Steve's Wanderings ...

The Sounds of Dutch …

For the past few weeks I have enjoyed learning bits and pieces of Dutch - especially since Belle has encouraged me by writing to me in both Dutch and English - and she has been very patient and tolerant of my frequent mistakes!  Buying a Dutch-English dictionary has helped me immensely since now I am free to try to construct sentences and phrases on my own instead of relying on the Google translator to do it - often with hilarious results!

However, there is one thing I realize now that is missing - hearing the pronunciation of Dutch.  When I write in German I can “hear” what I’m writing as I go.  Of course the same is true with English.  But with Dutch at the moment I cannot do that - I have SOME idea of how things should sound but often its an educated guess - and that in the end isn’t really good enough ... (at least for me ...).  Even with my Chinese lessons I have opportunities to tie words and sounds/pronunciation together.

So ... I will work on remedying this.  I need to hear the sounds of Dutch so I can read most any word and know how it should be pronounced.  I also need to learn basic grammar, but knowing German grammar I believe will be a great help since there are similarities between the two.  I have some audio CD’s which I will listen to, and I will look for a Dutch tutor if possible (not forgetting my Chinese of course, which is important!).  With those possibilities I think this will make the Dutch language come alive for me ...


A nice website which I plan to use ... - http://www.dutchgrammar.com/

1. Dutch :  A strange language spoken in Flanders and consisting largely of the consonants v,s,c,h,r and k. Dutch is surprisingly easy to learn. Simply fill your mouth with crisps and then speak English and German simultaneously without breathing.

   source: http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk/~martin/belgobib.htm

   Posted by bella_clava  on  09/11  at  02:24 PM

2. Flemish :  A language which apparently does not exist, much to the surprise of foreigners.

   source: http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk/~martin/belgobib.htm

   Posted by bella_clava  on  09/11  at  02:27 PM

3. Netherlands:  A small unimportant country to the north of Belgium whose people talk loudly and incessantly, refuse to spend their money, and eat copious volumes of cheese.

   source: http://www.isg.rhul.ac.uk/~martin/belgobib.htm

   Please, try NOT to get that Holland like pronounciation that guy uses in Dutchgrammar. Please! Try flemish.

   Posted by bella_clava  on  09/11  at  02:34 PM

4. So ... make me some sound files so I learn “proper” Flemish pronunciation!

   Posted by  on  09/11  at  02:41 PM

5. Ok - dat zal ik doen maar je moet wel wat geduld hebben.

   Posted by bella_clava  on  09/12  at  02:27 AM

6. Joepie!!  Vlaams!!

   Posted by  on  09/12  at  02:31 AM

7. Belle wants me to learn Flemish, i.e., the Flemish Dutch dialect (at least for spoken Dutch).engagement ringI’m looking at some possibilities to make this work.  In the meantime I hope that she might make me some .mp3 files of her using common phrases, counting 1-10, etc., so I can hear what it sounds like ("Please, Belle?")necklaces.  I think once I have the basic pronunciation it will help me progress from there ...

   Posted by diamond rings  on  11/12  at  07:22 AM

8. Sound really great!
   Hope you like it!
   Not for me though.

   Posted by Russland  on  04/29  at  09:43 AM

9. I also need to learn basic grammar, but knowing German grammar I believe will be a great help since there are similarities between the two.

   Posted by draper pillar drills  on  05/06  at  01:34 AM

10. I am free to try to construct sentences and phrases on my own instead of relying on the Google translator to do it - often with hilarious results!

    Posted by manchester building  on  05/07  at  04:33 AM

11. I need to hear the sounds of Dutch so I can read most any word and know how it should be pronounced.

    Posted by file recovery  on  05/17  at  01:24 AM
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