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CEFR B1 · independent user

You can survive in Dutch. B1 is where you start living in it.

Our B1 course is built for real conversations at real speed — opinions, work meetings and fast group chats included. Also the level the NT2 state exam (Programme I) asks for.

See start dates & prices ↓Book a free level check

Upcoming B1 start dates

Live availability — dates, prices and seats come straight from our course planning.

B1.4

Dutch B1.4 Intensive Course

  • Starts: October 5, 2026
  • When: Monday & Wednesday, 19:00–20:00
  • Teacher: Lorenzo Loorbach
€135.00
Enroll NowDetails
B1.1

Dutch B1.1 Intensive Course

  • Starts: October 6, 2026
  • When: Tuesday & Thursday, 19:30–20:30
  • Teacher: Lorenzo Loorbach
€135.00
Enroll NowDetails
Different schedule?

Need different days or times?

Tell us which days of the week and times you could study B1 — we plan new start dates around what people ask for, and contact you when a group that fits opens.

Request a class that fits your week
Not sure?

Not sure which level you are?

Tell us a little about your Dutch and we'll tell you where to start — free, in English, not a test.

Book a free level check

What you'll learn — the B1 route

5 blocks of ten one-hour lessons, each a complete course with its own start dates. You pay per block, and your teacher tells you exactly what to take next.

Cover of Nederlands in actie, the B1 course book

Nederlands in actie · Boom

All group lessons at this level follow Nederlands in actie, the intermediate book in the same NT2 series your A-level courses use. The book itself is not included in the course price — order your own copy so you can write in it and keep it.

View and order
  1. Block 1 · B1.1

    Identity, nutrition & health

    Course book chapters 1–2 · Identiteit · Voeding en gezondheid

    What you can do: Conduct interviews, talk about background and lifestyle, discuss food and healthy habits, create short advertisements, and write emails and grocery messages.

    Grammar focus
    • Word formation (woordvorming) & main clause structure (de hoofdzin)
    • Conjunctions and complex sub-clauses (conjuncties)
    • Infinitives with om te (om te + infinitief)
    • Polite requests and hypothetical situations using zou(den) (1)
    • Irregular verbs & prepositions review
  2. Block 2 · B1.2

    Living in the Netherlands & travelling

    Course book chapters 3–4 · In Nederland · Reizen

    What you can do: Discuss cultural differences and holidays, give short presentations, talk about travels through the Netherlands, discuss the weather, and write travel reports.

    Grammar focus
    • Indirect speech with dat (indirecte rede: zinnen met dat)
    • Indirect questions using of and question words
    • Verb tenses in practice (werkwoordstijden)
    • Expressing wishes and conditions with zou(den) (2)
    • Separable verbs (scheidbare werkwoorden)
  3. Block 3 · B1.3

    Work, career & education

    Course book chapters 5–6 · Werk en beroepen · Onderwijs en wetenschap

    What you can do: Discuss professions and workplace roles, write formal job application letters (sollicitatiebrief), talk about the Dutch education system, participate in group discussions, and write responses to articles.

    Grammar focus
    • Relative clauses with relative pronouns: die / dat (relatief pronomen 1)
    • Advanced relative pronouns with prepositions: waarop, waarmee, etc. (relatief pronomen 2)
    • Sentence rhythm and word stress (zinsaccenten)
    • Irregular verbs & thematic prepositions
  4. Block 4 · B1.4

    Language learning & sustainability

    Course book chapters 7–8 · Nederlands leren · Duurzaamheid

    What you can do: Share personal language-learning experiences, express feelings and emotions, write short texts and poems, give presentations on environmental impact, and debate sustainability topics.

    Grammar focus
    • Fixed verbs combined with (te) + infinitief
    • The functions of er (part 1: existential er and locative er)
    • Advanced functions of er (part 2: er with prepositions and numerals)
    • Spoken fluency and reduced speech (gereduceerde spraak)
  5. Block 5 · B1.5

    Relationships, finances & art

    Course book chapters 9–11 · Relaties · Geld · Kunst

    What you can do: Discuss friendship dilemmas and give personal advice, talk about spending habits and money-saving tips, file complaints about products, organize museum visits, describe artworks, and write reviews.

