You stop bottlenecking by shifting from passive input (reading, listening) to active output (speaking, writing) and by deliberately filling your specific knowledge gaps. The feeling of being gatekept often comes from understanding more than you can produce, so you need to practice retrieving what you know and adding missing structures.

Your current tools are good for exposure but weak on production. Babbel gives structured lessons but limited speaking practice. NOS Journaal is excellent for listening, but you likely understand 60-80% and miss the rest. YouTube and ChatGPT are flexible but require you to push yourself. The bottleneck happens because you rely on context and cognates (English-Dutch similarities) without solidifying grammar and vocabulary you can use actively.

Here is a concrete plan. First, do daily active recall. Spend 10 minutes writing or speaking about your day in Dutch without looking anything up. Record yourself, then compare with a model (like a ChatGPT conversation or a transcript). This exposes exactly where you get stuck. Second, target weak grammar. For example, if word order (inversion, subordinate clauses) trips you up, focus on that with exercises from a grammar book or a dedicated app. Third, use spaced repetition for vocabulary. Pick a flashcard app (like Anki) and add sentences from NOS or YouTube that you almost understood. Review daily.

Honest tradeoffs: Babbel is convenient but slow for intermediate learners; you may outgrow it. NOS is free but uses formal news language, not everyday conversation. ChatGPT can simulate dialogue but lacks real-time feedback and cultural nuance. No single tool fixes everything. You need a mix: input (NOS, YouTube) plus output (talking to yourself, language exchange partners, or a tutor). Consider a language exchange app or a weekly conversation group to practice speaking with real people.

Next steps: This week, do one active recall session daily. Next week, identify your top three grammar gaps and find exercises for them. In a month, aim to have a 5-minute conversation about a familiar topic without stopping. Track your progress by recording yourself weekly and noting what you improve.

Remember that bottlenecking is normal at intermediate level. The key is to stop coasting on comprehension and start forcing production. You already have a solid foundation; now build the bridge to active use.