I learned my Dutch at Radboud (UTN). Which course are you planning on taking?
Imo, I would go to Radboud and not because I'm biased (okay maybe a little). :) In the major cities, most people speak can English and once they hear your accent/troubles with speaking it's an automatic to switch to English even if you're speaking in Dutch. In Nijmegen, the major languages are Dutch then German and then English. It's easier to go into stores and have a full conversation with someone in Dutch because it's not as common to switch immediately to English here.
I had the experience of visiting, and loved the city,( who am I kidding, I loved all of it) but yeah! I had a bit of a challenge in that it was ALL dutch. Which would be good for the language skills.
I'm starting a level 3 ( B1 for the common framework levels, i think...) in fall at University of Toronto Continiuing ed.
I took that course, too. It's all in Dutch, there are no English explanations for anything. If you come to Nijmegen, you'll be pretty submersed in the language. If your goal is to learn the language, then that's the best way to go. Most people here also know English, but it's just not default to use it. I still have troubles getting people to only speak to me in Dutch once they hear my poor speaking skills.
It's not a large city, though. If you want to experience the night-life and everything else, then going to a larger city would probably be more ideal. It really depends on what why you want to come.
I had zero language knowledge when I visited, other than thankyou and "sugar" which my oma taught us, but I've come a long way in the 18 months since.
I know Nijmegen is slightly smaller but it's also where the bulk of my family are, and I am expecting some weekends to see family and friends all over, and do some solo wandering, I'm fairly seasoned as a traveller, and a solo one at that. Nightlife's interesting but not critical!
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And yeah, Utrecht is only a 15 minute train ride from Centraal. :D
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Imo, I would go to Radboud and not because I'm biased (okay maybe a little). :) In the major cities, most people speak can English and once they hear your accent/troubles with speaking it's an automatic to switch to English even if you're speaking in Dutch. In Nijmegen, the major languages are Dutch then German and then English. It's easier to go into stores and have a full conversation with someone in Dutch because it's not as common to switch immediately to English here.
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http://www.ru.nl/radboudintolanguagesuk/languages/dutch_as_a_second/day_courses/
I had the experience of visiting, and loved the city,( who am I kidding, I loved all of it) but yeah! I had a bit of a challenge in that it was ALL dutch. Which would be good for the language skills.
I'm starting a level 3 ( B1 for the common framework levels, i think...) in fall at University of Toronto Continiuing ed.
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It's not a large city, though. If you want to experience the night-life and everything else, then going to a larger city would probably be more ideal. It really depends on what why you want to come.
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I had zero language knowledge when I visited, other than thankyou and "sugar" which my oma taught us, but I've come a long way in the 18 months since.
I know Nijmegen is slightly smaller but it's also where the bulk of my family are, and I am expecting some weekends to see family and friends all over, and do some solo wandering, I'm fairly seasoned as a traveller, and a solo one at that. Nightlife's interesting but not critical!
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