LL-L "Language learning" 2003.02.16 (08) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 16.FEB.2003 (08) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
 L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
 S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From: Michael Arnold <marmanold at mac.com>
Subject: Learning Dutch

I guess I'm a really good person to tell you the "pitfalls" of Dutch.
I just started Dutch 101 this semester.  Since I speak German, I can
already pretty much completely understand written Dutch.  I also have a
very good understanding of Dutch grammar.  However, Dutch is a very
frustrating language to learn if you've already learned German.  Some
of the sounds of Dutch are very difficult and it's very hard to get
your mouth  to stop pronouncing some of the words in German.  (The "ge"
in front of words when they are in the past tense really seems to give
me trouble.  I keep wanting to say the "ge" from German.  Ex. "gewoont"
= "gewohnt" when I say it sometimes.)
I must say though, even with all of these problems Dutch is a very cool
language.  It's very beautiful and fun to speak.  It's just really
frustrating to be able to read something, but not say it.
Another thing that I've noticed about Dutch is that is has many
different dialects which vary quite a lot from each other.  My
professor is from Belgium and the CD with the book is from Holland.
Sometimes I can hardly understand my professor, but can completely
understand the CD.
One last thing that I have noticed about Dutch, or at least Belgium
Dutch, is that the "r" seems to be needed to be rolled at the tip of
the tongue rather than the back of the throat like I do in German.
It's quite hard to master rolling on the tongue.... or at least it is
for me.
I hope this helps.  If anyone has any other questions about learning
Dutch (at least from the perspective of an American college student who
knows German) please feel free to email me or IM me on AIM (my screen
name is marmanold).

-Michael Arnold
marmanold at mac.com

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