LEARN DUTCH

SUCCESSFULLY
the how-to guide

© Vivo Dutch 2023 - all rights reserved

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM
 IS THIS
YOU?
( C O M P L E T E ) B E G I N N E R

You want to speak Dutch and you

either haven't started learning Dutch
yet and you consider yourself to be a
complete beginner (A0), or you
'know' some Dutch, some phrases, a
few grammar rules, but you don't
speak with confidence yet and you
consider yourself to be at level A1 or
almost A2.

O V E R W H E L M E D

There are so many (free) resources

and Dutch courses and to be honest,
you don't know where to start. It's a
bit overwhelming. You may have tried
some apps and courses, but it doesn't
seem to be that effective.

THEN CHECK OUT THIS GUIDE

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 WHAT'S
IN IT?
1. ABOUT VIVIAN
Page 4

2. THE ABCD STRATEGY

Page 5 - 15

3. 5 SECRETS FOR LEARNING DUTCH

Page 16 - 21

4. A LIST OF RESOURCES
Reading & listening: Page 22 - 35
Grammar, pronunciation & more: Page 36
5. DISCOUNT CODE FOR VIVIAN'S COURSES
Page 37

In this ebook, I share all the tips and

info you need so that you're going to
learn Dutch successfully.
Say goodbye to overwhelm and not
speaking in public.

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 HEY, I'M VIVIAN
I help English-speaking expats speak Dutch so they go from
feeling overwhelmed to feeling confident in daily Dutch situations.

As a certified teacher (since 2015), a former assessor of the

integration exam, and a native speaker, I love seeing my students
improve their Dutch language skills and gain confidence.

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 B

VIVIAN'S ABCD STRATEGY

IS MY FAVORITE! IT MADE
LEARNING QUICK AND FUN.
Anna from The Philippines

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS

STRATEGY?

KEEP READING

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THE ABCD STRATEGY
Before using this strategy, it's really important to think about your goals. This
strategy only works when you do the following to steps:

1. PICK A DAILY DUTCH SITUATIONS

In order to be successful at learning Dutch, you need to make small
and realistic goals. It's best to focus on one daily Dutch situation.
Examples of daily Dutch situations are the restaurant, the AH, the
train station, etc.

2. CREATE A SMALL AND REALISTIC GOAL

Now that you've picked a situation, create one small and realistic goal
for that specific situation. So for instance, 'I want to order a drink' if
your situation is 'the restaurant'. Be as specific as possible. Make the
goal small so that it's relatively easy to achieve.

YOU'VE PICKED YOUR

SITUATION AND GOAL.
B

NOW IT'S TIME TO USE

THE ABCD STRATEGY! C

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THE ABCD STRATEGY
A QUICK OVERVIEW

A ABSORB

In phase A you're going to focus on absorbing the

language. Listening and reading only. Surround
yourself with the Dutch language. Focus on
understanding and not on producing the language.

BUILDING BLOCKS
B
In phase B, use the tools you need to achieve your goal. E.g.
C
grammar and useful phrases. Focus only on the things you
need for your goal. Work on those building blocks.

CONSOLIDATION

Time for guided action! Combine the building blocks

and create a template so that you can practice before
C speaking in public. Visualize yourself in the daily
Dutch situation and rehearse.

DAILY DUTCH SITUATION

Yes! You’re ready to speak with confidence.

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 PHASE A
ABSORB
ABSORB LIKE A SPONGE

You've picked your goal and now it's time to start with the first phase. In
this phase, you're going to listen and read. We're going to focus on
receptive skills only. No speaking, no writing.

It's important to surround yourself with the language as much as possible.

You can do this by setting your phone settings to Dutch, listening to Dutch
music, and watching movies with Dutch subtitles. But it's even better if you
can surround yourself with Dutch from that Dutch situation that you've
picked. So for instance, you've picked 'the restaurant' as your daily Dutch
situation. Your goal is to order your favorite meal in Dutch.

How to immerse yourself in this situation? By going to a restaurant! Next

time you're in a Dutch restaurant, listen to other customers when they order
a drink or when they ask for the bill.

