✨ Your Integration Bestie ✨

Earlier this March, I finally committed to learning Dutch and signed up for a language course (thankfully funded by my employer!). Learning a new language from scratch is never easy, and it becomes even more challenging when everyday tasks turn into stressful experiences due to the language barrier.

I remember one time at the supermarket when I was trying to use a bottle recycling machine. The instructions were in Dutch, and my Google Translate app didn’t work due to a poor internet connection. I struggled with the machine, and the Dutch woman behind me grew impatient. When I asked for help, she showed me how to use it but then added, “Can’t you read the instructions? READ.” I told her I didn’t understand the instructions, and she bluntly said, “Then learn Dutch.” Her remark was unnecessary and left me feeling

In moments like these, I think about how much easier life would be back home in Australia where I fully understand the language. But I remind myself that this is part of the experience. And it’s given me a new appreciation and empathy for immigrants in Australia trying to navigate life in English.

As I reflect on this unpleasant encounter, 3 main learning points stand out:

Share your experiences with someone. Talk about it. Write about it in your journal. Speak up. Keeping everything inside only makes you more sad and depressed, leading you to believe you’re alone in this experience when you’re not. Sharing is cathartic and helps release those heavy emotions.

This experience is also teaching me to toughen up. I’m naturally a bit of a snowflake (🙈), so this is an opportunity for personal growth. But at the same time, recognise that resilience takes time to build and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed occasionally. We need to give ourselves time and grace to adjust to our ‘new normal.’

Despite feeling down sometimes, I want to keep learning Dutch. I know I’m not in the wrong. If anything, I’m brave for being in a new environment where I don’t speak the language. It’s important to acknowledge the courage it takes to try and build a life in a new country. That alone puts me ahead.

Truth be told, in the Netherlands, you can get by without speaking Dutch. I know people who have lived here for over 3 years, some even over 20 years, and still speak very limited Dutch or none at all. If they’re managing well, that’s perfectly okay. But for me, the longer I’ve stayed here, the more I want to speak the language of my host country. I want to understand what people are talking about (even the everyday drama on the streets lol I remember once at the supermarket, people were arguing, and my curiosity got the best of me. I wanted to understand, but I couldn’t… ).

And most Dutch people speak excellent English and can hold intellectual conversations with you in English perfectly fine. But at the end of the day it’s not their first language, and they appreciate it when you make an effort to speak Dutch.

Moreover, my boyfriend is Dutch and his friends (mostly) and family are Dutch too. When I hang out with them, being the only non-Dutch speaker, they have to switch to English for me most of the time. As much as I appreciate that, over time I can’t help but start feeling a bit guilty. It’s their home country, so I feel like I should be the one making an effort to meet them halfway, just as in Australia we would expect people to make an effort to learn English. But I’m proud of myself that I’m starting to understand small bits and pieces of their conversations now! : )

That’s all for now. Whether you’re navigating life in English, Dutch, or any other language as an immigrant, you’re amazing