Dutch podcasts . .

[chrix]

Lu, I recommend you save the "Laura learns Dutch" podcasts for this occasion

A Dutch journalist made these for his (now ex-) girlfriend from the US. One huge problem with Dutch and Scandinavian languages IMO, the locals speak English so well, that it makes it hard to apply whatever miserable command you have. Though I was happy that I was successful at asking for a plastic bag at Amsterdam airport

Edit: Lelan, just search on itunes for them....

Edited June 17, 2009 at 03:21 AM by chrix

[Meng Lelan]

Really? Laura Learns Dutch podcasts? It so happens that next door neighbor comes from a Dutch speaking family and he was telling me what a struggle it is to get his 12 year old son to learn Dutch. Is this on youtube or what? I guess Lu knows about it, right?

[imron]

Is this on youtube or what?

Yep.

[Meng Lelan]

argh, it's not playing for me. Must be blocked here. Never mind, thanks anyway imron.

[chrix]

I didn't know there were even videos for it, hehe, I was just listening to it on my iPod

[Daan]

Meng Lelan, you can also go to the iTunes podcast directory and download them there, if you'd like. I just listened to one of his podcasts. Sounds pretty good to me, he speaks very clearly and quite slowly too. But then I am a native speaker of Dutch, so it's bound to be easier ;)

chrix, what you said about most Dutch people speaking English making it harder for foreigners to learn Dutch is definitely true. I know as a Dutchman, whenever I used to come across someone who didn't speak Dutch, I would always offer to speak English with them. That wouldn't be because I didn't want them to learn my language, but it's just being polite and making the other feel a bit more at home. Of course, if the other party insisted, I would speak Dutch to them. But these things go hand in hand, since their lack of exposure to Dutch meant I would really have to think about my word choice and grammar (usually I don't care that much and all that comes out of my mouth is some incoherent stuff other native speakers accept without questioning me, haha). Now that I am learning Chinese and I've realised how annoying this is for foreigners who want to learn a new language, I've figured out that it is very useful to have native speakers willing to talk to you in their language, so the next learner that I come across: beware!

[Meng Lelan]

Ok, I'll try iTunes. I'm glad you guys brought this up because maybe I can refer my next door neighbor to those podcasts.

San Antonio has quite a few Dutch speakers. Why I don't know.

[Lu]

Meng Lelan: Because they're always speaking English :-)

Daan: I totally agree.

[Meng Lelan]

Lu, no, not that I mean, I mean I am not sure why Dutch speakers come to San Antonio, San Antonio is so different from their home country.

[chrix]

well in San Antonio there's actually also a long history of German immigration, and German culture is not sooooo different, at least in the Northwest

[Lu]

Meng Lelan, ah wait, I misread, thought you said 'Why don't I know'. The answer to your actual question is: because the Dutch are everywhere. You can walk through the desert or climb a mountain for ten lonely days and just when you think you're really, truly away from any and all civilization... you see a Dutch person sitting in a Chinese restaurant.

:-)

[Meng Lelan]

Wow! The Dutch Diaspora!

[Daan]

...which is highly annoying if you're trying to enjoy a vacation abroad! Things have gotten so bad kids want to go to southern France to make new Dutch friends during the summer vacation. You can't even go camping in France and expect to have to speak French these days! It's horrible, haha. Don't get me wrong, I love my compatriots, but sometimes I just want to mix in with the locals, and not hang out in Dutch bars on the Spanish coast where they sell authentic Dutch food and beer, and play horrible Dutch songs such as http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9XLHLrTH2I - IEHH. But I guess this is not only the case for the Dutch

[chrix]

nah, you're right, I usually stay away from German tourists too. They're often not at their best behaviour and it can get embarrassing

[Meng Lelan]

play horrible Dutch songs

Bad enough that I thank the Almighty that I chose to study Chinese not Dutch.

[Lu]

Ah c'mon, that song is not higher culture, but it's fun. At least it's not pretentious like Acda & De Munnik. :-p

[Daan]

Well, that might be true, but please, not when I'm abroad trying to enjoy the weather in Spain... ;)

(And as a matter of fact, I like Acda & de Munnik a lot, even though I admit they're somewhat over the top sometimes!)

[Lu]

I thought you would :-) It seems me and Sigmund are rather alone in disliking Acda & De Munnik.