With the Goesting in Taal project, Dutch language trainer Sofie Begine (Brussels, Leuven) aims to bridge the language gap between Dutch language learners and Flemish native speakers by helping learners to get to know the everyday spoken Flemish language, the so-called tussentaal.
Goesting in Taal offers a platform with background information on spoken Flemish and free materials such as exercises, videos, tips and tricks, a book ‘Spoken Flemish – A Survival Guide for international students’ to help international students understand Flemish people better and to learn to talk like a native speaker, a blog with regular posts on typically Flemish expressions and words, and sound like a local workshops about spoken Flemish for language schools, organisations and companies.
Sofie Begine is a Dutch language trainer active in the region of Brussels and Leuven and currently specialising in Flemish informal language.
“As a Dutch language teacher working in Brussels and Leuven, I was often confronted with the difference between correct Dutch, the language we teach in classes, and the way Flemish people actually speak. The real language of everyday life, though it technically is not a ‘correct language’. I noticed that my trainees continued to have difficulties understanding their friends, neighbours and colleagues, even after many classes. After becoming aware of this fact, I started paying more attention to the way we speak in informal situations. And no wonder my students were having difficulties! The spoken Flemish language differs from the standard Dutch, not only in pronunciation, but also in vocabulary and grammar! That is when I decided to develop a learning package for this wonderful and rich informal language.”
“If you don’t know the informal language, the language barrier between you and Flemish colleagues, neighbours and friends will remain in place,” Sofie adds.
“Ik denk dat het een heel goede en belangrijke project is voor anderstaligen. We kunnen ook de spreektaal leren kennen en vooral hulp krijgen om Vlamingen te begrijpen. Ik ben Belg and franstalige en ik werk met Vlamingen en het is vaak moeilijk om hen te begrijpen als ze samen spreken. Dus, heel verrijkend project voor mij en collega’s in mijn situatie.” (VG)
“We kennen allemaal het probleem van anderstaligen: zoveel motivatie om het Nederlands te leren en te spreken, zoveel energie, zoveel inzet. En dan kom je tussen Vlamingen en….. zo’n diversiteit aan accenten, streekvarianten,…. Je kan dan alle hulp goed gebruiken! Sofie heeft dit goed geobserveerd en doet er ook echt iets aan.” (MVO)
“Sofie’s project mission to make the Spoken Flemish language accessible to a wide audience deserves being supported and promoted.” (WZE)
Bezoek het platform Goesting in Taal: http://www.goestingintaal.com/
Interview
Beluister hier het interview met Valerie Gheenens, gebruiker van het platform: