Yesterday I had my first Dutch lesson. I finally got to speak with a real person, not AI (which doesn’t understand my Dutch anyway). Hell, it was scary. I even seriously considered cancelling the session. And I think I would have had I not already paid for it. Thank God I’m frugal, otherwise I would've missed out on this get-out-of-my-comfort-zone experience.

I must admit, it was hard to string two words together. I was sweating buckets. I spoke at a sloth-like pace, and I think half the time I just spoke some weird Dutch version of German. My brain must have thought that pronouncing German words with a Dutch “ch” would be enough. Sometimes it is, though. I don’t blame you, Brain!

But the most important thing is that I actually managed to carry on my first real conversation in Dutch. I could understand the tutor and answer his questions. He even said my Dutch was pretty decent given my A1-A2 level and that thanks to my knowledge of German, I don’t have much trouble with grammar structures (I guess compared to speakers of other languages who aren’t used to kicking the verb to the end of the sentence?)

Unfortunately, it’s not all roses. That same German that is so helpful when it comes to reading, listening, and picking up the grammar patterns seriously messes with my Dutch when I try to speak. But that’s a story for another day.

What I learned from this experience:

• A year of comprehensible input wasn’t for nothing. Despite occasional dips in motivation, I tried to stay more or less consistent and get in at least ten minutes of listening or reading each day. Slow and steady wins the race.
• Although I like using AI for low-stakes speaking practice, I also need more real conversations where I can learn to accept the fear of making mistakes and speak despite it, even when it's uncomfortable.

Do you remember your very first conversation in a new language?