I encourage you to be present and observe and absorb as much as possible.

The goal is to hear the language, the sounds, and the words, and to
understand a bit. Remember, you don't have to speak yet, we're focusing on
absorbing. A

CHECK THE NEXT PAGE FOR MORE EXAMPLES

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 EXAMPLES OF HOW TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE
DUTCH LANGUAGE

Set your phone settings to Dutch

Listen to Dutch music:

My Spotify playlist: Learn Dutch with music

Watch movies with Dutch subtitles:

Check the resources further in this guide.

Watch YouTube videos from family vloggers:

Type in the search bar: 'de bellinga's', 'familie lakap', 'de grote gezinsvolg'
or type 'familie vlog'.

EXAMPLES IN REAL LIFE

Restaurant: read the menu, listen to other customers and the waiter;
The grocery shop: read the signs, and listen to the cashier when you're
waiting in line;
Public transport: read the signs, listen to the bus driver when he
interacts with the passenger who wants to buy a ticket;
At your child's school: what do the mums and dads say when they're
waiting to pick up their kid? Read the announcements;
Library: read the signs, listen to people who ask the staff questions.

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 B
PHASE B
BUILDING BLOCKS
CHOOSE YOUR BUILDING BLOCKS

Often, students who want to learn Dutch start with grammar and not with
an intention, but just randomly. They gather materials or purchase a
grammar book and they start reading, learning, and doing exercises. Do you
recognize this? So imagine you've spent hours working on those exercises..
how did it help you speak Dutch in public..?

The best thing to do is to choose what grammar you're going to work on.
How to do this? You've set a goal for yourself, a real-life goal. Now that you
know what you want to achieve, it's time to divide it into smaller steps.

What kind of grammar do you need in order to achieve that goal? Which
words? Which useful phrases? Make a list of all the things you need in order
to achieve your goal. Those tools are called 'building blocks'. Work on those
building blocks to create a strong foundation.

I don't want you to focus on every grammar rule you stumble upon. Focus
on the building blocks that you need for your goal. That way, the grammar
rule, the words, and the useful phrases have meaning and a function. You're
actually going to use them in real life.

Create a list of building blocks and work on them. Study the grammar rules,
do exercises, memorize useful phrases, listen to the pronunciation, and
mimick the sounds.

CHECK THE NEXT PAGE FOR EXAMPLES

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 EXAMPLES OF BUILDING BLOCKS FOR SPECIFIC GOALS

Goal: ordering a drink

The pronunciation of your favorite drink;
Useful phrases such as 'Ik wil graag ...' and 'Mag ik ... '?;
Modal verbs 'willen' and 'mogen';
Word order basic sentence (Ik wil graag..) versus question (Mag ik..?).

Goal: answering questions from the cashier at the grocery shop

Useful phrases such as 'Bonnetje erbij?' and 'Nee dat hoeft niet';
Modal verbs: 'hoeven' and 'moeten'
Grammar 'niet' and 'geen'.
Pronunciation of specific words or vowels

WHERE TO FIND MATERIALS FOR THOSE BUILDING BLOCKS?

Pronunciation:
www.nl.forvo.com: Do you want to know how a word is pronounced?
Check this website. You can look up the pronunciation of words,
pronounced by native speakers.

Useful phrases:
www.vivodutch.com/courses: Check my website for my A1 and A2
brush-up materials. These materials include 200+ recorded useful
phrases for real-life situations. Do you want to save time? Instead of
looking for useful phrases (including pronunciation) on YouTube (and
not finding anything good), you can purchase them here.

Grammar:
Klare Taal: This is the best grammar book. It's super complete,
including exercises from beginner to more advanced students. You can
purchase it via this link: click here

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 PHASE C
CONSOLIDATION
CREATE A TEMPLATE

Now that you've looked up all the necessary tools (building blocks) and
you've worked on them, you looked up the grammar and did some
exercises, you memorized useful phrases and mimicked the sounds, it's
time to create a template.

