The Netherlands is the number one destination in Europe for English-medium bachelor degrees. Over 115,000 international students enroll in Dutch universities every year. And most of them assume, reasonably, that "English-medium" means English. It often doesn't — not entirely.
What "English-medium" actually means in Dutch higher education
Dutch universities have expanded English-medium instruction (EMI) dramatically since the early 2010s. Universities like TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Maastricht University, and the University of Amsterdam now run hundreds of fully accredited bachelor and master programs with English as the official language of instruction.
The official language policy is English. The actual classroom experience is more complicated. Here is what typically happens:
- Scheduled content: delivered in English — slides, written assessments, official communications.
- Spontaneous explanation: often reverts to Dutch when a professor is working through a complex point and finds their natural language faster and clearer.
- Questions from Dutch students: frequently asked in Dutch, particularly in smaller seminars.
- Group work: shifts to Dutch once the group is majority Dutch, regardless of official policy.
- Course materials: older textbooks and reading packs sometimes remain fully in Dutch.
International students from Asia, Latin America, southern and eastern Europe — students for whom English is also a second language — face a double barrier: comprehending fast-paced English delivered with a Dutch accent, plus occasional Dutch fragments they have no framework for.
Code-switching: the phenomenon no one warned you about
In linguistics, code-switching means alternating between two languages within a single conversation or even a single sentence. For Dutch professors speaking to a mixed international-Dutch class, switching mid-explanation into Dutch is unconscious and common.
A typical code-switching lecture moment sounds like this: the professor is explaining a concept in English, hits a term or idea they naturally think of in Dutch, says the Dutch phrase, then continues in English without pausing. From the professor's perspective, this was imperceptible. From a non-Dutch student's perspective, a key explanatory phrase just evaporated.
This is most common in: chemistry and engineering (where technical terms have strong Dutch equivalents), economics lectures with Dutch-specific regulatory examples, and all seminars where Dutch students make up more than half the group.
The group work problem
Group work is where the language gap is most disruptive, and where many international students feel most marginalised. In a group project with four Dutch students and two international students, work sessions almost inevitably proceed in Dutch — faster, more natural for the majority.
This is not hostile exclusion; it is simply the path of least linguistic resistance. But the result is that international students either disengage from the group dynamic, contribute less than they are capable of, or finish the semester with fewer Dutch connections than they hoped.
What helps: being direct early. Stating at the first group session — "I'm happy to work together, but I need us to stay in English so I can fully contribute" — is a completely reasonable request and almost always respected when stated clearly.
Dutch accent English: the comprehension factor
The Netherlands consistently ranks at or near the top of EF English Proficiency Index lists. Dutch academics write and speak excellent English. But Dutch-accented English has specific phonological features that take time to tune into, particularly for students from East Asian or Latin American language backgrounds:
- Relatively flat intonation compared to British or American English — less pitch variety to signal importance
- Long vowel sounds that can shift how familiar words sound
- A faster average lecture pace than many students are accustomed to from their home countries
- Standard academic English vocabulary without much paraphrase or simplification
The combination of pace, accent calibration, and occasional Dutch insertions can leave non-native English speakers genuinely lost in the first weeks — not because of their own English level, but because accent-adjustment takes time.
Practical strategies for international students
1. Use real-time transcription in lectures
A real-time transcription tool converts the lecturer's speech to text as they speak. When a Dutch term is inserted, you see it in text — you can note it and look it up rather than losing the thread entirely. When the English pace is fast, reading simultaneously makes comprehension clearer. OneMeet provides live transcription of Dutch and English lectures with automatic translation — you can read along in your preferred language in real time.
2. Learn basic Dutch before arriving
You don't need conversational fluency. Learning 200–300 Dutch words covering: numbers, common academic verbs (berekening = calculation, vergelijking = comparison/equation, onderzoek = research), and basic classroom instructions will make code-switching moments recoverable rather than total losses.
3. Record and review lectures
Most Dutch university lecture halls permit audio recording with the professor's consent (ask — it is usually granted). Reviewing the recording against your transcript within 24 hours is the most effective way to fill comprehension gaps before they accumulate.
4. Make explicit language requests in seminars
A short statement at the start of a seminar or group session — "I'd really appreciate if we stay in English so I can follow" — is appropriate and effective. Dutch students and professors generally respond positively to direct communication.
5. Use Dutch university student offices
All major Dutch universities have international student offices specifically for these issues. They can escalate cases where official English-medium policies are not being followed in the classroom — which is within your rights as an enrolled international student.
Is it worth it?
Yes — emphatically. Dutch universities offer world-class education in genuinely English-medium environments with a uniquely international, pragmatic academic culture. The language friction is real but manageable. Students who address it actively — with the right tools, direct communication, and some Dutch basics — find the Netherlands one of the best international study destinations in Europe.
The students who struggle most are those who expect the advertising and the reality to fully match. They don't. But the gap is bridgeable.