🎙️ Praat Nederlands met me!
The podcast by Dutch for Children
A weekly podcast about raising multilingual children and helping expat kids learn and maintain the Dutch language wherever they are in the world.
Does your child answer in English when you speak Dutch? You’re not alone. Many expat parents face the challenge of keeping their mother tongue alive while raising children abroad.
Praat Nederlands met me! dives into the joys, struggles, and surprises of teaching Dutch to international kids.
Hosted by Wendy van Dalen — founder of Dutch for Children, the online Dutch language school for kids — this podcast brings you:
✨ Expert advice on raising multilingual children
✨ Inspiring stories from expat families and Third Culture Kids
✨ Practical tips for keeping the Dutch language and culture alive
Whether you want to strengthen your child’s Dutch, understand the magic of multilingualism, or feel connected to other international parents, this podcast is for you.
🔗 Discover more:
Dutch for Children (https://dutchforchildren.nl/) — Online Dutch lessons for children
Online Dutch for Expats (https://www.onlinedutchforexpats.nl/) — Learn Dutch as an expat parent
Raising a multilingual child abroad: keeping Dutch alive between countries
Raising children abroad often means navigating multiple languages and cultures at the same time.
In this episode of Praat Nederlands met me! Wendy van Dalen speaks with Natalie Lukkenaer about her experience raising a multilingual child while living in different countries.
Together, they explore what happens when children grow up between languages, how Dutch can slowly fade into the background, and what parents can do to keep it part of daily life.
Natalie shares honest reflections on both the challenges and the beautiful moments of multilingual parenting. From language choices at home to identity and belonging, this conversation offers practical insights that many international families will recognise.
Whether you are already living abroad or preparing for an international move, this episode will help you better understand how to support your child’s Dutch language development in a natural and sustainable way.
9 Mar 2026
Raising multilingual children abroad: A Dutch family’s journey from London to France
What happens when a Dutch child grows up between three countries and three languages?
In this episode of Praat Nederlands met me, Wendy van Dalen speaks with Franca, a Dutch mother who raised her daughter abroad, first in London and later in France. Today, her daughter Fleur is 23 years old and speaks Dutch, English, and French fluently.
What makes this story particularly interesting is that there was no strict language strategy, no formal Dutch lessons, and no complicated system. Instead, the family focused on something simple but powerful: consistency and connection.
Franca shares how she always spoke Dutch with her daughter, why maintaining the Dutch language felt important to her, and what it was like to watch her child grow up between cultures. She also reflects on emotional moments along the way, the role of family ties in keeping Dutch alive, and what she might have done differently, especially when it comes to writing in Dutch.
For parents raising multilingual children abroad, this episode offers reassurance, perspective, and a valuable long-term view of what multilingual upbringing can look like over the years.
🎧 In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Moving abroad with a young child and adding new languages naturally
Why consistency in one language can make a big difference
Identity and belonging when growing up between cultures
Emotional moments parents experience when raising children abroad
What parents often underestimate about multilingual upbringing
Whether you are currently living abroad, recently returned to the Netherlands, or simply wondering how to keep Dutch alive in an international environment, this conversation offers honest insights and encouragement.
1 Mar 2026
Doorstroomtoets 2026 Results: Cito, IEP & Final School Advice Explained
The Doorstroomtoets 2026 results are being released and for many international families, this can feel like an uncertain moment.
What do the numbers actually mean?
Is the test decisive for secondary school placement?
And what happens if the score is higher or lower than expected?
In this episode, I explain clearly and calmly:
• The difference between Cito and IEP scoring
• What reference levels like 1F and 1S really mean
• How the final school advice is determined
• When a school must reconsider the advice
• Why one test never defines your child’s future
If you are navigating the Dutch education system as an expat or international family, this episode will help you interpret the Doorstroomtoets results with clarity and confidence
For a full written explanation, visit this article via this link. (https://dutchforchildren.nl/doorstroomtoets-2026-results/)
If you would like personal guidance, you are always welcome to reach out via email or via our contact page. (https://dutchforchildren.nl/contact/)
Podcast Authority Score: 17 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
34
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
Contact Praat Nederlands met me!
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Praat Nederlands met me!?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
