Dutch Hearing/speaking Vs Writing/reading

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Phrasebase Archive

meia Tuesday 06th of September 2005 08:51:28 PM
Hearing/speaking vs writing/reading - Hello gang,

Looks like there is alot of help here for the "dutch for dummies" group (which is me myself and I of course) :) I appreciate the help.. :)
I am finding that reading/writing comes alot quicker than speaking/understanding as all dutchies seem to speak really fast and somehow combine 5 words into one sound. I'm told that this is normal but it doesn't make it less frustrating. Are there any suggestions as to what I can do to combat that nice little deer-caught-in-headlights look everytime someone says something to me?
Any suggestions are welcome..maybe I'm the only one that finds that...The texts in many books are too crisp and unless you're asleep, I find that you can sort of get the gist of what's going on but..when people say "hoor ik het" it sounds something like "hork-it" really fast....
HELP!!

Mathieu Tuesday 06th of September 2005 10:18:55 PM
- Practise.. just don't think about this too much - it will come with time. If you learn to recognize a few words, a few very elementary ones preferrably, you can seperate them from the big flow of speech, that way you'll sort of divide it in chunks, and as you learn more, the chunks will get smaller it'll get easier and easier to understand :) Don't expect you'll be able to understand a whole utterance but try to be happy with the couple of words that you did hear, and remember those :) You might find that those will become part of an automatism, and that'll allow you to focus on the more difficult parts. Well, just go on and on untill everything is part of that automatism :p

The beginning is the very hardest bit, with time it will seem as if people talk slower and slower, and actually take breaks between the words instead of pasting them all together which they really do ;)

Esta Monday 10th of October 2005 05:32:25 PM
- yes, i agree, it does get easier. have you ever tried listening to english when your half alseep? i did it the other day, it was really scary because i couldn't work out what they were saying till i concentrated properly! and english is my first language!!!

Phrasebase Archive
	meia	Tuesday 06th of September 2005 08:51:28 PM
	Hearing/speaking vs writing/reading - Hello gang, Looks like there is alot of help here for the "dutch for dummies" group (which is me myself and I of course) :) I appreciate the help.. :) I am finding that reading/writing comes alot quicker than speaking/understanding as all dutchies seem to speak really fast and somehow combine 5 words into one sound. I'm told that this is normal but it doesn't make it less frustrating. Are there any suggestions as to what I can do to combat that nice little deer-caught-in-headlights look everytime someone says something to me? Any suggestions are welcome..maybe I'm the only one that finds that...The texts in many books are too crisp and unless you're asleep, I find that you can sort of get the gist of what's going on but..when people say "hoor ik het" it sounds something like "hork-it" really fast.... HELP!!
	Mathieu	Tuesday 06th of September 2005 10:18:55 PM
	- Practise.. just don't think about this too much - it will come with time. If you learn to recognize a few words, a few very elementary ones preferrably, you can seperate them from the big flow of speech, that way you'll sort of divide it in chunks, and as you learn more, the chunks will get smaller it'll get easier and easier to understand :) Don't expect you'll be able to understand a whole utterance but try to be happy with the couple of words that you did hear, and remember those :) You might find that those will become part of an automatism, and that'll allow you to focus on the more difficult parts. Well, just go on and on untill everything is part of that automatism :p The beginning is the very hardest bit, with time it will seem as if people talk slower and slower, and actually take breaks between the words instead of pasting them all together which they really do ;)
	Esta	Monday 10th of October 2005 05:32:25 PM
	- yes, i agree, it does get easier. have you ever tried listening to english when your half alseep? i did it the other day, it was really scary because i couldn't work out what they were saying till i concentrated properly! and english is my first language!!!