This is quite interesting.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flemish_people
The low 52% for Belgium hides this fact because the frequently fluently multi-lingual Flemings always get statistically lumped together with the usually ‘foreign-language-challenged’ French-speaking Walloons and French-speaking inhabitants of Brussels, who, like the neighbouring French with their 39%, statistically drag the number down for the whole of Belgium.
Also worthy of note here is that there are not a few among the Dutch, the Flemings, the Swedish and the Finns who speak and write English significantly *better* than many native English speakers in England and the UK… not to mention other native Anglos like Americans, Australians, New Zealanders etc.
Dutch people apparently are the best non-native English speakers in all of Europe! (Take that Sweden!)
We hope, however, that a certain amount of DUNGLISH will never go out of style! What are your favourite examples? (e.g. “the water is undeep”)
mihrank
Oct 10, 2014 @ 06:05:47
Great post!
melouisef
Oct 10, 2014 @ 06:06:14
Oh Thank You!!!!!
Mordanicus
Oct 10, 2014 @ 06:11:33
A year ago I wanted to buy a metro ticket in Brussels. Formally this is a bilingual city, but the employee at the ticket office only spoke a little Dutch. Consequently I needed to use my best French.
melouisef
Oct 11, 2014 @ 05:56:31
Yes you see this goes to show!
Genevieve Petrillo
Oct 10, 2014 @ 09:57:04
Mom says she wishes I could understand English sometimes…..
Love and licks and huh?
Cupcake
melouisef
Oct 11, 2014 @ 05:57:11
I think you do but you don’t want to let on Dear Cupcake, clever!
xxx
anotherday2paradise
Oct 10, 2014 @ 14:40:16
Love the funny. 🙂 I wish I could speak Dutch as well as they can speak English. I have so many Dutch relations, and have to go to Google translate to understand what they put on FB. 😦
melouisef
Oct 11, 2014 @ 05:58:09
Also loved the funny!. I find it very hard to understand the Dutch when they speak fast. It takes some time to get used to it. But I can read it.
Arkenaten
Oct 10, 2014 @ 19:33:47
I hide my face knowing that I have a very limited knowledge of other languages -Portuguese and French. ( my Afrikaans is atrocious)
My wife speaks four languages three pretty much fluently and one of those is Zulu and she speaks it so well that you would never know she wasn’t Zulu if you couldn’t see her.
But it looks like the world will eventually speak English — or possibly Chinese.
Whenever the topic of language comes up and especially English I am always reminded of those ( falsely attributed) cringe awful comments from some Americans about Jesus writing the bible in English.
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2014/feb/12/facebook-posts/bachmann-didnt-say-bible-was-written-english-and-n/
melouisef
Oct 11, 2014 @ 05:59:25
This is the funniest link … thanks. same would probably go for Sarah Palin? Well of course God’s instructions to Moses was in English…
🙂
Arkenaten
Oct 11, 2014 @ 10:27:27
Or in their case … American. ( God’s country, you see?)
melouisef
Oct 11, 2014 @ 15:40:38
Those Bible belt guys… I always thought that Israel was funded by the Jews of the USA until I see it is actually the Bible Belt Christians who want to preserve Palestine for the coming of the Lord. Now I know for sure there is an ace up their sleeve…
firstandfabulous
Oct 11, 2014 @ 01:54:32
The cartoon had me in stitches! Great stuff
melouisef
Oct 11, 2014 @ 05:59:50
Yes I though it was hilarious!
🙂
Leo
Oct 12, 2014 @ 11:21:42
Love the cartoon, thats typical English humour as I remember it. The reason why everyone learns English in these places is because the english are too lazy to learn other languages uless they are forces to. 🙂
melouisef
Oct 13, 2014 @ 10:37:51
Yes love the humor! It is quite interesting that English became the international language. Next Chinese?
monicahaddad01
Oct 13, 2014 @ 09:07:21
Dit was nou baie interessant om te lees. Ek wonder net of ons die Engels van die Afrika lande as Engels kan tel want ek kan net nie hulle uitspraak verstaan nie, so ek verstaan nie wat hulle sê nie.
melouisef
Oct 13, 2014 @ 09:28:23
Ja dis baie waar maar ek dink tog dit sal tel, soos pigeon english. verder wat nie hier genoem word nie is dat daar dele in die VSA is wat nie meer Engels magtig is nie met die instroming van die immigrante uit Mexico! En verseker aangesien ons nou op die onderwerp is, is Frankryk stadig maar seker besig om sy eie kultuur te verloor. Die instroming van immigrante is eintlik skokkend! Ek lees mos die statistieke om myself te irriteer.
monicahaddad01
Oct 13, 2014 @ 09:44:19
Wel dit pas my uitstekend want dan kan ek sommer by jou kers opsteek 🙂
melouisef
Oct 13, 2014 @ 09:48:39
😀
trynablogs
Oct 14, 2014 @ 14:36:01
die Franssprekende Belge is ‘n pyn in die ……. . Hulle kan geen ander taal praat nie. Vam 52% Belge wat wel engels magtig is, is ek ook nie so lekker seker nie. ek het Afrikaans gepraat en as hulle nie kon (of wou ) verstaan nie, het ek oorgeslaan na Engels. Dan het hulle baie gou my Afrikaans tog so soortvan verstaan
melouisef
Oct 14, 2014 @ 20:32:55
Was baie jare laas in Belgie maar dis soos ek hulle onthou! Die ding is om Engels te kan praat word nou n ekonomiese voordeel as mense toeriste soek of winkels het. Die Europeers begin dit nou insien alhoewel baie van hulle nie van die Engelse hou nie.
Mélanie
Oct 23, 2014 @ 13:23:21
I love Belgium, in general and Brussels in particular… I’ll return there soon! 🙂
btw, speaking English can “kill”… conclusion: drink, eat, make love as much as you like… 🙂
melouisef
Oct 23, 2014 @ 13:39:36
Loved this! Yes now we have reason…
Thanks Mélanie