- Talk about sustainable living
Emma explains her career in sustainability to a friend at a local café.
Vocabulary
- duurzaam (sustainable)
- de aarde (the earth)
- de toekomst (the future)
- het gedrag (the behavior)
- milieubewust (environmentally conscious)
- zich gedragen (to behave)
- de moeite (the effort)
Objectives
- Read and understand a text about sustainable living
- Discuss personal habits
- Discussing climate change limits
James and Emma discuss an article about the physical limits of climate change.
Vocabulary
- de grens (the limit/border)
- er zitten grenzen aan (there are limits to it)
- de limiet (the limit)
- de aanleiding (the reason/cause)
- de toestand (the situation/condition)
- uitputten (to exhaust/deplete)
- de opgave (the task/challenge)
Objectives
- Apply vocabulary related to sustainability in context
- Pronounce vocabulary words with correct stress
- Making greener food choices
Emma shares her favorite plant-based recipes with her colleagues during lunch.
Vocabulary
- de vegetariër (the vegetarian)
- plantaardig eten en drinken (eating and drinking plant-based)
- vlees / vis eten (eating meat / fish)
- de spinazie (the spinach)
- het voedsel (the food)
- zuivel en eieren eten (eating dairy and eggs)
- weigeren (to refuse)
Objectives
- Rank and discuss the environmental impact of daily activities
- Discuss dietary choices and preferences
- Starting a community garden
James helps out at a neighborhood garden to grow fresh vegetables.
Vocabulary
- de bewoner (the resident)
- de buurtbewoner (the neighborhood resident)
- de wijk (the neighborhood)
- de groentebak (the vegetable bin)
- kweken (to grow/cultivate)
- het onkruid (the weeds)
- de grond (the ground/soil)
Objectives
- Make agreements with peers on how to change habits
- Discuss community and local environmental efforts
- Exploring nature and wildlife
Emma and James go on a nature walk outside the city on a weekend.
Vocabulary
- de omgeving (the environment/surroundings)
- de struik (the bush/shrub)
- de fruitstruik (the fruit bush)
- de brandnetel (the stinging nettle)
- de plant (the plant)
- de munt (the mint)
- wildplukken (to forage)
Objectives
- Listen to and comprehend a song about the Dutch landscape
- Discuss foraging and local flora
- Managing waste and recycling
James organizes his kitchen to better follow municipal waste separation guidelines.
Vocabulary
- het plastic (the plastic)
- de zak (the bag)
- scheiden (to separate)
- het koelvak (the cooling compartment)
- het vak (the compartment/box)
- weggooien (to throw away)
- apart (separately)
Objectives
- Research local municipal guidelines for waste separation
- Apply vocabulary about household recycling
- Buying and selling secondhand
Emma convinces James to buy a used bicycle instead of a new one.
Vocabulary
- spullen kopen en gebruiken (buying and using stuff)
- het voorbeeld (the example)
- aanraden (to recommend)
- de spijt (the regret)
- spijten (to be sorry)
- spijt hebben van (to regret)
- delen (to share)
Objectives
- Buy or sell a secondhand item on an online marketplace
- Use 'er' as a preliminary subject in sentences
- Changing habits step by step
Emma writes a blog post on how to slowly transition to a sustainable lifestyle.
Vocabulary
- stap voor stap (step by step)
- inslijten (to wear in/become a habit)
- iets met de paplepel ingegoten krijgen (to learn something from a very young age)
- oplossen (to solve)
- de ogen sluiten voor iets (to turn a blind eye to something)
- erachter komen (to find out)
- ondertussen (meanwhile)
Objectives
- Discuss personal habits and provide examples
- Understand and transcribe reduced speech sounds
- Discussing transportation impacts
James debates the carbon footprint of flying versus taking the train for his UK visits.
Vocabulary
- autorijden (driving a car)
- het openbaar vervoer gebruiken (using public transport)
- vliegen (flying)
- kleding / textiel kopen (buying clothing / textiles)
- wonen (living)
- trouwens (by the way)
- uiteindelijk (eventually)
Objectives
- Rank and discuss the environmental impact of daily activities
- Provide arguments in a discussion
- Structuring a formal debate
Emma takes part in a panel discussing local environmental policies.
Vocabulary
- Mag ik mijn verhaal even afmaken? (May I just finish my story?)
- Mag ik je even onderbreken? (May I interrupt you for a moment?)
- Wat bedoel je precies? (What do you mean exactly?)
- Weet je dat zeker? (Are you sure about that?)
- Wat is je onderbouwing? (What is your substantiation?)
- echter (however)
- overtuigen (to convince)
Objectives
- Politely ask to finish speaking or ask to finish a story
- Ask for clarification or demand arguments during a discussion
- Sharing community blog tips
James replies to Emma's sustainability blog with his own experiences.
