LL-L "Language learning" 2003.02.15 (09) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 15.FEB.2003 (09) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Ruud Harmsen <rh at rudhar.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language learning" 2003.02.15 (05) [E]

10:11 15-2-2003 -0800, Lowlands-L:
From: frank verhoft <frank_verhoft at yahoo.com>
Subject: Language learning

>3. Is there anybody on this list learning Dutch, and if so, what
are the
>pitfalls, (tenacious) problems etc. you encounter while studying.

I'm not, and I don't know if know if others are, but on this yahoogroup:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DUTCH-ENGLISH-STUDY-GROUP/
there are many people trying to learn Dutch, and a few native
speakers giving them some help.
You can access part of the list archives at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DUTCH-ENGLISH-STUDY-GROUP/messages
It may be necessary to subscribe to the group first, and log in with
a yahoo-ID, in order to be able to access these archives.

Many members of that list have (American) English as their native
tongue, but certainly not all. From the list, it emerges that among
the most difficult things for foreign learners of Dutch is the
difference between the sounds written ij/ei on the one hand, and
e/ee on the other.

Another recurring stumbling block is word order. Some people are
being taught Dutch by an instructor, and ask the native speakers on
the list if words and parts of speech in their homework sentences
are in the correct order. Often the answer is "yes they are, but
it's also correct if you put them in this other order". Then they
say "this is confusing, because our teacher said it should always be
'subject, verb, object, time clause, place clause'. If that other
order is also right, what would _you_ say is the proper set of rules?"
And then the natives say: "Rules? I don't know any rules, I only
know what sounds right and what doesn't".

And even though I agree that remembering rules can support the
learning process, foreign learners too better rely on this "gut
feeling" of what is right and what isn't. Of course it will never be
as infallible as that of a native speaker. But it can be obtained,
by reading and listening enough, by sufficient exposure to the
living language. And it is much faster than applying rules, fast
enough and automatic enough to be useful in real life active use of
the language.
--
http://rudhar.com

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