenge! You can do it!
Hey Glen,
Interesting ideas on how to learn a language. I actually lived in Brazil during graduate school and by the end of it I was fairly fluent in Portuguese. One thing that helped was not speaking English and the fact that most people didn’t speak English. I personally loved the Pimsleur audio courses for learning a language because I could listen to them while I was in my car or doing anything else.
Oooh good for you, Glen! I too decided I should stop speaking my broken French and start learning it again (you’d think 10 years in school would’ve done me any good…)
Good luck with learning Dutch! And have an awesome time with Diggy! Looking forward to your photos and details on your adventures
Renee
Glenn,
I have some experience with these products and foreign languages in general and must tell you that the best investment in time would be the Michelle Thomas method. It will bring you to an intermediate level. Here is the course:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michel-Thomas-Method-Foundation-Course/dp/034097169X
Note: Get all 3 courses: Basic, Advanced adn vocabulary/language builder.
The next step (and you could make it simultaneously) is to learn the ~1000 most common words. I suggest making/printing flashcards. Even 300-500 words will be a super solid start. Try here:
http://www.flashcardexchange.com/google?domains=www.flashcardexchange.com&q=dutch+&sa=Search&sitesearch=www.flashcardexchange.com&client=pub-5814868776588505&forid=1&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23336699%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A336699%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en
Michelle Thomas (which you will be able yo go through fast) + the flash cards + living and partying in Amsterdam = success.
cheers,
Yavor
What a cool challenge Glen, I am curious to see how much you can learn in such a short period of time, but I`m sure it can be a lot if you really get into it. Best thing you can do is practice, practice, practice. If you practice you will get used to it and wont forget it too fast even after you leave Amsterdam. Also try to think in Dutch and not in English, incorporate it in your life as much as you can, watch movies and read in Dutch if you can, tell Diggy to talk to you in Dutch, google stuff in dutch. But try reading books for kids, because you might be a 20 year old in english but in dutch you`re like a 5 year old
Cant wait to see how it goes.
Wishing you the best of luck
You can do it!
Look forward to hearing about it.
Jen
Hi Glen.
I highly suggest you check out Tim Ferriss’ posts on language learning. They are really really profound. He also has some video where he talks about language reactivation and such.
But really, you should check them out.
Peace,
Jonas
Dear Glen,
thank you so much for your honest and informative guide. I enjoyed reading it (and still do). I am not experienced at all in marketing nor setting up websites. But I finally did it. It took some days hard work but it’s finally online. Maybe you will have a look at it. Maybe I did all wrong??
Learning new languages is not that easy. But you can learn the basics. As soon as you will go abroad and finally hear the language all day long you learn it within days easily. I experienced this 2 years ago.
Cheers, Mike
Glen,
I salute you on your lofty goals. Sounds it will be a fun and exciting time. As far as learning a new language I would suggest getting “The memory book” by Harry Lorayne & Jerry Lucas.
It basically trains your memory so that you can remember, a lot of information quickly and remember it.
A brief synopsis is that you, need to remember stuff by association and linking. The crazier you picture something the more you will remember it. For instance you want to remember a Douglas Fur Tree. So you would imagine a Tree wearing a fur coat called Doug.
That’s all well and great but how does that help for languages? Well they go into that also. If you can break the words down into their phonetic spelling(I am not sure how you learn words out where you are at, but in the States, we learn phonetically).
Once you break them down into their phonetic spelling you link them to some ridiculous association. Bing, you can remember it.
It sounds silly, but I know it works, when I want to ask what a person’s name in Spanish(Central American Spanish)is I simply remember myself combing a llama.
I hope that this was helpful. That booked certainly helped me out.
Vince
Keep us posted on the language learning. Sound like this will be a lot of fun. Go for it.
Hi Glen
I want to learn Italian because I want to get married there in a couple of years. I have thought many times about Rosetta Stone. I can’t wait to get your updates and to let us know how this experiment goes.
Hi Dave. Italian is a beautiful language; I really enjoyed learning it and living in Italy! I personally encourage people not to consider learning a language to be a difficult task in the learning program I blog about and apply in my travels. For a laugh and inspiration about learning Italian check out this 3-minute video I made in Rome.
)
Congratulations on the marriage (even if it’s a few years off
Hi Glen!
Great goal.
Learning a foreign language is damn hard work. I have been teaching English for about 12 years and I can say with confidence that it is all about quantity. The more you study the more you will learn, methodology and systems are secondary. Bust your ass and you will be speaking and understanding faster than you realize.
Hi Glen,
Learning a new language in 3 months time seems like a challenging time line. But I believe it will be a great experience and it will be cool when you master a new language.
Cheers,
Vincent
Hi Glen,
I am very interested in following your progress with Rosetta Stone. I have the RS version for Spanish and after following through my lessons for 30-60 minutes a day for over a month, the results were pretty dramatic….but then I lost the determination to continue following through every day and now it’s just collecting dust
I think it would be great to post follow ups every 3-4 weeks focusing on your own feelings of how far you have progressed. Maybe that will give me the nudge to pick back up from where I fell off
Paul
Whatever the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve, so go ahead. bro!
Great post. Wish you luck!
I totally applaud your efforts and wish you the best of luck.
However, I want to perhaps mention that Rosetta Stone is a lot like Rachel Ray. Not the best, but certainly the best marketed.
With that in mind, I echo the sentiments of one of the above commenters and recommend Michel Thomas, although I’m not sure he has a Dutch program.
I also strongly recommend Pimsleur. And you might want to check out Timothy Ferriss’ post on learning the basics of a language in an hour. It’s amazing and super cool.
