“Understanding doesn’t mean that you can suddenly speak the language. Far from it. It’s a small step, nothing more, yet its rewards are intoxicating and deceptive. The teacher continued her diatribe and I settled back, bathing in the subtle beauty of each new curse and insult.” Sedaris, David. “Me Talk Pretty One Day.” Me Talk [...]

Reason 1 Practicality. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone in the Netherlands speaks the lingua franca of the modern world, English. In general, you might soon discover that just like any real-world skill, there are varying degrees of English competency among and within different types and groups of Dutch people. Living in the "sophisticated" economic center of the Netherlands known as the Randstad, having been educated in the Dutch university system and/or being under the age of 65 does not guarantee that the Dutchie in question can comprehend/speak/communicate in English.