Tag Archives: culture
6 Ways to Read More News in Dutch Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Feb 23, 2016
Especially when learning a small cultural language like Dutch, it’s nearly impossible to separate the language from the culture of the people who speak it. That’s why jezelf op de hoogte houden (keeping yourself up to date) on current events in the Netherlands, Belgium, and other parts of the nederlandstaalgebied is a great way to…
Foreign Influences: The French Influence on Dutch Posted by Sten on Jan 25, 2016
Just like any other language, Dutch is influenced by many other languages, including those spoken in neighboring countries like Germany, France and Great Britain. Obviously, Dutch also influences other languages, like those spoken in the former Dutch colonies, such as Suriname. Today, however, I would like to address the influence of French on the Dutch…
Dicht op de Muur: The Wall Poems of Leiden Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Jan 5, 2016
Most tourists settting off to practice their Dutch in the Netherlands have their sights set on the canals and museums of Amsterdam, but there’s much more to see in this tiny country than its cosmopolitan capital. Language learners especially will want to avoid spending too much time in the Netherlands’ largest city, where you’re more likely…
TV on the Web: How to Learn Dutch on TV this Fall Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Oct 8, 2015
Dutch language learners often have a harder life than learners of other languages: Dutch isn’t spoken in many countries, and the people who live in those countries usually want to speak English to you anyways. But when it comes to improving your luistervaardigheid (listening skills), you’re in luck with Dutch: there are thousands of hours of…
50 Years 3FM – Some Dutch radio history Posted by Sten on Oct 3, 2015
This week, Dutch radio channel 3FM turned 50 years old. The public channel is one of the most popular and hip ones on the air, in particular with its by now legendary morning show host Giel Beelen. Its main audience is today’s youth, 15-35 year-olds. A lot of different styles are played, from rock to…
The Dutch Eerste Maandag van de Maand Posted by Sten on Aug 5, 2015
It is Monday, 11:59 am, the first Monday of the month. It is about to be noon. Every month again, these last 60 seconds are a countdown. Then, exactly at noon, it happens. Many are shocked for a moment, wondering what to do. Is this real? Or just another test? In the end, this happens…
Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover Posted by Karoly Molina on Nov 21, 2014
We have all heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but regardless of how common the saying is, we tend to judge books, people, cars, restaurants, hotels, etc., by their cover. This is especially true for people. Attractive people catch our attention. Unattractive people have a harder time In 2013, there were…