Sure… many people complain about it….. You go to a party in the Netherlands and then initially some people have a word with you in English. But then, all of a sudden everythings changes.
Within seconds the official language of the party turns out to be Dutch. People are laughing and are having a good time. But, not very far away from that fun having crowd stands a person that seems to be socially isolated, like a little black sheep. All alone 🙁
What went wrong here? Maybe you were to eager to believe that speaking Dutch was not that important and that with English you could work your way out. Everyone in Holland speaks English, that is what they told you. Indeed…. Dutch people love speaking English but …
It is all about connection
Dutch people love to speak English, that much is true…. But…. there is one thing that Dutch people love more than English and that is Dutch (not really a surprise, right?) Therefore what is true in each and every other country in the world is also true for the Netherlands. You will feel a much stronger connection with other people if you speak with them in their own language.
Speaking about connection now… What most people don’t realize is that at the end learning Dutch is all about connecting and if you like, you can even see it as a spiritual adventure.
By the way, it is not only about how you relate to other people, it is above all how you relate to yourself. Therefore, if you like the idea of ‘spiritual lessons’ than all of a sudden, speaking Dutch becomes far more fascinating.
I wrote a whole article about it on Inlivin, the online good life guide in Amsterdam. Learning another language as a spiritual adventure. Enjoy!
