24 Dutch Classes and I Can Read a Menu

Ok technically I only attended 21 Dutch classes as I missed three for work. Considering that the class started with seven and ended today with two (one of them me), I think I did pretty well. I got a certificate and everything. :)

So the big question is, of course, "Can you speak Dutch now?"

On Day 1, our teacher taught us a little phrase and we all laughed and laughed b/c it was just so nonsensical. "Ik spreekt een beetje Nederlands." Translation: I speak a little bit of Dutch. I feel pretty confident in saying that ik spreekt een beetje Nederlands now. Considering that I had never heard a Dutch word in my whole life before coming here, I think that's pretty good. Heel goede in fact.

I have enough confidence to try to order food at a restaurant. I try and that generally seems appreciated. The Dutch aren't morons, they know they speak a difficult language. They also like to show off their English, so getting any of them to have a conversation in Dutch isn't easy.

But overall I try to read things, picking out the words I know and then guessing the rest. I can pick out parts of speech, which makes looking up words in the dictionary a lot easier. I managed to translate about a third of the Dutch subtitles during Syriana. I'd say that's heel goede too.

At this point I'm trying to decide if I should stick with it and go for the intermediate class. What say ye? Yay or Nay?