Visualize the situation, what is the waiter going to ask you? How would you
like to respond? Of course, you can not predict a situation, but especially at
a beginner's level, you will have an idea of what kind of questions you might
expect. Write those out. Write out a dialogue. And practice!

It's okay if you don't get the exact questions from the waiter or the cashier,
but now you have some building blocks which you can use. You are more
prepared for the situation.

CHECK THE NEXT PAGE FOR EXAMPLES

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 EXAMPLE OF A TEMPLATE

You: Waiter
Mag ik iets bestellen?
Ja, hoor. / Ja, zegt u het maar.
Mag ik een koffie?
Met melk en suiker?
Nee, zwart graag.
Wil u ook wat eten?
Ja, ik wil graag het broodje met tonijn.
Oké dat komt eraan.
Dank u wel.

HOW TO CREATE A TEMPLATE?

Write it out yourself by using all the building blocks (useful phrases,
grammar, and vocabulary from phase B).

DO YOU WANT IT DONE FOR YOU?

If you're a complete beginner or at level A1-ish, you can get it all done for
you. My A0-A1 and A1-A2 courses are built around my unique ABCD
strategy. You don't have to look for materials, it's all complete and ready to
use. We'll focus on 8 daily Dutch situations and 3 goals per situation. To
achieve every goal, we're going to use the ABCD strategy. All the materials
(grammar, useful phrases, and words) are included and organized for you.
Interested? You can find the courses here: click here.

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 PHASE D
DAILY DUTCH
SITUATION D

YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK

After practicing the dialogues that you've prepared in phase C, it's time to
go to that Dutch situation, go and order that drink, speak with the cashier,
and ask questions!

You are ready!

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 HOW TO IMPLEMENT THIS
ABCD STRATEGY?

DO IT YOURSELF

Choose a daily Dutch situation, set a goal, and work through all the phases.
You can look for your own materials and use free resources, or decide to
buy a grammar book and recorded useful phrases.

GO THE EASY WAY

My A0-A1 and A1-A2 courses are completely built around my unique

ABCD strategy. You don't have to think about goals, building blocks. You
don't have to gather all the materials yourself. You just have to follow the
steps.
In 8 modules (which represent 8 daily Dutch situations), we're going to
work towards 3 goals. It's all done for you. All the materials are included.
And I help you with some extra feedback. In phase D, you're going to record
your voice, answer questions, and do everything you've learned in phases
A, B, and C. I'm going to send you my personal and professional feedback
on speaking skills, pronunciation, and writing skills. And a few times a year,
I host conversation sessions for my students. Are you interested in my A1
or A2 course? Please click here to read more info.

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5
SECRETS
FOR EVERY
BEGINNER

16
 01
DON'T START
WITH
LEARNING
GRAMMAR
Commonly, you think that all you
need is grammar. After all, you
want to make a sentence, so you
need to more about the Dutch
word order in a sentence.
Well, that's not exactly true.
Don't get overwhelmed by all the
grammar rules. You won't need
them all at the beginning and
there's no way that you can
understand and use them from
the very first start. Start with
phase A and in phase B, you
only focus on the grammar that
you need for your goal. Why? So
that you can use it right away.
And so that the grammar rule
has a function, to communicate
with people.

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 02
DON'T SPEAK
FROM THE
BEGINNING
Don't get me wrong. You should
start speaking Dutch as soon as
you can, but the first thing isn't
just guessing Dutch words and
trying to create sentences and
just speaking in public.
The most important thing to start
speaking Dutch is input. That
means a lot of listening. First
comes listening and then comes
mimicking and repeating. Having
the necessary input is what's
going to help you. This input
provides a large 'database' in
your Dutch brain. This is your
receptive knowledge.
How to do this? Exactly, with my
ABCD strategy!

