Writing Workshop

[franceslievens]

I'm signing up for this writing workshop. Okay, not really signing up, I'm just gonna take part, because I think it'll be fun and I'll have an opportunity to improve my English writing skills. My knowledge of English grammar and spelling is somewhat rusty – I admit it was never there in the first, because I passed secondary school English without studying (unless the irregular verbs, which I still have to say out loud if I want to know the passed tense of run/ran/run). This'll give me a reason to write, albeit in English. Anyone up for doing a workshop like this in Dutch? I notice that the more I write in English, the more my writing skills and extended vocabulary in Dutch seem to dissapear. Ah well, one has to make choices in life. ;-)

Comments

[candlelightfrot.livejournal.com]

Dutch? No thanks, the closest I get to Nederlandisch is my sometimes nic on the boards - Lijdrek. Smelly name I know.

I've never seen anything wrong with your or any of the other non-English speakers on the boards or LJ. Oh, sometimes one of you makes an obvious mistake in English; but usually your grammar is impeccable. Though sometimes a bit on the overly formal side and I know that comes from trying to be 'correct' and thinking about what you are writing.

I'd think that Dutch would be analogous to English. Seems to me I remember reading that was true and about the Flemish vs the Wallon and how the Flemish are often tri-lingual in French/Dutch/English and thus got a leg up in business in Belgium.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

You're mixing up two languages, Lynn: Nederlandisch? Nederlands in Dutch and Niederländisch in German... ;-)

Flemish students should be trilingual at the least because French is the second language we get at school and English the third, all compulsory! But unfortunately my French is pauvre when you compare it my English. That's because of all those subtitled American tv shows I used to watch as a kid.

I'm formal? At least I think before I write. ;-)

[candlelightfrot.livejournal.com]

Whoops.... I left my Nederlands/English-English/Nederlands Dictionary in my rent house in the village. Yes, I actually own one; every so often I ran across a family record in Dutch/Flemish. At a time (1987) when a Langenscheidt could be had for $2, my Dutch/English dictionary cost me $14!

You people sure have an expensive language considering so few of you speak it! ;~P

[candlelightfrot.livejournal.com]

LOL!! If I claim my ancestor's just east of the Dollart can I mix my languages?

[sister-luck.livejournal.com]

Yeah, people who speak Dutch are usually very good at speaking English - as are people from Scandinavia (they're often at least tri-lingual). I envy them.
Their proficiency in English is partly due to the fact that they get their tv and films in the original language (pet topic of mine, I know).
As far as the "overly formal" style is concerned that is because in school we're mostly exposed to formal language and are taught to analyze it in formal language - but my students love writing cause or even cos instead of because. This emphasis of formal language sometimes isn't always a good thing - some students end up being able to write an essay on literature but have trouble with every-day conversations.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

My written Dutch is also very different from the Dutch I speak. I don't think it's more "formal", rather more correct. :-)

Every day convos in English I learned by communicating with an English pen friend I used too have. She also taught me good swear words. I still think English is a great language to swear in.