Vocabulary
- aanmoedigen (to encourage)
- het enthousiasme (the enthusiasm)
- bewonderen (to admire)
- herstellen (to restore)
- inrichten (to organize/furnish)
- de educatie (the education)
- op kamers gaan (to move into a student room)
Objectives
- Write a short text for a blog sharing a tip
- Write a short reaction to a peer's blog post
- Describing close friendships
Emma talks about the difference between making friends in the UK and the Netherlands.
Vocabulary
- de vriendschap (the friendship)
- hecht (close)
- oppervlakkig (superficial)
- de sfeer (the atmosphere)
- het misverstand (the misunderstanding)
- omgaan (to interact/hang out)
- om me heen (around me)
Objectives
- Discuss friendship and social habits in different cultures
- Deduce meaning from context for common Dutch words
- Group dynamics and meetups
James joins a local volleyball team and gets added to their group chat.
Vocabulary
- de aanhaakgroep (the tag-along group)
- aanhaken (to tag along/join)
- aanschuiven (to join/pull up a chair)
- de kring (the circle)
- het etentje (the dinner party)
- de whatsappgroep (the WhatsApp group)
- het appje (the text message/app message)
Objectives
- Talk about personal friendships
- Compare relationship dynamics with others
- Organizing social activities
Emma plans a weekend gathering in the park with some new acquaintances.
Vocabulary
- de activiteit (the activity)
- plannen (to plan)
- langsgaan (to drop by)
- onaangekondigd (unannounced)
- picknicken (to picnic)
- van tevoren (in advance)
- spontaan (spontaneous)
Objectives
- Give advice to others using 'zou/zouden'
- Plan and discuss social activities
- Understanding social norms
James learns the unwritten rules of visiting Dutch households.
Vocabulary
- de ongeschreven (the unwritten)
- de normaalste zaak van de wereld (the most normal thing in the world)
- ondenkbaar (unthinkable)
- onbeleefd (impolite)
- het privédomein (the private domain)
- binnenshuis (indoors)
- strikt (strict)
Objectives
- Discuss and make choices in hypothetical dilemmas
- Recognize and understand reduced speech in spoken Dutch
- Handling social conflicts
Emma gives James advice on how to resolve a minor misunderstanding with a colleague.
Vocabulary
- de ruzie (the argument/fight)
- ruzie met / over (argument with / about)
- isoleren (to isolate)
- voorkomen (to prevent)
- afvragen (to wonder)
- lastig (difficult/tricky)
- gek (crazy/weird)
Objectives
- Describe hypothetical situations using irrealis
- Conjugate and accurately use irregular verbs in the past
- Finding common ground
James organizes a mixer event for expats and locals in Utrecht.
Vocabulary
- de medestander (the supporter/ally)
- het midden (the middle)
- midden in (in the middle of)
- mengen (to mix/blend)
- mixen (to mix)
- meespelen (to play along/factor in)
- samenhangen (to be connected)
Objectives
- Ask targeted questions to find people with specific characteristics
- Discuss relationship dynamics in groups
- Evaluating expat life
Emma reads an anthropologist's article ranking countries by ease of making friends.
Vocabulary
- de expat (the expat)
- wereldwijd (worldwide)
- de antropologe (the anthropologist)
- de ranglijst (the ranking list)
- onderaan (at the bottom)
- opvallen (to stand out)
- het feit (the fact)
Objectives
- Discuss friendship and social habits globally
- Conjugate separable verbs correctly
- Returning and falling back
James reflects on how often expats revert to their native social circles.
Vocabulary
- terugkeren (to return)
- terugvallen (to fall back)
- terugvallen op (to fall back on)
- toekomen (to get around to/receive)
- toekomen aan (to get around to)
- voorzien (to provide)
- voorzien van (to provide with)
Objectives
- Use verbs with fixed prepositions accurately
- Describe hypothetical outcomes
- Expressing quantities in groups
Emma describes the demographics of her community garden group.
Vocabulary
- degene (the one who)
- een handvol (a handful)
- schaars (scarce)
- maar liefst (no less than)
- best (quite)
- voortdurend (constantly)
- weleens (sometimes/ever)
Objectives
- Use the pronoun 'er' in combination with numbers to indicate quantity
- Discuss personal friendships
- Paying digitally and quickly
James marvels at how rarely people use cash in the Netherlands.
Vocabulary
- de app (the app)
- pinnen (to pay by card)
- contant (cash)
- Tikkie (Tikkie - payment app)
- digitaal (digital)
- de automaat (the machine)
- razendsnel (lightning fast)
Objectives
- Discuss the cultural norms and pros/cons of mobile payment apps
- Talk about digital payments
- Splitting the bill
Emma goes out with friends and figures out the fairest way to split the evening's costs.
