Spending another long weekend in Antwerp with P and his family and friends has renewed my motivation to learn Dutch. It is incredibly frustrating that I can’t speak to his family, especially seeing how his mother and great aunt, who we stay with when we visit, don’t speak very good English. Or rather, it seems that they can talk to me pretty okay, but they have no fucking idea what I’m saying when I open my mouth.
I started with a little travel phrase book that I bought in Houston before I left the United States. I learnt some basic words – hello, goodbye, nice to meet you (which I practiced about 100 times on the plane to Belgium to say to his mother and didn’t get a chance to use as she cut me off mid-sentence to talk to me in English; gutted) – but didn’t managed to learn anything of use.
I now have a phrase book, a dictionary, a teach yourself book, and a multimedia CD for uber basic shit that sucks balls but taught me colours and numbers (donker blauw!). I’ve spent about a month in total in Antwerp over the past year, but still haven’t heard fuck all that I can actually use. I’ve even gotten to the point where I can understand about 50% of what people are saying, but have no means to actually spreek Nederlands.
Phrases I Can Currently Say:
- Spreek u Engels?
- Ik spreek gaan Nederlands!
- Mijn naam is Ani.
- Hoe gaat het?
- Twee pintsje, alstublieft.
- Waar is de apoteek?
- Heb zin in thee?
Sadly, none of those phrases will in any way aid me in joining in on conversations that don’t include me being an annoying tourist or a housebitch.
Anyway, when I was in Antwerp last weekend, I found out that the photography course at the Royal Academy is only €500 a year for international students. The only drawback is that the course is taught entirely in Dutch. So, I’ve decided that I’m going to try and work hard to get a good grasp of Dutch over the next year on the notion that if I get good enough I might be able to study photography in Antwerp. That is, of course, if I get accepted as well.
I’ve ordered myself an Assimil Dutch course that comes with 4 CDs and a book. It also helps that my boyfriend is a native Dutch speaker, but then again I guess that would have also helped me a year ago when I first decided it might be a good idea to try and learn it. Apparently he prefers to speak English. What the fuck?
Hah, we had German (not the same as Dutch, but quite similare) in high school for 3 years, and I only speak one or two words. Then again, I never put much effort into that class.
Good luck anyway!
that’s so funny, cause i just had a dutch class this morning. i’ve been trying for ages to learn the damn language, but its so hard to find anything teaching dutch in small town america (even if it is a pretty happening college town). finally I found a study group and it’s full of weird and interesting people, cause, honestly who else would wanna learn dutch???
have you tried Delftse Methode?? I liked that book, but then again i have tried plenty without any actual success (Teach yourself, Colloquial, Pimsleur, Dutch in 3 months, all nothing)
Get your self a study group its the only thing that seems to have done it for me!!
veel geluk!!!
Ek kan afrikaans praat. Dit is amper soos Nederlands. Maar dit het nie n groot gebruik hier in Australia nie.
Veels geluk!
veel succes! de afdeling fotografie van de academie van antwerpen is niet super. en ik kan het weten, ik heb er gezeten. nederlands is niet zo moeilijk. ik spreek het elke dag.
Ik spreek ook nederlands elke dag en nee t’is ni moeilijk (als je het kan natuurlijk
Good luck with the lessons!
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