2018 blog - IpseDixit (Nederlands, Deutsch, 日本語)

[Car]

My goal for Dutch and Hebrew is to reach a level where I can be a tourist without having to resort to English

So you mean native-like level? Good luck getting people not to respond to you in English.

Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Flanders in this respect or is it the same on both sides of the border?

[Aurinĭa]

My goal for Dutch and Hebrew is to reach a level where I can be a tourist without having to resort to English

So you mean native-like level? Good luck getting people not to respond to you in English.

Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Flanders in this respect or is it the same on both sides of the border?

I'm not sure. As a native speaker, obviously I can't draw from my own experience. People in both countries are most likely to assume you don't know Dutch (or don't know more than a simple greeting and perhaps a few stock phrases). I assume it would also vary by sector; people working in tourism would probably be the worst to talk to if you're trying to speak Dutch and you're not fluent.

[IpseDixit]

Are you interested in learning to read or write Japanese at all at this point? What kind of materials will you be using?

Yeah, how could I read menus and road signs otherwise?

As for the materials, I think I'm going to use the Hoepli books, I used it for Turkish and it was awesome, the best language book I've ever studied on. I'm still not sure what the difference is between this one:



And this one:



These ones look interesting too:




Anyways, in spite of my cynicism, I can't exclude that once I get around to studying it, I will actually fall in love or at least appreciate Japanese in its own right.

[vijayjohn]

I'm guessing the second one is strictly a grammar? Are there books called Corso di lingua turca and Grammatica turca, too? Which one(s) did you use?

[IpseDixit]

It was corso di lingua turca (but I'm not sure there's a grammatica turca book). But well, I still have 8 months before having to decide which one to buy.

[vijayjohn]

Having never seen or heard of any of these books until now, I'm going to suggest Corso di lingua giapponese.

[Car]

My goal for Dutch and Hebrew is to reach a level where I can be a tourist without having to resort to English

So you mean native-like level? Good luck getting people not to respond to you in English.

Is there a difference between the Netherlands and Flanders in this respect or is it the same on both sides of the border?

I'm not sure. As a native speaker, obviously I can't draw from my own experience. People in both countries are most likely to assume you don't know Dutch (or don't know more than a simple greeting and perhaps a few stock phrases). I assume it would also vary by sector; people working in tourism would probably be the worst to talk to if you're trying to speak Dutch and you're not fluent.

I see, thanks. I was wondering if it might be different due to Belgium's different language situation.

[Aurinĭa]

I see, thanks. I was wondering if it might be different due to Belgium's different language situation.

It is, in the sense that Belgians are more likely than Dutch people to reply in French if the other person has a noticeable French accent (again, especially in the tourist sector).

[Car]

Thanks.

[vijayjohn]

I see, thanks. I was wondering if it might be different due to Belgium's different language situation.

It is, in the sense that Belgians are more likely than Dutch people to reply in French if the other person has a noticeable French accent

That sounds like what I've heard of Quebec.

[Karavinka]

Good luck and ping me when you need help with Japanese

[IpseDixit]

Good luck and ping me when you need help with Japanese

Thanks

[vijayjohn]

I might be able to help you a little, too.

[IpseDixit]

I might be able to help you a little, too.

Thanks

[IpseDixit]

I'm already considering the idea of replacing Hebrew with German or doing just Dutch and Japanese. lol.

[Car]

Based on what you post, Ladin already should give you a head start in German.

[Luís]

I'm already considering the idea of replacing Hebrew with German or doing just Dutch and Japanese. lol.

Nooooooo...

Do you really want to learn two rather similar Germanic languages at the same time?

you can always learn Yiddish

[kevin]

Based on what you post, Ladin already should give you a head start in German.

And Dutch is only a degenerated German dialect anyway.

So doing German gives you Dutch almost for free.

[Luís]

Based on what you post, Ladin already should give you a head start in German.

And Dutch is only a degenerated German dialect anyway.

So doing German gives you Dutch almost for free.

In that case he can replace Dutch with German and keep Hebrew...

[kevin]

Or he could replace Hebrew by Yiddish and go for a "German and its weird dialects" TAC.