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 03
LEARN USEFUL
PHRASES
INSTEAD OF
WORDS
A lot of people start learning
Dutch lists of the top 100 most
used words etc.
These lists are not going to help
you that much. Yes, you want to
increase your vocabulary, but
knowing the Dutch words for
'chair','grandmother', 'telephone',
and 'kitchen' isn't really going to
get you anywhere.
My suggestion would be to learn
phrases. We speak languages in
phrases, in dialogues, so random
words are not going to help you
go from zero to actual speaking.
However, if you have lists of
words and you want to get the
most out of them, write a useful
sentence with every word in it
and learn those sentences.

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 04
SET GOALS
AND
EVALUATE
THOSE
Why do you want to learn Dutch?
What is your goal?

You probably have some long-

term goals like 'making friends',
'finding a job', and 'passing the
integration exam'.
That's great!
But it isn't something to achieve
within just 1 week, right?

Try to set short-term goals too!

Like, 'By the end of the week, I
want to ask for the receipt in
Dutch'. Or, 'in 2 weeks, I want to
be able to order a drink in Dutch'.
Keep it simple and doable. Set a
goal that is realistic. Something
you want to learn, based on your
daily life.

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 05
STICK TO ONE
MAIN
RESOURCE
Nowadays, one of the most
common mistakes that people
make is that they try to grab
everything that they can. But it's
the paradox of choice. There is
so much stuff available, it might
get you confused or
overwhelmed.

Find 1 resource (okay maybe 2)

that you like, find interesting and
comprehensible. Use that
resource, and then you can build
the basic skills and then you can
move on to other resources.

Don't buy 3 grammar books,

follow 5 YouTube channels, take
lessons, and use Duolingo all at
once. Keep it clean and simple at
the start.

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RESOURCES THAT
HELP YOU LEARN
DUTCH SUCCESSFULLY

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 PHASE A
RESOURCES
In phase A, you're focusing on
reading and listening. Here are some
resources: THE NEWS
- Jeugdjournaal is on TV and online
MUSIC available, including articles. It's in basic
Dutch!
I've created a Spotify playlist with
- NOS journaal
Dutch music. You can find the 'Learn
- RTL nieuws
Dutch with music' playlist here.
NPO START
SUBTITLES
Here you can watch all the Dutch NPO 1,
SUBTITLES TV
2 & 3 programs, series, and shows. It's
Look for the Teletekst/text button on
available online, as well as an app for
your remote. Go to page 888 and
your smart tv.
you will see the Dutch subtitles while
you watch Dutch television.
Shows/series I would recommend:
- Boer zoekt vrouw
SUBTITLES for BROWSERS
- Dertigers
Use a Google Chrome Extension to
- Het klokhuis
watch Netflix/Youtube with subtitles
- Wie is de mol?
in two languages at the same time
- De keuringsdienst van waarde
(for example Dutch & English)
- First dates

There are plenty of options on NPO start.

Just browse through it and I am sure
WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM you will find something you like! 23
 BOOKS

Tired of reading children's books?

On the next pages, you'll see a list of books you can read. All of those books
are written for (young) adults.
I made a quick overview for you, including what the book is about, and what
level it is, and on the bottom of each page, you can get a preview of the
books.

These books can be found in some local libraries. If you can't find them (not
all books are available in libraries), you can purchase them via the biggest
webshop in The Netherlands. I included the direct link to the books in the
webshop.

I get a small commission if you purchase the books via my link. You don't pay anything extra, but
you support me. I'd appreciate it if you would use my link in case you want to buy a book, as a
return for this overview.

On the next pages, you'll find a list of books for these levels:

Level A1: books with images, and short sentences

Level A1/A2: books with images, and short sentences
Level A1: books with drawings, and longer sentences
Level A1/A2: books with text only, longer sentences

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 BOOKS

LEVEL A1 - WITH IMAGES OR DRAWINGS - SHORT SENTENCES

De ontmoeting - Caeneghem, Johan van - 56p.

Reda lives in an old house, in a small room. He works in a store, but he
doesn't earn much money. He wants a different job, but it's not
possible. He doesn't have the necessary documents. He dreams of
living in the Netherlands, having a real job, and a nice house. One day,
he meets a lovely girl in the park.
A1 - including images Get this book here

De man van de bloemen - Caeneghem, Johan van - 56p.