Vocabulary
- splitsen (to split)
- het avondje uit (the night out)
- stappen (to go out)
- uitgaan (to go out)
- een rondje geven / betalen (to buy a round)
- verrekenen (to settle/offset)
- rekenen (to calculate)
Objectives
- Debate and justify financial allocations
- Discuss night out finances
- Managing your daily expenses
James shares his budget tracker system to keep grocery costs low.
Vocabulary
- de uitgave (the expense)
- het minimumbedrag (the minimum amount)
- het minimum (the minimum)
- besparen op boodschappen (to save on groceries)
- uitgaven bijhouden (to keep track of expenses)
- de helft (the half)
- een kwart (a quarter)
Objectives
- Discuss and evaluate practical strategies for saving money
- Express specific proportions and fractions
- Expressing statistics clearly
Emma presents a small report on student spending habits during her language course.
Vocabulary
- driekwart (three quarters)
- negen op de tien (nine out of ten)
- 10 procent (10 percent)
- de meerderheid (the majority)
- dubbel (double)
- de meeste studenten (most students)
- massaal (en masse)
Objectives
- Express specific proportions and quantities in conversations
- Understand phrases describing statistical majorities
- Discussing income and savings
James compares the modal income of the Netherlands with his home country.
Vocabulary
- modale inkomen (modal income)
- zakgeld (pocket money)
- inkomen opzij zetten (setting aside income)
- de fulltimebaan (the full-time job)
- netto (net)
- bruto (gross)
- de uitkering (the benefit/allowance)
Objectives
- Research and discuss typical salaries and modal incomes
- Debate financial allocations based on personal situations
- Handling financial negotiations
Emma practices complaining about a broken product she ordered online.
Vocabulary
- geld terug (money back)
- dwingen (to force)
- het gevolg (the consequence)
- redelijk (reasonable)
- de reden (the reason)
- de efficiëntie (the efficiency)
- onlangs (recently)
Objectives
- Roleplay making a complaint about a purchased product
- Negotiate a solution for a refund or discount
- Secondhand sales pitches
James writes a catchy advertisement to sell his old guitar.
Vocabulary
- tweedehands (second-hand)
- in de groep gegooid (thrown into the group/suggested)
- te spreken zijn over iets (to be pleased about something)
- volledig (completely)
- slechts (only)
- overigens (moreover/by the way)
- rijk (rich)
Objectives
- Write a positive sales advertisement for a second-hand product
- Give constructive feedback to classmates
- Declining personal questions
Emma deflects questions about her salary during a casual dinner.
Vocabulary
- Dat zeg ik liever niet. (I'd rather not say that.)
- Dat vind ik wel heel persoonlijk. (I find that very personal.)
- Dat zijn jouw zaken niet. (That's none of your business.)
- Dat hangt ervan af. (That depends.)
- ongemakkelijk (uncomfortable)
- raar (weird)
- beledigen (to insult)
Objectives
- Politely decline to answer overly personal or difficult questions
- Navigate uncomfortable social topics
- Business and borrowing money
James reads about how microcredits help small businesses get off the ground.
Vocabulary
- schulden aflossen (to pay off debts)
- de omzet (the revenue)
- de winst (the profit)
- microkredieten verstrekken (to provide microcredits)
- startkapitaal (seed capital)
- de uitvinding (the invention)
- introduceren (to introduce)
Objectives
- Use the passive voice to describe actions where the subject is unknown
- Discuss financial allocations and business concepts
- Student life and money
Emma chats with university students about how they manage their budgets.
Vocabulary
- de studiegenoot (the fellow student)
- de masterstudent (the master's student)
- het volleybalteam (the volleyball team)
- de introductiegroep (the introduction group)
- focussen op (to focus on)
- de gewoonte (the habit)
- telkens (every time)
Objectives
- Discuss saving norms among students
- Reflect on language learning progress and set B1 goals
- Shifting financial cultural norms
James and Emma compare how payment norms have shifted globally over the last decade.
Vocabulary
- crosscultureel (cross-cultural)
- individualistisch (individualistic)
- ouderwets (old-fashioned)
- verdwijnen (to disappear)
- de indruk (the impression)
- de invloed (the influence)
- omarmen (to embrace)
Objectives
- Discuss the cultural norms of using mobile payment apps
- Use fixed prepositions correctly with specific nouns
- Exploring sound art
James discovers an exhibition dedicated entirely to the art of sound.
