![]() ![]() All he needs is a little bravery to actively take part in conversations in Dutch with the locals to make it a satisfying experience. He loves strolling past the rich architecture Amsterdam has to offer which shows a long and interesting history. Gabor also likes to taste different specialties from local and international restaurants. Biking through the little streets of this multicultural, cosmopolitan city, is one of his favorite pastimes. He writes passionately about his new home town, the lively Albert Cuyp market where he and his girlfriend buy their fresh groceries every weekend. He has written a text in Dutch about his experience of Amsterdam. In between sessions, Gabor likes to study at home. ‘Well, I think you are doing very well!’ Feeling home The lady sitting at a table next to us, compliments him ‘Nou, ik vind dat je het heel goed doet, hoor!’. Afterwards, we will translate them into Dutch. The relaxed atmosphere at the café contributes to a nice learning environment for Gabor. I ask him to think of and write down simple English sentences and questions about daily life situations. Gabor becomes a bit tense when I ask him to write down fifteen simple sentences with modal verbs. ‘Mag ik iets bestellen alsjeblieft?’ Can I order something please?’, asks Gabor ‘Mag ik een kopje thee?’ ‘May I have a cup of tea?’. We refresh Gabors knowledge of regular and irregular verbs by doing exercises in the study book and, of course, practicing in real life with the friendly waitress. My advice to Gabor: bite the bullet and start a conversation, in Dutch! Going back to the drawing boardįor our second language session Gabor and I meet up in the cosy cafe De Bali in the centre of Amsterdam.Over a cup of coffee we tackle modal verbs and their rules, why and when the verb comes at the end of the sentence and what happens if you don’t start the sentence with the subject. Obstacles that keep him from conversing in Dutch are obvious: few Dutch speaking colleagues at work, his English speaking girlfriend, and locals conveniently switching to English. So yesterday I went to the main Tokyo station and bought a 7-day Tourist Pass, the kind lady said it was much cheaper to buy it at home. Since I had a week left before my flight home I decided to bite the bullet (gettit). He is at an Intermediate level but has forgotten quite a few grammar rules and speaking Dutch is a huge challenge. Both Sally and my sister kept getting on at me for not trying out the bullet trains in Japan. He’s been living in Amsterdam for ten years and has taken several Dutch courses. My student Gabor, from Hungary, is just starting to get familiarized with Dutch expressions. ![]()
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