Dutch in Translation

I'm not a big tv series fan for reasons I won't go into because I could most probably be misunderstood. Even so, sometimes there is this one show or episode that touches me in unexpected ways. Modern Love has just done that and I'll tell you why I recommend you watch it. First, I'd like to start by telling you a little more about where the TV series comes from. It's based on a weekly column of personal essays published in the New York Times. There is also a  podcast , of which I've been a fan for some years now. In it, you can listen to renowned actors reading the essays, followed by a conversation with the essay's writer.  But let's get back to the TV show. Episode 2 begins with an interview coming to an end,  between journalist Julie (Catherine Keener) and dating app  CEO  Joshua (Dev Patel) . A t this point is when the story really takes off by Julie asking him if he has ever been in love and, oh holy cow, here it comes. They're in ...

     I'd guess you have listened to her while riding the bus, on the radio, in a store or restaurant. Maybe it's even on your playlist! It is on mine. Now, why would I want to tell you about her today? Because I would love for you to understand where the lyrics of this song come from, and to know what she's achieved in spite of her pain. To me, she's simply inspiring.      This is how it all began: I was on the train  on my way to Leuven while  listening to the song Dat ik je mis .  I went to stay for a few days with my high school friend Camila who currently lives in Dubai. Why was she in Belgium? Believe it or not, she was taking a Dutch summer course! Why, for goodness sake, if she lives in Dubai, right? It turns out she is married to a wonderful Belgian man, they have three lovely daughters, and she thought it was about time she started speaking better Dutch.       Anyway, let me get back to the son...

            Self-studying is one key element for proficiency when learning a language. As a teacher, I continually encourage my students to listen to a variety of resources. As a learner myself and for the last two years, all I have listened to is music in Dutch and, recently, podcasts. Today, I'm excited to share with you my latest discovery, Zeg het in het Nederlands .      Zeg het in het Nederlands is a Dutch-language podcast which offers 5 top advantages :