Vocabulary
- de geluidskunstenaar (the sound artist)
- de kunstenaar (the artist)
- de kraak (the creak)
- de zoem (the hum)
- kraken (to creak)
- zoemen (to hum)
- tikken (to tap/tick)
Objectives
- Read and comprehend an article about sound art
- Apply vocabulary related to artistic sound profiles
- Everyday household noises
Emma describes the comforting sounds of her apartment on a rainy Sunday.
Vocabulary
- het koffiezetapparaat (the coffee maker)
- de traptrede (the stair step)
- het dak (the roof)
- de regenbui (the rain shower)
- het rotweer (the terrible weather)
- snurken (to snore)
- pruttelen (to simmer/sputter)
Objectives
- Discuss and describe personal feelings associated with everyday sounds
- Respond appropriately to conversational statements
- Art academies and institutions
James helps organize a weekend trip to an art exhibition with his friends.
Vocabulary
- de kunstacademie (the art academy)
- het conservatorium (the conservatory)
- de museumdirecteur (the museum director)
- de schilder (the painter)
- de tentoonstelling (the exhibition)
- de verzameling (the collection)
- het kunstwerk (the artwork)
Objectives
- Plan and organize a group museum visit
- Discuss art institutions and collections
- Describing visual art visually
Emma critically evaluates a modern painting at the local museum.
Vocabulary
- scherp (sharp)
- fel (bright/fierce)
- vaag (vague)
- strak (tight/sleek)
- hoekig (angular)
- donker (dark)
- helder (clear/bright)
Objectives
- Describe opinions about a favorite artwork using specific visual adjectives
- Apply terms for light, color, lines, and shapes
- Expressing emotions through art
James shares how a gloomy sculpture in his neighborhood makes him feel.
Vocabulary
- opgewekt (cheerful)
- deprimerend (depressing)
- somber (gloomy)
- angstig (anxious/fearful)
- verdrietig (sad)
- Ik krijg er een ... gevoel bij. (I get a ... feeling from it.)
- Ik word er ... van. (It makes me ...)
Objectives
- Describe, evaluate, and express opinions about a piece of public art
- Use idiomatic expressions to describe emotional responses
- Creating digital audio files
Emma records ambient sounds for a creative podcast project.
Vocabulary
- het audiobestand (the audio file)
- de opname (the recording)
- het geluidsportret (the sound portrait)
- de podcast (the podcast)
- opnemen (to record)
- beluisteren (to listen to)
- het bestand (the file)
Objectives
- Comprehend lyrics and extract factual information by listening
- Discuss audio files and podcasting
- Intensifying your reactions
James passionately defends his favorite movie during a dinner debate.
Vocabulary
- hartstikke (extremely/very)
- ontzettend (incredibly)
- vreselijk (terribly)
- verschrikkelijk (terribly/awfully)
- helemaal niet (not at all)
- absoluut niet (absolutely not)
- stiekem (secretly)
Objectives
- Express intensified agreement or disagreement using amplifying words
- Use emotional modifiers in daily conversation
- Organizing an art project
Emma posts a call online to gather everyday noises for a community art piece.
Vocabulary
- de oproep (the call/appeal)
- verzamelen (to collect)
- oprichten (to found/establish)
- deelnemen aan (to participate in)
- uitbreiden (to expand)
- opsturen naar (to send to)
- de ontdekking (the discovery)
Objectives
- Conjugate and apply irregular and separable verbs accurately
- Organize and participate in group creative efforts
- The art scene and reviews
James writes a glowing email review to recommend a Dutch film to Emma.
Vocabulary
- de presentatie (the presentation)
- de workshop (the workshop)
- de hoofdrol (the main role)
- de fan (the fan)
- de locatie (the location)
- het materiaal (the material)
- relativeren (to put into perspective)
Objectives
- Write a persuasive email review recommending a Dutch film, book, or series
- Use specific prepositions correctly within fixed expressions
- Musical elements and walks
Emma takes a guided audio walk through the historic center of Amsterdam.
Vocabulary
- de geluidswandeling (the sound walk)
- de wandeling (the walk)
- de musicus (the musician)
- muzikaal (musical)
- fluiten (to whistle)
- spinnen (to purr)
- klinken (to sound)
Objectives
- Extract factual information by listening to a Dutch song or audio
- Describe a musical or walking experience
- Making a lasting impression
James reflects on how a recent exhibition completely changed his perspective.
Vocabulary
- in de ban raken van iets (to become spellbound by something)
- op zijn plek vallen (to fall into place)
- de dienst uitmaken (to call the shots)
- zich rot schrikken (to be scared to death)
- schrikken (to be startled)
- onverwacht (unexpected)
- vertrouwd (familiar)
Objectives
- Write a summary of a text by logically completing partial sentences
- Use idiomatic phrases to describe powerful experiences