    Grammar focus
    • Complex uses of er (part 3: combining patterns)
    • Giving advice and exploring hypothetical scenarios with zou(den) (3)
    • Passive voice (passieve zinnen with worden and zijn)
    • Talking about quantities, amounts and figures
    • Irregular verbs mastery & overall course review

What is B1 Dutch?

B1 is the CEFR’s “independent user” level — the point where Dutch stops being survival and starts being your language. At B1 you can handle most real-life situations, describe experiences and opinions, and work in Dutch in non-specialist roles. It is also the language level the Dutch government targets in the inburgering B1-route, and roughly the level of the NT2 state exam, Programme I.

A1first phrasesA2everyday basicsYou are hereB1independentB2fluent & preciseC1near-nativeC2mastery

The CEFR is the six-level European standard for language ability. Our group courses run A1–B2; beyond that, C1 coaching is private and on request.

And after B1? After B1 you’re independent: work, friendships and paperwork all run in Dutch. B2 is the next step when you want precision and professional range on top.

How the course runs

You speak in every single lesson

Live video classes capped at eight students — small enough that speaking Dutch isn't optional, it's the whole point. Not a webinar, not an app. We're an Amsterdam school; you join from wherever you are.

NT2-certified native teachers

Native speakers with the NT2 teaching certification — professionally trained to teach Dutch as a second language, not just to speak it. They benchmark your progress against the official CEFR scale and tell you the truth about it.

Ten focused lessons per block

Each block is ten live lessons of 60 minutes, typically meeting twice a week — one complete step of your level with its own start date and price, so you always know exactly what you are committing to.

Never lose the thread

Notes and materials are shared after every class, so a missed session doesn't become a lost week — you catch up before the next lesson and walk in ready.

"Good small language school offering private and group Dutch lessons for beginners but also more advanced levels. Offering online lessons. Had a good experience and enjoyable lessons with Lorenzo!"
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Alexandrina Digori

Google review · Local Guide

Real 5-star review from our students on Google.

B1 questions, straight answers

Is this the right course for the NT2 state exam or the B1-route?
Our B1 courses build the real language level those exams test — reading, listening, speaking and writing at B1. If an inburgering deadline is part of your situation, tell us at intake and we’ll be straight with you about where you stand and what’s realistic. For the rules and registration themselves, duo.nl and inburgeren.nl are the places to check.
I’ve been stuck between A2 and B1 for ages. Why?
Because A2 to B1 is the biggest jump on the CEFR scale: it’s where Dutch goes from memorised situations to spontaneous language. Getting through it takes structured speaking practice at natural speed, with correction — which is exactly the part that’s nearly impossible to self-study. That jump is what this course is designed around.
What’s the difference between the regular and the intensive B1 course?
Same level, different pace. The intensive course meets more often per week, which suits people with a deadline or momentum they want to keep; the regular track fits more comfortably around a full-time job. If both fit your schedule, choose by energy, not ambition — the level you finish at is the same.
Is B1 enough to work in Dutch?
For most non-specialist roles, yes — B1 is the level where you can join meetings, handle requests from colleagues and hold your own socially. Client-facing, academic or regulated work usually asks for B2. If a specific job is the goal, mention it at your level check and we’ll tell you which level that job actually needs.
How long does it take to get from A2 to B1?
Honestly: longer than A1 to A2 took, because the level is simply bigger — that surprises people and it shouldn’t. The exact pace depends on your schedule, attendance and practice between lessons, and the intensive track compresses the calendar if you need it to. We commit to the structure and honest progress feedback, not to a level by a fixed date.

A year of “almost B1” is long enough

Pick a B1 start date below, or book a free level check and we’ll tell you exactly where you stand — including whether intensive is worth it for you.

See start datesBook a free level check