Or maybe they're impressed by some specific language that you know?
Are people impressed by your knowledge of languages?
I'm impressed by people's knowledge of my own language (English) never mind other languages. I envy their education.
Native speakers are always impressed by my command of English, especially when I tell them I was self-taught. And yes, I like to brag about it.
I am Dutch and I try to get a perfect English accent to sound as American as possible. However, it still sounds bad and rather spineless and the natives don't get impressed by it. They say I sound like a "try hard" and a "suck up", and that I shouldn't be so obsessed with improving my accent. But what can I say? I'm Dutch. I'm spineless. I will go to the ends of the earth to erase my Dutchness.
My accent is very similar to this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpU0NxPhA78
My accent is very similar to this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpU0NxPhA78
Sometimes people are surprised that I speak other languages, but I don't know if they are IMPRESSED...lol.
After all, a lot of people in the world speak other languages. It shouldn't be surprising just because I'm American.
After all, a lot of people in the world speak other languages. It shouldn't be surprising just because I'm American.
Among the older generations you also have Flemish who suck up to French culture. Nowadays they're becoming rarer. Sadly, the Anglophiles are increasing. I also see a growing movement of Dutch who are opposed to the self-hating mentality and the exaggerated Anglophilia (and Germanophobia for some reason). You might find it weird: but Dutch actually are more proud of their language than Flemish are. You go imagine. It just doesn't look like that from the outside.
Anyway, it's true that shunning the Dutch language is commonplace in as well Flanders AS the Netherlands. If an artist uses the Dutch language they often are posed the question: "why do you sing in Dutch?". Ri-di-cul-ous! Still, you'll a lot of find Dutch productions, but it sadly reaches only the marginal lower classes and the high-class niche public. The middle class is all down for the Anglo stuff (or Franco stuff in the past and among older generation in Flanders).
Sometimes people get sick of this and move to Germany, England or France and build up a new life. ;-)
And yes. I remember someone arguing: "I could write poems in Dutch or in German, but then it would sound too childish and that why I prefer English. French I'm not that fond it". What an idiot (not only for insulting Dutch, but also German and French and whoring himself for the Anglos who they themselves frown upon him)!
In the past they also said German was 'not so suitable' to write opera librettos for, only Italian was. Gosh they were proven wrong later on.
I also remember a Dutchman living in Leuven who claimed this: "No, (blushes) it's not because I expect from someone who lives in Flanders to at least know Dutch that I'm turned inside my own culture. In fact, I wished my maternal language was English, then I wasn't forced to work with the 'poor Dutch language' we have speak and could brag about the rich literature we have."
Sadly, many people who aren't Dutch-speaking then start to believe Dutch be indeed poor because one self-hating idiot claims it. These Dutch-speaking Anglo- and Francophiles don't really realize the Anglos and Francos they suck up unto don't really care about them. They really are convinced Anglos and Francos love them and that in the rest of Europe they also despise their mother tongue and suck unto these 'big guys'.
Read this respone under the final quote:
http://www.9lives.be/forum/13087245-post116.html
He's just one person calling his native language 'poor'. Sadly, not everyone agrees with that, but only one self-hating person claiming this is enough to make Dutch 'seem' as a weak language that will be replaced by English by the next generation and which doesn't have a literature (two huge lies, we have tons of literature and all notable world literature is translated within days! Acadamic live is almost completely in Dutch! Most of the scientific terms have Dutch equivalents, tons of books on philosophy of thousands of pages are in Dutch, etc... and all with footnotes and worked out in detail. No we're no third world nation on terms of language development!)
Anyway, it's true that shunning the Dutch language is commonplace in as well Flanders AS the Netherlands. If an artist uses the Dutch language they often are posed the question: "why do you sing in Dutch?". Ri-di-cul-ous! Still, you'll a lot of find Dutch productions, but it sadly reaches only the marginal lower classes and the high-class niche public. The middle class is all down for the Anglo stuff (or Franco stuff in the past and among older generation in Flanders).
Sometimes people get sick of this and move to Germany, England or France and build up a new life. ;-)
And yes. I remember someone arguing: "I could write poems in Dutch or in German, but then it would sound too childish and that why I prefer English. French I'm not that fond it". What an idiot (not only for insulting Dutch, but also German and French and whoring himself for the Anglos who they themselves frown upon him)!
In the past they also said German was 'not so suitable' to write opera librettos for, only Italian was. Gosh they were proven wrong later on.
I also remember a Dutchman living in Leuven who claimed this: "No, (blushes) it's not because I expect from someone who lives in Flanders to at least know Dutch that I'm turned inside my own culture. In fact, I wished my maternal language was English, then I wasn't forced to work with the 'poor Dutch language' we have speak and could brag about the rich literature we have."
Sadly, many people who aren't Dutch-speaking then start to believe Dutch be indeed poor because one self-hating idiot claims it. These Dutch-speaking Anglo- and Francophiles don't really realize the Anglos and Francos they suck up unto don't really care about them. They really are convinced Anglos and Francos love them and that in the rest of Europe they also despise their mother tongue and suck unto these 'big guys'.
