Archive for 'Dutch Language'
Game of Thrones and Language Development Posted by Sten on Apr 14, 2014
I bet you have heard of Game of Thrones – the HBO Series that became so popular. I am again and again stunned by the great performance of the actors in it. And their accents. It is interesting that in certain American series all actors speak another accent, mostly the English one. That is also…
Nederlands Leren on a Budget Posted by tiffany on Feb 23, 2014
I got an email today from a brand-spanking new expat in Gelderland. She’s been in the Netherlands about two months. She’s a bit isolated, no job prospects as of yet, few people to pal around with, and zilch in the way of funds to put towards her Dutch language education. She wanted to know what…
Elementary School 2.0! Posted by Sten on Jan 9, 2014
Helemaal in het Engels In the Netherlands, a bill is proposed to let schools teach 15% of their lessen (classes) in another taal (language). Helemaal (completely). Especially English is attractive for many schools, because it is used everywhere. It is on TV, in movies, on the internet, and basically all around the small state. It…
Patatdag – Dutch and Fried Food! Posted by Sten on Dec 13, 2013
Patatdag French fries, as the name says, are often seen as being from France. Now, it has been proven that they are actually from Belgium. Just go to Brussels once and try them there. Without ketchup or mayonnaise – only salt. That is how they are to be eaten. In the Netherlands, French fries are a…
The Best Way To Learn Dutch (No Fancy Textbooks or Expensive Courses Required) Posted by tiffany on Nov 14, 2013
When I set out on my Dutch language learning journey, I made sure I took advantage of every opportunity available to me. Pairing with a native speaker Setting aside three days each week during which my husband and I would only speak Dutch to each other Attending focus sessions for speaking and writing Taking several…
The De vs. Het Dilemma Solved… (Well, Almost) Posted by tiffany on Aug 21, 2013
‘De’ or ‘het’? The lack of hard and fast rules makes this one of life’s great enigmas. Loads of Dutch language learners (myself included) search far and wide for an explanation. Some trick or secret that will eliminate the de vs. het dilemma. The thing is… there isn’t one. This is most likely something…
Think Learning Dutch is Hard? It Could Be Worse. You Could Be Learning English! Posted by tiffany on Jul 25, 2013
Have you seen the graphic making the rounds on Facebook? The one about all the reasons why English is hard to learn? It includes things like “the soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert” and “after a number of injections my jaw got number.” Pretty mind blowing, huh? Lots of Dutch language learners…