Jan is in love with Gloria, who works at the bakery. He wants to ask
her if she would like to have a drink with him, but he's too afraid.
Instead, he has a bouquet of flowers delivered to her. Gloria is
unaware of who sent the flowers. Jan follows her when she goes
home.
A1 - including images

Get this book here

Te laat - Caeneghem, Johan van - 40p.

Taher commutes to work every day by train, but sometimes he ends up
being quite late. One day, while helping a man buy a train ticket, they
both miss their train. With no other choice, they decide to have a cup
of tea and catch the next one.
A1- including drawings

Get this book here

Beterschap - Caeneghem, Johan van - 40p.

Maral lives together with her brother Rashid. They both come from Iran
and now work here. First, Rashid falls ill, and then Maral also becomes
sick, all while it's very busy at her workplace.
A1 - including drawings

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 25
 BOOKS

Fijne verjaardag - Caeneghem, Johan van - 40p.

Sammy has been dating Karin for a few months now. He decides to
look for a gift but quickly realizes that he doesn't know Karin well
enough yet...
A1 - including drawings

Get this book here

Dag na dag - Caeneghem, Johan van - 40p.

Linka is from Rwanda and works in a café. Early in the morning, she
cleans, and in the evening, she helps out at the café. She also attends
Dutch lessons. It's quite a busy life for her.
A1 - including drawings
Get this book here

Op de fiets - Caeneghem, Johan van - 40p.

Hayat's family is in a thrift store. Hayat notices bicycles on display. Her
children and husband already have bikes, but she doesn't. However,
she wonders if she can even ride a bike at all...
A1 - including drawings

Get this book here

Tot ziens - Caeneghem, Johan van - 40p.

A Somali family is assigned a nice and affordable rental apartment in a
flat. Their elderly Dutch neighbor is quite grumpy. However, when Nafi
invites him over for a cup of tea, he becomes much friendlier.
A1 - including drawings

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 26
 BOOKS

LEVEL A1/A2 - WITH IMAGES - SHORT SENTENCES

Het verhaal van Sam - Caeneghem, Johan van - 53p.

Sam is home alone when the doorbell rings in the middle of the night.
He opens the door to find a man standing there. What does the man
want from Sam?
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

Het verhaal van Rita - Caeneghem, Johan van - 56p.

Rita sets out to buy a gift for her friend. However, she struggles to find
something suitable and, to make matters worse, she loses an
expensive earring in the process...
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

Het verhaal van Betty - Caeneghem, Johan van - 53p.

Betty discovers a wallet containing a substantial amount of money.
Such a sum would be greatly beneficial to Betty. Will she choose to
keep it for herself, or will she decide to return the money?
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

Het verhaal van Jens - Caeneghem, Johan van - 56p.

Jens has a peculiar encounter at the train station. He feels relieved as
he sits on the train heading home. However, his relief quickly
dissipates when he spots the same strange man in his own village.
How could that be? What is that man doing in his village? Jens starts
to feel a bit frightened.
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 27
 Het verhaal van Kaat - Caeneghem, Johan van - 53p.
Kaat catches a burglar red-handed and strikes up a conversation with
him. The man turns out to be homeless and hungry. Kaat offers him
food and money. She can't seem to forget about him. How will this
situation unfold?
A1/A2 - including images
Get this book here

Het verhaal van Kim - Caeneghem, Johan van - 52p.

Kim, who is in a relationship with Emma, is not yet ready to live
together. However, one day, Emma discovers Kim unconscious on the
floor of the bathroom.
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

Het verhaal van Marco - Caeneghem, Johan van - 56p.

Marco is overwhelmed with his workload at work. Fortunately, Lisa is
willing to help him out. With her assistance, everything gets done
much faster, and it becomes much more enjoyable too...
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

Het verhaal van Mariam - Caeneghem, Johan van - 48p.