Read this respone under the final quote:
http://www.9lives.be/forum/13087245-post116.html
He's just one person calling his native language 'poor'. Sadly, not everyone agrees with that, but only one self-hating person claiming this is enough to make Dutch 'seem' as a weak language that will be replaced by English by the next generation and which doesn't have a literature (two huge lies, we have tons of literature and all notable world literature is translated within days! Acadamic live is almost completely in Dutch! Most of the scientific terms have Dutch equivalents, tons of books on philosophy of thousands of pages are in Dutch, etc... and all with footnotes and worked out in detail. No we're no third world nation on terms of language development!)
Baldewin,
Promote Dutch!
Vote for Dutch at LingQ.com.
Start a Dutch thread here.
Promote Dutch!
Vote for Dutch at LingQ.com.
Start a Dutch thread here.
Another problem with the Dutch is that in their love of English they exaggerate the greatness of English.
For example, once this invertebrate Dutch guy quoted some lyrics from an English song as an example of something "deep" and highly "artistic". He obviously thought it was genius and expected me to be impressed. But they were just some ordinary shitty dime a dozen lyrics. He was so in love with English that he thought that just because it was in English it was automatically good. Most likely, if he'd read the same shit in Dutch he would've been disgusted.
For example, once this invertebrate Dutch guy quoted some lyrics from an English song as an example of something "deep" and highly "artistic". He obviously thought it was genius and expected me to be impressed. But they were just some ordinary shitty dime a dozen lyrics. He was so in love with English that he thought that just because it was in English it was automatically good. Most likely, if he'd read the same shit in Dutch he would've been disgusted.
Look at were it is known. Only in Flanders and the Netherlands! They think they're being international when they sing in English, but they're most of the times mistaken nonetheless. What a joke!
Here's a Flem who sucks up to the French culture. He identifies with la Francophony even.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFYMhDytjYM
He IS known in France, however. He lives in Brussels and sees Flanders as 'foreign' and France and Wallonia as his second home.
Here's a Flem who sucks up to the French culture. He identifies with la Francophony even.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFYMhDytjYM
He IS known in France, however. He lives in Brussels and sees Flanders as 'foreign' and France and Wallonia as his second home.
It looks like Belgium exists because foreign powers want so, otherwise the Flemish and Walloons would have splitted from each other long time ago. Maybe putting together latins and germanics in the same country is like mixing water and oil. Germanic people are very strange for Southern Europeans but it seems that even for Walloons ( very Germanised latin people) they are hard to digest too.
Franco, funny you should mention. Belgium is on the verge of collapsing. Very interesting times are ahead, even though I'm sure it will remain existing some time one big step to the dissolution of our country will soon be taken.
People are talking about a state reform of our federation into a confederation, which actually boils down unto separatism without balls. Francophone Belgians (who have less spineless than Flems, I admit) even are against such reform. The reason Belgium needs to exist so long is due to Brussels and it's periphery. People don't want to import Belgian problems in a post-Belgium scenario.
People are also expecting Flemings to declare their independence, which can take VERY LONG before that would happen.
Anyway, everyone knows people control little and decisions are made over our heads.
Our Walloon Antimooner Visitor knows all about this and even PARISIEN is convinced Belgium will soon be gone. We just don't know it will be withing 5 years or within 50 years.
I also know Spain would be against this, because they have their minorities who look up unto Flemish separatists (even though Walloons aren't as Belgian nationalist as people portray them). I believe you cannot compare Belgium to Spain. First, even though the idea doesn't sell, there's also the possibility of eventual rattachism. In a post-Belgium scenario Wallonia is very likely to become French. In Flanders far less people are willing to become Dutch, but this can change over time, even though no one knows. Flemish aren't that revolutionary as Walloons are.
Also, in Belgium the most separatist part consists of the majority of its people. A majority that behaves submissive and constantly defends against imperialism by the minority. A majority that cannot form a unified front like the Walloons do all the time and who are easily bribed into changing their minds. It may sound pathetic but it's no else. Walloons know that some of the ruling Flemings still can possible give in to many of their demands.
Doesn't this sound Spanish? Imagine Castillians being ruled by Galicians. ;-)
People are talking about a state reform of our federation into a confederation, which actually boils down unto separatism without balls. Francophone Belgians (who have less spineless than Flems, I admit) even are against such reform. The reason Belgium needs to exist so long is due to Brussels and it's periphery. People don't want to import Belgian problems in a post-Belgium scenario.
People are also expecting Flemings to declare their independence, which can take VERY LONG before that would happen.
Anyway, everyone knows people control little and decisions are made over our heads.
Our Walloon Antimooner Visitor knows all about this and even PARISIEN is convinced Belgium will soon be gone. We just don't know it will be withing 5 years or within 50 years.
I also know Spain would be against this, because they have their minorities who look up unto Flemish separatists (even though Walloons aren't as Belgian nationalist as people portray them). I believe you cannot compare Belgium to Spain. First, even though the idea doesn't sell, there's also the possibility of eventual rattachism. In a post-Belgium scenario Wallonia is very likely to become French. In Flanders far less people are willing to become Dutch, but this can change over time, even though no one knows. Flemish aren't that revolutionary as Walloons are.
Also, in Belgium the most separatist part consists of the majority of its people. A majority that behaves submissive and constantly defends against imperialism by the minority. A majority that cannot form a unified front like the Walloons do all the time and who are easily bribed into changing their minds. It may sound pathetic but it's no else. Walloons know that some of the ruling Flemings still can possible give in to many of their demands.
Doesn't this sound Spanish? Imagine Castillians being ruled by Galicians. ;-)