What do you want?

[Blasted]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

["couldbecousin"]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

[TheoK]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

['andersom']

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

[Callaway]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

I agree.  It would be extremely arrogant not to at least try to learn the language of the country where you live.

I think I even know more Dutch than your neighbors do after seven years.  What is their first language?

[TheoK]

Probably Arabic or something.

['andersom']

Probably Arabic or something.

Wrong, then they would have been obliged to learn Dutch, because they would not be from within the European Union. My neighbours are Portuguese. The neighbours before them too, but they did make the effort to learn the language. They were great neighbours to have. They moved elsewhere in the village, but them, their kids and grand-kids mingle well with the village community.

[odeon]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

Agreed. I've met Finnish people who have lived here (in Sweden) for 40 years or more without learning more than a few words of Swedish. Their kids, who were either born here or very young when arriving, speak Swedish but very little Finnish, so they can't even talk to their parents properly.

Tragic, really.

['andersom']

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

Agreed. I've met Finnish people who have lived here (in Sweden) for 40 years or more without learning more than a few words of Swedish. Their kids, who were either born here or very young when arriving, speak Swedish but very little Finnish, so they can't even talk to their parents properly.

Tragic, really.

Yes, three of the people next door went back to Portugal for a while, because the mother could not bear her child talking better Dutch than Portuguese. The five year old just refused to talk her mother tongue. They got back after a bit more than a year. And the kid had to relearn Dutch. The mother still doesn't speak it. I've offered her to help to learn it, but she just doesn't want to. They don't speak English either. Very secluded.

["couldbecousin"]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

I agree.  It would be extremely arrogant not to at least try to learn the language of the country where you live.

I think I even know more Dutch than your neighbors do after seven years.  What is their first language?

I feel the same way. If I were going to live in another country, not only would I learn to speak their language, but I would work every day to eliminate my American accent so I wasn't mangling their words. I would do this out of respect for my new home. 

*grabs Rosetta Stone software and gets to work!* 

[SleepyDragon]

I have made a diligent effort to learn conversational Australian, but I could never pass as a native. On my periodic visits to Canada, nobody says to me "Gee, you sound so Aussie now!" My accent has barely changed at all! 

["couldbecousin"]

I have made a diligent effort to learn conversational Australian, but I could never pass as a native. On my periodic visits to Canada, nobody says to me "Gee, you sound so Aussie now!" My accent has barely changed at all! 

You need to listen to recordings of old Foster's Lager commercials, maybe some Crocodile Dundee movies... 

[TheoK]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

I agree.  It would be extremely arrogant not to at least try to learn the language of the country where you live.

I think I even know more Dutch than your neighbors do after seven years.  What is their first language?

I feel the same way. If I were going to live in another country, not only would I learn to speak their language, but I would work every day to eliminate my American accent so I wasn't mangling their words. I would do this out of respect for my new home. 

*grabs Rosetta Stone software and gets to work!* 

Most Swedish-speaking Americans are easily recognized on their soft "r" and melodic prosody. 

["couldbecousin"]

I wanna live in the Netherlands.

Would you learn to speak Dutch, or does everyone speak English over there?

Most people below 60 speak English tolerable in western Europe. Younger people speak more or less fluently. 

The rules are stupid here.

Any European can come here, without having to learn the language. Do you come from outside of Europe you do have to learn the language. (though most English speaking people get away with it.) To me it is nothing more than polite to learn the basics of a language of a country you are in for more than just a few weeks. And the difference part of the EC or not makes no sense to me.

I've got neighbours for over 7 years now, who cannot but speak 5 or 6 words in Dutch. I know just as much of their language, maybe even more. I just don't think that that is right.

I agree.  It would be extremely arrogant not to at least try to learn the language of the country where you live.

I think I even know more Dutch than your neighbors do after seven years.  What is their first language?

I feel the same way. If I were going to live in another country, not only would I learn to speak their language, but I would work every day to eliminate my American accent so I wasn't mangling their words. I would do this out of respect for my new home. 

*grabs Rosetta Stone software and gets to work!* 

Most Swedish-speaking Americans are easily recognized on their soft "r" and melodic prosody. 

So, do you Swedes find an American accent pleasing to your ears? 

[TheoK]

English overall sounds a bit "weak" to a Swedish ear. American English sounds more "genuine" and less uppity than British English.