Mariam ventures into the city for the first time using her public
transportation card. Coming from a foreign country, she struggles with
the language. Now, she wonders how she will find her way back
home.
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 28
 Het verhaal van Nikki - Caeneghem, Johan van - 53p.
Nikki, who is nearly blind and still lives with her parents, takes the bus
to the city every Saturday for her piano lessons. One day, a man in a
sports car stops at the bus stop. He offers Nikki a ride.
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

Het verhaal van Tom - Caeneghem, Johan van - 53p.

After a fateful accident in the darkness of night, Tom finds himself in
need of navigating his way back home.
A1/A2 - including images

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 29
 BOOKS

LEVEL A1 - WITH DRAWINGS - LONGER SENTENCES

Laura heeft haast. - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Laura and Bart are on their way to Italy with their children to attend
Laura's sister's wedding to her beloved Martina. However, their
journey takes an unexpected turn when they find themselves caught
in a traffic jam...
A1 - with drawings
Get this book here

Tulio valt - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Sofia and Tulio run a hair salon in Rotterdam. They both work
tirelessly, but on Sundays, they embrace the spirit of "cicliovia." They
go cycling or rollerblading, just like in Bogota, the capital city of
Colombia.
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

Bemnet wil hardlopen - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Bemnet, from Eritrea, wants to run in the Amsterdam Marathon. She
plans to participate with her friend Nienke.
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

Risa is verliefd- Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Risa, a Japanese resident working in Amsterdam, has developed
feelings for Jasper, who operates a hotdog stand. However, as New
Year's Eve approaches, Risa has news for Jasper that he isn't thrilled
about...
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 30
 Olek wil een auto. - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.
Olek, a Polish man, wants to propose to his fiancée who still resides
in Poland. In order to be with his beloved on Valentine's Day, he
decides to purchase a car.
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

Mohammed is alleen. - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Mohammed has been living in the Netherlands for some time now.
He misses his wife and young daughter dearly, and they are often on
his mind. Due to his longing for them, his progress in Dutch lessons is
not going so well. When will he be able to see his family again?
A1 - with drawings
Get this book here

Achmed zingt een lied - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Achmed is 17 years old and comes from Libya. He has been living in
the Netherlands for two years but hasn't made many friends yet. All
his friends are back in Libya. To stay connected, he plays his guitar
every day for them and uploads videos of his music on YouTube. One
day, he receives fan mail from someone in the Netherlands!
A1 - with drawings
Get this book here

Sinem in het water- Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

It is Ramadan, and the scorching heat is overwhelming. Sinem, a
Turkish woman, prepares food for when the sun sets. Her 13-year-
old son, Cem, is participating in Ramadan for the first time. He wants
to go swimming in the river with his friends. But is it a good idea to
swim on an empty stomach?
A1 - with drawings
Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 31
 Anarosa vindt een hond. - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.
Anarosa, a Spanish woman, resides in Deventer with her Dutch
husband and their two children. When a dog follows them to their
house, she sets out to find its owner. After all, their son Hugo is
allergic to dogs.
A1 - with drawings
Get this book here

Jiang danst. - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Jiang, Dong, and Yun come from China. Jiang works at a sewing
workshop, but Dong has recently lost his job. How will they manage
to pay their bills now?
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

Joseph op de markt.- Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Joseph enjoys chatting with Siem, the owner of the fish stall at the
market. In Senegal, Joseph's home country, many men work as
fishermen. Siem finds it enjoyable to converse with Joseph and
extends an invitation for Joseph to attend the herring party.
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

Anass op het ijs. - Sleutel, Willemijn - 40p.

Anass, originally from Morocco, is taking Dutch lessons and has
made many friends at school. One day, the entire group decides to
visit the ice rink together for a day of ice skating.
A1 - with drawings

Get this book here

This is an example of what the books look like: click here

WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 32
 BOOKS

LEVEL A1/A2 - TEXT ONLY - LONGER SENTENCES

De blinde bloemist - Bergvall, Sofia - 53p.

Eva's flower shop is struggling to thrive. However, things take a turn
when she receives a massive order. Simultaneously, Alice, a blind
intern, appears at her doorstep. This is a story that encompasses
entrepreneurship, internships, prejudices, and trust.
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Hanna's verjaardag - Akerblom, Gull - 72p.

