Dutch Playground Power | Secret Podcast

I’m Mariska. Mother of three: Cato (2017), Hugo (2020), and Elli (2022). Also: woman, sister, daughter, wife, friend, entrepreneur and dancer.

I’m a Dutch teacher (NT2) since 2013. And in that time, I’ve helped hundreds of students go from silent and stuck… to speaking Dutch with confidence.

Because: learning Dutch is one thing – you can do that.
But actually speaking it? That’s a different skill. 

It’s not about knowing more grammar or more words. It’s about how you feel and what you think, when it’s time to speak.

 Because when your brain doesn’t understand everything, it panics. It wants safety. So it steers you right back to English within seconds.

And in the Netherlands? That’s been relatively easy. Convenient, even.

But now that you have that little human in your house, picking up Dutch faster than you can say ‘oliebollen’ – it’s starting to feel cringe that you’re saying ‘Sorry English please’.

Toch?

Helping you do this – helping you break through the hesitation and finally speak Dutch in real life – is what I do best.

And this is also where I’m different from most Dutch teachers.
You don’t want just more words. You want to speak the language confidently. Proudly. Without second-guessing every sentence.

That’s what I help you build: not only your vocabulary, but the mindset and confidence to own the Dutch you already have – and to improve from there.

I bring patience, energy, and a healthy dose of humor to get you speaking. For real.

You’re not too old. It’s not too late.
And yes – you absolutely can speak Dutch.

But don’t do it the hard way. Let me help you.