#languageproblems

Tips to Rock Your Language!

So, my first language is Dutch but everyone around me is kinda annoyed with my bad grammar, don’t get me wrong I can talk it just fine, but writing and under pressure I make lots of mistakes. (Not like it is a difficult language, only the second hardest in the world 😒) Doesn’t really help that I’m a teacher who is supposed to know the language very well. My English on the other hand is way better then my Dutch, because of that I sometimes make Dutch sentences with a lot of English words in them, or with English grammar rules instead of the Dutch grammar rules. Makes my life not any easier. People ask my why I do this and my best explanation is: “because I think in English and the language is way easier then Dutch.” I get a lot of strange looks from people when I say this, I’m supposed to be Dutch. How I hate the language... it’s way to difficult with a lot of none-explanatory grammar rules. Maybe I should read more books in Dutch then in English, but I can find way more books in the English language then I can in the Dutch language, besides I think Dutch writers aren’t really that good. The struggles.

There's a knock at the door. I open it and it's the shower repairman, he steps back, puts his feet together and bows to me. Actually bows. As I stand open-mouthed and slightly confused he comes in, takes off his boots and bustles past me towards the bathroom, tugging at his forelock with his head bobbing. In the bathroom he's already got his tools out, 'It's err, the, oh, sorry, I don't speak Finnish,' I say. He bobs his head. 'You know the problem?' 'Yes, yes,' he says, 'new unit.' and points behind me. I turn and there's a twelve-year-old boy there holding a a box. I almost shout 'shit!' I'm so surprised - I hadn't seen him at the door. I leave them to it. I'm just looking up how to say 'Would you like a cup of tea?' in Finnish when they come bustling past again, making a sharp exit. In a linguistic panic I shout, 'Ole hyvä!' which means, 'You're welcome!'

This column made me smile this morning. It reminded me when I followed these Dutch courses because I started my first year in uni. I went to international school, English becomes my first language from that on. One dutch lady reminded me that I live in Holland and I gotta speak the language! I agreed with her big time. I am also grateful for it. After 30 some years, more & more English is used in our daily life ! It is pretty strange for me and we gotta get used to more English in the Dutch society! #dutchlanguage #English #languageproblems #worldchanges #NRC

Can you think of any other numbers?

I was in Oslo over the weekend, while @outofthedark was giving me recommendations neither of us could think of the English for fußgängerplatz/gågate Both of us are native English speakers. #bilingual #languageproblems #whatevenisenglish #norge #oslo #norsk