As Hanna's 50th birthday approaches, she decides there's nothing
worth celebrating. She's unemployed and lonely. However, Hanna
embarks on a vacation and forms new friendships. This is a story that
explores themes of loneliness and friendship.
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Dansen in de regen - Akerblom, Gull - 48p.

Hanna is incredibly insecure about herself. When she decides to
throw a party, she doubts whether it will be enjoyable enough.
However, it turns out to be a resounding success. Hanna has her
limitations, but she approaches them in a positive manner. This is a
delightful and uplifting story about the significance of small things in
everyone's lives.
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Nieuwe buren - Wikström, Bim - 40p.

Michael feels quite lonely after his breakup with his girlfriend, Anna.
He often finds himself gazing out of the window, lost in thought.
However, his life takes a turn when a new neighbor, Samira, moves in
next door. Michael finds himself immensely drawn to her.
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WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM 33
 Je leven op het spel - Wahldên, Christina - 56p.
It is Thursday, October 3rd, 2013. A rickety boat carrying five
hundred refugees catches fire in the middle of the sea. Many of the
people on board cannot swim. In the Netherlands, Lea awaits her
younger brother, Gash. He told her he was on his way from Eritrea,
planning to escape to Europe by boat. What if he were on that boat?
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Ren, Amina, ren! - Drewsen, Annelie - 48p.

This is a story about Amina, a young runner from Somalia, who fled
to the Netherlands all alone as a teenager. Her talent is discovered
by a school friend when Amina panics and runs away after a
firecracker explodes nearby. Amina occasionally calls her mother,
who waits in Kenya, hoping to reunite with her daughter. Despite
their sorrow over being separated and the loss of Amina's brother
due to violence, her mother encourages her, saying, "Don't cry,
Amina, run!"
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De geur van Babylon - Palmqvist, Martin. - 48p.

Mr. Salt has been working in his store his entire life. He finds
happiness in his shop and considers his spices as his friends.
However, his wife has left him, and his daughter resides in the capital
city with her husband and children. One day, someone enters his
store. It's Adila from Iraq, who wants to do an internship at Mr. Salt's
shop. But does Mr. Salt really want that?
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Het dagboek - Drewsen, Annelie. - 48p.

Tarek fled from the war, and now he must learn a new language.
However, the Dutch words seem foreign to him, lacking taste or
scent. His teacher gives him a diary with the assignment to write in it
every day. But what should he write? All his memories bring pain.
One evening, he decides to give it a try. And then, the words begin to
flow...
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 Nieuwkomers op de dijk - Ganser, Susanne. - 48p.
Wilma finds a group of strangers and notices that the street is
cordoned off with a red ribbon. She hears that it's going to be an
accommodation for refugees. Wilma, 77 years old, is strongly
opposed to the idea. However, in an unexpected turn of events, she
suddenly faints. When she regains consciousness, she finds herself in
the arms of a young Syrian woman who happens to be a doctor.
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Zorgen voor Mies - Immonen, Johanna. - 40p.

As a part-time job, a student works on the weekend for a home care
service. One of his clients is Mies, an elderly person who can no
longer manage many things on her own. That's why the student
spends quite a bit of time at her home. Mies has a lot of art on her
walls, and sometimes the student and Mies talk about them.
However, Mies's son, Erik, takes advantage of his mother's
vulnerability and even steals her paintings.
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 PHASE B
RESOURCES
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WWW.VIVODUTCH.COM exam prep essentials. 37
 Let's start this awesome language journey
and let me be your guide.
You've got this!

I hope you find this guide helpful. I've

created it with passion and I hope that you
are as enthusiastic about learning Dutch
as I am!

Groetjes,
Vivian

Vivian
✓ Certified Dutch teacher since 2015
✓ Native speaker
✓ Former assessor for the integration vivian@vivodutch.com
exam www.vivodutch.com

I help English-speaking expats learn how

to speak Dutch so that they feel confident
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