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Thread: prevalence of english in the netherlands

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    prevalence of english in the netherlands

    hi, i read on wikipedia that in the netherlands ~70% of the population is familiar with english.

    i don't know exactly if that means fluency, literacy, or what. what im worried about is if i only spoke english, could i possibly live comfortably in a large, dutch city such as the dam on the amstel river?
    it was actually me who killed vasilli zaitsev, heinz thorwald, carlos hatchcock, and simo hayha

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    I think english is taught in schools as a compulsary second language, iirc (I'll leave it for the Dutchies to confirm)

    I lived in the Netherlands for 3 months and got by *ok* using only english, was able to do the shopping etc.

    However I did find it a bit isolating because the dutch lingo is completely baffling and unfathomable to me, and unless you 'identify' yourself as a english speaker you hear only dutch gobbledegook spoken, so its hard to interact socially and spontaneously

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    Quote Originally Posted by nota View Post
    I think english is taught in schools as a compulsary second language, iirc (I'll leave it for the Dutchies to confirm)

    I lived in the Netherlands for 3 months and got by *ok* using only english, was able to do the shopping etc.

    However I did find it a bit isolating because the dutch lingo is completely baffling and unfathomable to me, and unless you 'identify' yourself as a english speaker you hear only dutch gobbledegook spoken, so its hard to interact socially and spontaneously
    That's what I hear a lot from people as well. Sounds very recognizable. Though a lot of Dutchies also "speak" english, a lot don't speak it in a reasonable level anyhow. A big nuisance when a non-native english person tries to understand a Dutchie. I translated a lot of times now..

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    Quote Originally Posted by drakkie View Post
    That's what I hear a lot from people as well. Sounds very recognizable. Though a lot of Dutchies also "speak" english, a lot don't speak it in a reasonable level anyhow. A big nuisance when a non-native english person tries to understand a Dutchie. I translated a lot of times now..
    You speek verry god england.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nota View Post
    I think english is taught in schools as a compulsary second language, iirc (I'll leave it for the Dutchies to confirm)
    Another big reason is that English movies and TV programs are not dubbed, but subtitled. That helps to get even the youngest familiar with the language. Ultimatecarpage.com would not have been possible without Inspector Gadget and The Transformers.
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    I have been giving courses in the UK for people from all over the world. Once the comment came that my English was much better understandable than that spoken by the native english speakers, who also delivered courses....
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen View Post
    Ultimatecarpage.com would not have been possible without Inspector Gadget and The Transformers.
    Inspector Gadget, me?
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

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    Quote Originally Posted by henk4 View Post
    Inspector Gadget, me?
    Do you have a propeller in your head?
    If you should see a man walking down a crowded street talking aloud to himself, don't run in the opposite direction, but run towards him, because he's a poet. You have nothing to fear from the poet - but the truth.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen View Post
    Do you have a propeller in your head?
    that would explain the spinning I regularly note
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

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    I can say the English spoken by the founders of UCP is among the best I encountered in NL, but by no means was it a stand out.

    Even in smaller towns there was some understanding in most places, and I picked up enough to get buy with the shopping and the like fairly quickly (can't say I have held onto it though).

    One of the more interesting things I noted was that it was American English that was often spoken (not just in NL, but Europe generally), not the variety of their neighbour, as W's TV/Movie influence will attest.
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    Intrigued, Cyco, how you determiend it was "American English" as I doubt if you came to the UK now you'd be hard pressed to seperate American from English in many cases.

    Anyway, English is VERY good in the Netherlands in general.
    For all the reasons already given.

    When trying to integrate it is difficult in the transition from thinking you can speak the language to being able to. The former means others treat you as if you are the latter.
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    all the best trance music (and therefore, dutch) have vocals in english. i've always wondered if this ticked off the nationals
    it was actually me who killed vasilli zaitsev, heinz thorwald, carlos hatchcock, and simo hayha

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    it is said that dutch teens know english better than their american peers
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    Quote Originally Posted by dydzi View Post
    it is said that dutch teens know english better than their american peers
    do you see that as an achievement?
    "I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting, but it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously." Douglas Adams

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    Quote Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen View Post
    Another big reason is that English movies and TV programs are not dubbed, but subtitled. That helps to get even the youngest familiar with the language. Ultimatecarpage.com would not have been possible without Inspector Gadget and The Transformers.
    I think that's one of the main reasons. There are a lot of sentences that you hear in movies or TV shows that you can use in a normal conversation. And when hearing those sentences or words about a dozen times a day (since most of the kids watch too much TV these days), really is a stimulation.

    Other than that, I think that the education of English is very good in the Netherlands.
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