Sound like a Local - Informal Flemish for Beginners
Room
Class room 1
Start time
Max. capacity*
08:00
30
What we'll talk about
Are you starting to learn Dutch and are you curious about how to sound like a real local (and not like a textbook😉)? Join our workshop and discover how to blend in in no time!
Your host
Sofie Begine
As a Dutch language teacher working in Brussels and Leuven, I was often confronted with the difference between correct Dutch, the language we teach in classes, and the way Flemish people actually speak. The real language of everyday life, though it technically is not a “correct language”.
I noticed that my trainees continued to have difficulties understanding their friends, neighbours and colleagues, even after many classes. After becoming aware of this fact, I started paying more attention to the way we speak in informal situations. And no wonder my students were having difficulties!😲 The spoken Flemish language differs from the standard Dutch, not only in pronunciation, but also in vocabulary and grammar!
That is when I decided to develop self-study tools ✍️ to learn this wonderful and rich informal language. My goal is absolutely not to replace traditional Dutch courses. Knowing correct Dutch is still important to function in our society. Rather, I aim to offer a complementary approach. Not knowing the informal everyday language is as big a handicap as not knowing the standard language.