It’s really nice working on another language. I’m also somewhere learning french. Glenn, I have always loved your blog in entirety, I wouldn’t mind you coaching me about wordpress.
Haha I’m Dutch
Good luck with learning the language. If you need help ask me. Or ask Diggy, by the way I didn’t knew he was Dutch.
Hi Glen!
You really must keep us up 2 date due to your improvements…
I actually had started japanese with Rosetta Stone and I did great improvements, but somehow I didn’t surpass a certain type of level because the pictures didn’t seem to make sense to me…
I started learning with byki – http://www.byki.com
It’s a free software but with english on it.. I really like it and it’s also a good thing to start with…
If your studies go well, I might get back to Japanese…I’m counting on you!!
Wish you a great time in Amsterdam!
Andres
Goodluck with the Dutch DJ,
I grew up in what is known to be one of the largest Dutch municipality outside of the Netherlands/Holland/Dutchland/whatever people call it these days. Way down in Kingston (Tasmania, Australia). Whilst I was surrounded by thousands of Dutchies and have a heap of friends who are Dutch, I can’t recall ever hearing a single Dutch word pronounced. I’ve only just come to realise this after reading your latest blog entry.
That said, if you ever decide to drop into Tasmania, I’m more than obliged to show you around and have a few epic nights out.
Have fun going random in Amsterdam
I’m Dutch as well.
Learning a second language (or a third, anything you learn after puberty) is incredibly hard since you don’t really pick it up automatically like you did with English when you were a baby. It depends on your talent for languages of course, but it can take years to fully learn a new language.
You can learn a bajillion words and their meaning, but the hard part is in putting it together. You can memorise phrases of course, but having it come naturally and combining things will probably take a bit longer than three months. And that’s not even mentioning pronunciation…
Not meant to put you down or anything, just some data from a Linguistics major.
It all depends on your goals I suppose. I doubt you’ll have to be able to fluently conduct a boardroom meeting or anything, so there are parts you can just leave out.
Either way, good luck and keep us posted!
With your determination and wisdom I can tell you will achieve your goal my friend.
Isn’t news to you that it will take time and effort but you will make it.
I relate to you since I had to learn Spanish in 6 months myself, otherwise I wouldn’t get my dream job of working in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I must admit I had my doubts, but my desire was stronger and I made it and so will you, that’s for sure my friend.
I tip my hat to you…!
Go for it and I am sure you will have lots of fun
Ok, you have once again inspired me to get back to my learning Spanish. I do have the Rosette Stone program. I guess its time to dig it out. Make sure that you keep us posted on your progress. I know its a hard thing to do, but man is it a great lift to life itself if you ask me. Being able to communicate freely with people in different cultures is a wonderful experience.
I suggest trying a flashcard program like Anki, and watching lots of tv in dutch. And read lots of books in dutch…you just keep on reading even if you don’t get all the words.
I’m learning german right now using this method and it’s working great. I watch german-dubbed Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and i’m reading the german versions of the Harry Potter books. When i started reading book one, i barely understood anything, but now that i’m on book 3 i understand almost all of the plot, and a large percentage of the words. I collect sentences from both TV and books to put into Anki as examples.
-Pete
languagefixation.wordpress.com
Very much looking forward to what you will be producing over there in the Netherlands!
And Kudos for tackling the language.
Language learning is a bit of a personal demon of mine, because in school, I got the impression that it was something difficult and that I was naturally bad at it. It’s a demon I want to face sometime soon, by learning a new language again and I’ll be sure to check this blog for tips as you progress.
Can anyone advise if they have applied this technique to learn multiple languages concurrently ?
I fight crime, and have been researching online about learning languages, as I feel it will contribute valuably to my overall skillset.
I weigh it (the investment of time, effort, money) against other core competencies that I might develop, and what tips the balance is if I can be effective while learning multiple languages at the same time.
Does this ROSETTA STONE technique help with this goal, or is it just a gimmick ?
Thank you,
Captain Australia
I am sure that Glen will be keeping us updated, but I am using it to learn Spanish, and yes it is very easy to learn this way. Its also a lot more fun then repeating words from a cd in your car.
Great goal – good luck, Glenn!
Nice challenge Glen!
With all the good tips you’ve received so far, your determination, and the perfect (social) settings (parties? oh yeah!), I do believe that you will be able to speak Dutch in three months. Maybe not to lead a board meeting or talk techie stuff, but that’s not your intention anyway.
The Dutch are usually very social people and if you tell them not to speak English to you because you’re learning Dutch, you’ll find many allies. Be prepared though to hear a mix of languages, because the country has become a melting pot of cultures and Dutch is often mixed with English or other languages.
As far as learning before you go? Try to apply the words and sentences daily in your own environment so they will stick in your mind. Like someone else mentioned before, it’s important to THINK in Dutch instead of constantly translating. Doesn’t matter to catch all the words you hear, as long as you understand the gist.
Having said more than I planned to (I’m excited for you!), I want to wish you VEEL GELUK! You can do it and have tons of fun with this project too!
Btw, Thanks for Cloud Living! I’ve already set up one site following your blueprint and plan on doing more!
Hey Glen,
I think you can have a good conversation in 3 months, I think your mental state will allow you to learn it. But to get a good Dutch speaker, you need to live here a little time I guess.
Cause seriously, Dutch is one of the hardest languages. Not only the pronunciation, but the grammar is awfull. It has all these different type of words and a lot of strange verbs.
But anyway, you are going to do this. Jij spreekt over een paar maanden gewoon goed Nederlands en dan kan je dit met gemak lezen!
Heel veel succes ermee, ik ben benieuwd of ik binnenkort een comment op m’n blog heb in het Nederlands van je