Why Dutch?

[dstsai]

Hoi!

I thought my first post here will be appropriate. I'm not advanced enough to ask other questions yet

I actually got into Dutch from a World Cup project I had to do in my world history class last year. I was responsible for learning a few Dutch expressions and "teaching" my classmates but that ended up in a disaster... It was nice following the Dutch team as well (since the American team is never that good.) alongside the Spanish (since I take Spanish at my high school). Who knew they would be the two final teams?

More recently, I have started to look at getting an undergraduate education at the Netherlands since there seem to be good "university college" liberal arts programs. That's why I decided to revisit Dutch! (Not that I need it for college. It just seems appropriate.) The grammar and spelling look all right, but learning all the (long) new words will be a challenge.

Tot ziens,

Steven

[Quetzal]

Interesting... there are many undergrad liberal arts programs in the Netherlands that can be done entirely in English? That's new, if so... having graduate programs entirely in English is one thing, undergrad another, and generally the hard sciences seem to attract more foreigners than the liberal arts (which makes sense, I guess, as they're less dependent on the local culture).

[fabriciocarraro]

I don't think there's a "main" reason at all.

I love studying languages! I am brazilian, so my native language is portuguese, and also I speak english, italian, intermediate spanish, and now I'm learning russian and dutch. It's my hobby,and also, a great way to meet people!

I found DutchGrammar.com and really liked the grammar lessons, very easy to follow! Add the fact that I had been to Amsterdam last year and LOVED it. So when I had nothing to do at work I've started taking the "lessons" and now I've been studying it for already 2 months =) Hope I'll be good enough soon!

[enchanted]

I am an au pair in Netherlands and that's why I should learn dutch. Also I visited Holland in last summer and I have fallen in love with this country there are also more reasons

[Socket]

Waarom leer je Nederlands?

Why do you learn Dutch?

Want ik zou heel graag in Nederland leven.

[erinl]

On a 2006 trip to Europe, I had a mishap and got (conveniently) stuck in Amsterdam for three extra days. This was after a scenic bus ride across the Dutch countryside. People were very nice and understanding. I had studied some German (many years ago) at one time and found Dutch to be very much like German. My grandfather was German. I also did some research on Nederland for one of my college courses in international policy.

I have been studying Dutch for about the past year and a half, just about everyday, mostly grammar, and can understand a lot of listening and reading. I really would like to do more writing, but the Internet, while good, I have found that it can really be a serious barrier. I found that if one makes a mistake in writing the Dutch language, other users ignore you and even kick you off forums, including Facebook! I can read others' posts very well, but not answer them. This is due to various political things going on in the Netherlands right now with buitenlanders and not being flaunt or bad off in the Dutch language. I'd like to write the Dutch language and make honest mistakes in it, as anyone learning the language would do.

I'm now a bit scared to write Dutch, as much as I'd like to, as I don't want to be burned for making learner's mistakes.

[ngonyama]

On a 2006 trip to Europe, I had a mishap and got (conveniently) stuck in Amsterdam for three extra days. This was after a scenic bus ride across the Dutch countryside. People were very nice and understanding. I had studied some German (many years ago) at one time and found Dutch to be very much like German. My grandfather was German. I also did some research on Nederland for one of my college courses in international policy.

I have been studying Dutch for about the past year and a half, just about everyday, mostly grammar, and can understand a lot of listening and reading. I really would like to do more writing, but the Internet, while good, I have found that it can really be a serious barrier. I found that if one makes a mistake in writing the Dutch language, other users ignore you and even kick you off forums, including Facebook! I can read others' posts very well, but not answer them. This is due to various political things going on in the Netherlands right now with buitenlanders and not being flaunt or bad off in the Dutch language. I'd like to write the Dutch language and make honest mistakes in it, as anyone learning the language would do.

I'm now a bit scared to write Dutch, as much as I'd like to, as I don't want to be burned for making learner's mistakes.

Feel free to write your best prose (or even poetry ) here and we will correct it for you.

[Quetzal]

Yeah, I think you may have had some bad luck in your choice of forums, erinl... I'm surprised to hear you were treated like that anywhere - God knows Dutch-language forums are full of native speakers making spelling mistakes - but in any case, this site is for foreigners learning Dutch, we help people when they make mistakes.

[erinl]

Yeah, I think you may have had some bad luck in your choice of forums, erinl... I'm surprised to hear you were treated like that anywhere - God knows Dutch-language forums are full of native speakers making spelling mistakes - but in any case, this site is for foreigners learning Dutch, we help people when they make mistakes.

Dank u!
Ik maak ook fouten wanneer schrijvende Engels.

[Marie2011]

Hi there!!
One is for curiosity but also I have met a nice dutch guy and I would like to speak with him as I were speaking my mother tongue.
I learned a little of german and I think it is lightly similar (you dutch people could give me your opinion) and it helps me to understand dutch. I have been studying only one month ago, so I cannot write complex sentences yet.

This is the first time I am learning a language by myself which I enjoy, because I am learning a little like children, basic things everyday. I found some languages courses were booring and sometimes the information was inaccurated.
Btw this is my first post in this forum

[Joke]

Dank u!
Ik maak ook fouten wanneer schrijvende ik Engels schrijf.

You can't directly translate "when writing English" to Dutch. We just don't say it like that. Instead we say "when I write English" (or literally: "when I English write", because in a subclause, all verbs go to the end of the sentence).

Good luck with learning erinl and Marie2011!
We're here to help you.

[Marie2011]

Many thanks, I will go to Neetherlands next week, it is the first time I will visit there. I will tell here about my experiences. I will try to do it in dutch (dont expect miracles!!)

[Joke]

That's a good way to practice!

[Marithim]

*comes out of lurking*
I want to learn Dutch because it is what my mother and her family speaks. I am tired of being unable to talk to certain family members whenever I go visit Belgium. I also promised my grandmother that I would do so.

[Mithmeoi]

My hubby is Belgian and I'd love to be able to talk to him in his native tongue without having to run to the dictionary every five seconds.
Would also be nice so I could communicate with his family more easily.